Unity's Trifecta of Indifference

Three Pillars of Abject Failure

My friend Daniel Alicea is very big on the rule of threes. There are a lot of people who agree with him, including the commentator and debater Medhi Hassan, who included it in his book, Win Every Argument. I haven’t managed to win every argument (just yet), but here, following the rule for once, are three major areas in which Unity has failed us. (I’ve no doubt they can and will add to the list.)

Health care—Doubtless you’re aware that Michael Mulgrew, who audaciously claims we ought never to pit retirees against in-service members, tried very, very hard to do just that, selling us out. Dumping retirees into an inferior Medicare Advantage (MA) plan would have saved the city millions, and he made the deal in order to fund a raise from which retirees derived no benefit whatsoever.

Due to the extraordinary efforts of Marianne Pizzitola and the NYC Organization of Pubic Service Retirees, we were able to maintain Medicare at no extra charge. It was Mulgrew’s plan to make real Medicare a step-up option at about 200 bucks a month per person (to start). In yet another example of pitting retirees against in-service members, he threatened working educators with a $1500 premium if they didn’t support a change in city law to pay less for retirees.

Mulgrew now speaks of Medicare Advantage like it’s ancient history, precisely the words Andrew Cuomo used to describe Tier 6 when he came to a Hilton UFT event to whore himself out for our votes. While Cuomo was defeated, Mulgrew still sits atop his 14th floor throne at 52 Broadway. Mulgrew claims to oppose MA, but fights like hell to keep it in his vest pocket, an asset to be traded away at the earliest opportunity.

In-service members are in a new health plan. The plan itself was kept under wraps, even from those who were ostensibly recommending it. Mulgrew’s handpicked health committee, enabled by myopic RA/RTC leadership (all of whom voted yes), decided to take Unity’s word it was the bestest thing ever. Who needs to read contracts? Not people whose jobs depend on doing as they are told, that’s for sure.

We’ve yet to see how this plan will work out. There’s much in it that no one was ever permitted to see. We can take Unity’s word that this was somehow private, or wait for the other shoe to drop. Having been lied to for years by Unity leadership, I’m leaning toward the latter. I have a friend who just today reported paying $77.14 for a copay that would’ve been 20 bucks with GHI.

I have no doubt more surprises are in store for those in this health plan. It’s an unforgivable disgrace that Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) union bosses, Mulgrew included, saw fit to hide the actual plan from members.

Economic issues—Every city worker knows better than to expect raises that meet cost of living. That’s just not gonna happen. Unity sets up a 300, then 500, now 700 member committee to negotiate a contract. It looks as though they’re giving members an outsized voice. However, these big, flashy committees have no say whatsoever about money (or health). I don’t know about you, but I’m acutely aware that money is the number one issue for most working members.

As if that weren’t enough, the MLC, with full Unity support, is always ready and willing to give back health care in exchange for raises that do not meet cost of living. Common sense would suggest that cost of living is a given, requiring nothing in exchange. This notwithstanding, among Unity’s Very Smart People, common sense is the least common of all the senses.

Co-pays have made it prohibitive for many members to visit Urgent Care facilities. If you want to go to City MD, it’ll run you a hundred bucks. ER and hospital visits entail even larger co-pays. Union bosses openly speak of dissuading us from using these services, as though we’re Pavlov dogs in need of training.

If you’re on Medicare, our Medigap plan now requires co-pays, something that never existed before Unity’s Great Medicare Sellout. This is a slippery slope. Your pension will never go up beyond the pittance that is the COLA. But who knows how high they’ll make future co-pays? In my experience, they go nowhere but up.

Unity made a big splash during the campaign about returning $105 in co-pays with SHIP, but made it so difficult, so full of redundant paperwork, that unless you’re in desperate need, it isn’t worth it. If the DOE were mandating this, UFT would not tolerate it. It is a blatantly ageist process.

Not only that, but they’ve doubled the SHIP premium. According to Unity speaker Robin Di Palma at an RTC meeting, this was necessary to cover the benefit. Even if you have time to assemble all this nonsense, which I do not, you lose 15 bucks. Of Facebook, a retired Unity officer, with a pension way, way larger than most or all of us, accuses us of “kvetching.”

Unity can boast all day long about how there are no premiums, but I’m paying $360 a month for pharmacy insurance for my wife and myself. That represents a 50% increase since I retired three years ago. How high can it go? Who knows? Other unions, including cops, firefighters, college teachers and DC37 pay nothing. If you think we should also pay nothing, sign our petition.

Union democracy—Here’s where they really drop the ball. I’ve been attending Delegate Assembly (DA) meetings for years. Mulgrew gets to speechify for as long as he likes. If that means there’s no time for union business, that’s too bad. If Mulgrew wants to preclude union business, all he has to do is talk longer.

Faithful Unity member Mike Sill sends an email of highlights. Said highlights include only things Mulgrew said. Member participation is never mentioned. Perhaps that’s because it’s limited—there are ten minute for questions, ten for motions, and ten for voting. Mulgrew has plants throughout the hall. He calls on them, always. Most are in the Unity Caucus and bound to say or do Whatever They’re Told.

If you’re listening, and unaware these folks have all signed loyalty oaths, you might mistake this for democracy at work. It’s not, though. It’s just them, pushing whatever they want to push. If Mulgrew wants to give money to some candidate who opposes 1096, he’ll make sure their endorsement happens.

If you’re a member of the Retired Teacher Chapter, or RTC, you know that our vote means absolutely nothing to the Unity Caucus. Though we expressed overwhelming support for 1096, our union lawyers speak against it, our union president argues against it, and we pay UFT employees, with our dues, to lobby against it.

That is outrageous, and not remotely democratic. Mulgrew is an authoritarian, doing whatever he likes, and as far as he’s concerned, we can all go to hell. He’s terrified of our activism. That’s why he has his toadies vilify Marianne Pizzitola, who’s out there doing the job we pay him to do.

I ran with ABC, and I’m running with Fix Retiree Benefits, because I believe in an activist, member-driven union. I thank all of you who joined us last Sunday, and I invite all of you to join us next time. I’ll keep you posted!