The Unity Caucus at Work

They can't argue their way out of a paper bag, but they can work the system, for now.

I am so surprised, and so proud, that today, as a retiree, I’m part of the most powerful contingent of the United Federation of Teachers. You wouldn’t expect this. No one would. You might think we’re all out playing shuffleboard or shouting, “Get off my lawn!” But there is now energy in the retiree chapter that I do not (yet) see in rank and file.

Mulgrew and Murphy thought they could sell us third-rate health care, and they thought we’d lie down and take it. But with the invaluable assistance of Marianne Pizzitola, and the NYC Retirees, we stand at the precipice of a sea change. And despite being retirees, we shall lead this sea change.

We know our adversary has no scruples, and wishes to hold on to power by any means at their disposal. We’ve seen them abuse the electoral process in the trustee election. They failed utterly, deliberately, to educate rank and file about the process, and thus the possibilities of debate and discussion were lost.

We know they didn’t want an election, and we know that someone tried to prevent it. It’s hard to believe Unity played no part in this. As if that weren’t enough, they used UFT email and text to push their candidate. They behaved as though Ben Morgenroth was not UFT. Many members may have assumed that to be true.

They will not be able to do that in the retiree election. Sure, they will throw mud at us. We’ve seen it in Unity handouts. Retiree Advocate is a one-issue group, they say. All we care about, if they’re to be believed, is our health.

As a cancer survivor, I’m here to tell you, and Unity, that health is a precious thing. I can think of few things more precious, in fact. Of course, there are other things we care about, like democracy. Unity seems to oppose both our health and our voice.

And no, we’re not gonna take it. And no, we couldn’t care less if Tom Murphy, or Mike Mulgrew, or any of their salaried hacks deem us uncivil.

Unity has tried a few things to get their message, such as it is, out to us. They sent out a full color flyer talking about how Tom Murphy was a “champion of civility.” It was, frankly, absurd to the point of being hilarious. I’m no genius, but there were so many glaring flaws genius wasn’t necessary to find them.

I think Unity took note of how bad that handout was. In a typically unethical fashion, they decided to put out a physical newsletter, on our dime, and mail it to us. Evidently they think we are all so dim that none of us will notice Tom couldn’t be bothered putting out a newsletter, physical or virtual, all year, until the month of an election. Well, Tom, I noticed, and I’m certainly not alone.

Take a look at the handout, the first page of which I’ve scanned for you below. Murphy is desperately trying to rehabilitate his outlandish rep as a “champion of civility,” absolutely one of the last things you want in a union leader. Murphy brings us back to the 60s and 70s, and speaks of Community School Board elections.

Someone was about to make decisions about our profession and livelihood that would be harmful. We could roll over and let them do it or we could fight for our dignity.

As a teacher, I give Tom an F in self-awareness. Right now, not 50 years ago, we are in the battle of our lives, fighting for our health care. For the record, Tom’s position is we should roll over and let them do it. Incivility alert—Tom Murphy is a sniveling coward who won’t stand up to Michael Mulgrew, and even worse, won’t stand up for us. It’s his job to stand up for us, and Tom needs to be fired. Tom continues:

We are doing the same to date for issues that affect our well-being.

Chutzpah is murdering your parents and asking the court for mercy because you’re an orphan. Tom Murphy may be a bad leader. Tom Murphy may value civility more than he values progress. But Tom Murphy has a lot of damn chutzpah claiming he’s any part of our struggle to protect our well-being.

Tom Murphy signed a pledge to do whatever the hell Unity Caucus tells him to do. It’s been very lucrative for him. He’s got two pensions, and a job doing Whatever Mike Mulgrew Says. (Me, you, if we want extra money, we have to work.)

A real leader amplifies the voice of membership. Murphy does the opposite. He had to be humiliated on this page and others before even allowing questions on health care, the biggest issue, bar none, for those of us who haven’t joined the Unity Patronage Cult. Murphy has some gall lecturing us about labor interests.

Unity stacked the deck in the Trustee election. My friends the paraprofessionals made an egregious error appointing a Unity member to run with them. The Unity guy stabbed them in the back. Instantly, Unity alerts me on social media, trying to humiliate a group of paraprofessionals trying to make ends meet. They are disgraceful. (This is quite different from targeting overpaid, ineffective union bosses.)

Regardless, this is our year. This year is in our hands.

Let’s send Murphy to spend more time quilling, or whatever the hell it is he does when not trying to sabotage our health insurance. Let’s vote for Retiree Advocate.

This is OUR year and WE are going to WIN.