It used to be an easy task to push that Unity brand, but it’s getting tougher every moment. Mulgrew won last year, but by his lowest margin ever. ABC is just getting started. It’s gonna be harder and harder to peddle the Same Old Crap, and that’s all Unity has.
Unity’s MO, though, has become crystal clear. It wasn’t as easy to notice before. But now that the Retired Teacher Chapter (RTC) has slipped from Unity’s grasp, it’s p[ain as day. They want what they want, and anything that does not fall into that category simply Must Not Happen. That’s why our resolution to maintain support of 1096 was stalled last month and the one before that. That’s why they’ll do everything in their power to make sure it doesn’t come up next month either.
I’m glad there’s an RTC. I’m happy to take part in union, whether Unity wants me there or not. I’m not remotely happy, though, about Michael Mulgrew or Unity having a hand in negotiating my health care. I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.
There’s ample reason for that. Mulgrew came to last month’s meeting, bullied his way onto the stage, ignored our chapter leader’s repeated comments that we had business to conduct, and asserted himself as though he were a king, not to be questioned. He then mustered the audacity to claim he’d just wanted to stop by and say happy holidays.
Perhaps he believed we’d take it as simple coincidence that he bloviated for an hour about 1096, and why he disapproved of it. Perhaps he thought we wouldn’t notice he’d also brought his lawyer, just in case anyone dared question his royal authority. After all, she’s on his payroll, and he’d fire her ass if she said anything with which he disagreed. What possible motivation would she have to lie to us?
Mulgrew clearly assumes we all just fell off the tomato truck from Jersey. Then he went on, pondering why other unions don’t do what we do.
That question, though, is not remotely as tough to answer as Mulgrew may imagine. Other unions have not been dominated by one group since their inception. Other unions have had changes in leadership. If you think we have a retired chapter because Unity adores retirees, I have a bridge to sell you. Unity ridicules us, and then applauds its members for doing so.
Despite this, they fully expect us to vote for them. This notwithstanding, the RTC has no budget. The RTC chapter has no outreach but that which they explicitly allow and approve, no access to union email. Every dime that passes through the RTC has to be approved by Mulgrew. Curiously, unions without dedicated chapters have a very strong benefit we do not.
For example, DC37 doesn’t have a retired chapter. What DC 37 does, though, is give pharmacy insurance at no charge to its retirees. And guess what? If you’re a retired cop, firefighter, or sanitation worker, you may not have union meetings, but you don’t have to pay for pharmacy insurance.
Most NYC retirees don’t pay for pharmacy insurance.
We, on the other hand, have a vote. We get to help choose who runs our union. Our vote is limited to a certain percentage or number, but it’s there. I believe our quota went up a few years back. This is because Unity simply takes us for granted, fully expecting us to vote for them no matter what. I’ve no doubt the first wave of retirees was from the founding activist wave, the ones who’d demanded collective bargaining and had been on strike.
Nowadays, few from that wave remain. Current retirees remember our union enabling mayoral control, giving away the farm in 2005, and negotiating multiple contracts that failed to keep pace with cost of living. We remember Mulgrew and his Very Smart People pissing away our health care in exchange for raises that were less than extraordinary. We’ve watched them empty the Stabilization fund.
We’ve watched them lie to us about co-pays and Medicare Advantage. They’ve just sold us a new plan without allowing us to read it. Who knows what fun surprises are in store?
Why do we have a retiree chapter? Because Unity, whose sole purpose is the perpetuation of Unity, figured we’d always vote Unity. Even after selling us out, they couldn’t conceive of losing. They let Tom Murphy run meetings in which we voted on nothing, and were all supposed to pretend we were happy. They complained we’d call out. Now that Unity isn’t in control, it’s them calling out. I sat next to them at the last meeting, and they had no reservations whatsoever.
Their motto, “We do the work,” is insulting on multiple levels. I was a classroom teacher for decades. I was chapter leader of the largest school in Queens, the most overcrowded in the city, and I worked my ass off in both capacities. I have no doubt plenty of you have as well. You’ll pardon me if I think pledging allegiance to Michael Mulgrew and Unity, in writing no less, precludes your doing work in our interest.
And why do they do what work they do? Because they control the jobs. No one’s ever controlled the UFT besides Unity. Some UFT employees are far too busy kissing Mulgrew’s royal ass to work for us. I’ve watched them slobber all over him in meetings for years.
That’s why we pay premiums while our brother and sister unionists do not. That’s why the prevailing sentiment in our union is apathy. That’s why so few of us vote, or even know what union is.
We’re going to change that.
PS—Thanks to all of you who emailed me after my last piece. Special thanks to those who asked how you can help. We will have answers for you very shortly. Stay tuned!
It is truly despicable that the largest city union does not provide free pharmaceutical coverage, especially considering all the other unions do. But then again, it is also reprehensible how they barely pay the para's. Or how teachers have to purchase classroom supplies themselves.
Mulgrew & Crew GOTS top GO!