Unity Thinks They Own Our Union

They don't, and this must change.

Theoretically, the highest rule-making body in the UFT is the Delegate Assembly. The word of the DA should be final. This notwithstanding, the DA has twice endorsed the New York Health Act. With a few tweaks, NYHA could solve health care issues for both retiree and in-service city employees. The cited 2017 resolution further states the following:

RESOLVED, that the UFT opposes the American Health Care Act, as well as any attempts to reduce the health care access provided by Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT calls for improving the health care safety net, including protecting and improving Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT reaffirms that the most sensible and cost-effective solution for health coverage is a single-payer system modeled after the federal Medicare system; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT will educate and mobilize its members and our broader community to support universal health care coverage.

That sounds a lot like the DA opposing the weakening of Medicare. Yet Unity’s Mulgrew initiated changes that would do that very thing. Though the NY State Supreme Court determined that Mulgrewcare would do irreparable harm to retirees, though they determined the MA scheme was a breach in the city’s pledge to us, Mulgrew pushed it, literally, for years.

Mulgrew contended that anyone who questioned his enthusiasm for inferior health care was pushing “fairy tales.”

Mulgrew then started insulting his critics. He said they just can’t handle the facts. When a resolution comes up, he said, it’s official policy. Some people don’t like it, he said, and that’s too bad. The fact was that he, Michael Mulgrew, was elected to do the work the Delegate Assembly says to do.

And yet, the official policy of supporting NYHA was unilaterally reversed by Mulgrew and his patronage mill. That’s pretty do as I say, not as I do. Mulgrew suggested anyone who questioned him was an enemy of the union. In his mind, it appears, there’s not much space between union leader and fascist dictator.

Mulgrew doesn’t seem to know what a union is or does.

If a teacher spoke that way to her students, she’d find herself up on charges. But UFT Unity does whatever it likes, and that’s that. Even when Mulgrew finally reversed his health care positions, he took no responsibility and blamed the city. Worse, he did absolutely nothing to protect retirees or in-service members, all of whom still face the possibility of diminished health care.

When Unity disapproved of my writing, they used my dues to get lawyers to threaten me with civil and criminal penalties. Clearly, representing members is not as important as repressing criticism of policy. Who cares if they actively threaten those they’re paid to represent? They’re leaders, and they have every right to indulge their paranoia over criticism.

It’s almost a new school year. Soon, Mulgrew will once again stand in front of the Delegate Assembly, talk about whatever he wants for as long as he likes, and make sure member motions he doesn’t support never see the light of day. Just ask Daniel Alicea, who put up a motion opposing mayoral control. It lingered for a year as Unity placed resolution after resolution before it.

Mayoral control in NYC is akin to mayoral dictatorship. Personally, I can’t remember the last good mayor NYC had. But even a good mayor (should one ever come about) ought to be restrained by democracy. That brings me right back to my pal Michael Mulgrew and his Unity Patronage Mill.

There has been an incredible grassroots uprising in the United Federation of Teachers, and they just lost two momentous elections. Now you wouldn’t know that if you read the recent piece of garbage posing as an article in City and State. But both the paraprofessionals and the retirees overwhelmingly rejected Unity. Retirees won 300 seats on the Delegate Assembly.

Unity, most definitely, does not own our union. We are the union, and next year our voices and votes will determine whether or not we allow them to swagger about, threatening and insulting those of us who demand and support union.

It’s time for democracy and member voice. It’s time we had a union president who rerpresented membership rather than Eric Frigging Adams. It’s time we had leadership who refused to even consider outlandish sellouts in exchange for sub-inflationary contract.

In a few short months, we shall have our say, even if that means Michael Mulgrew and his faithful Unity ducklings have to go out and, you know, work.