You May NOT Defer!

Is it a Seinfeld episode? No, that's RTC Boss Tom Murphy making sure Bennett Fischer, Retiree Advocate candidate for chapter leader, does not speak. No soup for him.

It was theater of the absurd yesterday at 52 Broadway, as Tom Murphy and his gang of Unity Patronage Cult members took the stage and tried to bamboozle us into submission. The presumed Unity nominee for chapter leader, Carmen Alvarez, was there, and by some random coincidence, happened to be giving a long presentation about how much Unity cares about paraprofessionals.

The timing here was remarkable. This week, at Executive Board, opposition brought a “Resolution to Meaningfully Support New York City Paraprofessionals’ Fight for a Living Wage and Fair Contract.” Unity struck the word “meaningfully” from the title. So the same people who want to support the paraprofessionals’ struggle, but not meaningfully, were boasting about how, finally, they got paras included into the retirement system.

Here’s another thing Unity cut from the resolution:

Resolved; that the UFT develop a comprehensive bargaining plan, with a clear timeline and objectives, for achieving a living wage for paraprofessionals, including equitable longevity raises, injury paid leave parity, and chapter 683 and ESY pay parity, ensuring they are compensated fairly for their crucial role in education.

So, they don’t support timelines or objectives to achieve a living wage, longevity, paid leave parity, or fair compensation, evidently. But they love paras.

Of course it’s great that they helped paras to be included in retirement plans. This notwithstanding, it was long overdue. They did not do much for decades, including the bare minimum of informing paraprofessionals. When I was chapter leader, our para rep tried to retire after decades of service, only to learn she had not paid into the retirement system. She had to go back to work for years after that, and was in less than optimal shape to do so. That was how I learned paraprofessionals were not automatically entered into a retirement system. Unity bosses surely knew long before.

I arrived at 1:06. Tom Murphy was talking about the good old days and how Randi Weingarten is going to speak to us sometime soon. He told us UFT Boss Mulgrew has been “called away,” and LeRoy Barr would take his place.

I am wary (and weary) of Mulgrew’s excuses for not attending meetings. For years he’s been running into Exec. Board, if at all, for 10 minutes, and then running back to do Whatever It Is he does in his office. (Imagine showing up to your classroom for ten minutes and then running off.) After a recent meeting in which he’d left early concluded, Jonathan Halabi and I caught him sneaking down an alley, and when Jonathan challenged him, he ran like a frightened bunny rabbit.

There was a question period on the agenda, supposedly with Mulgrew. Mulgrew, of course was doing More Important Things, so they pushed it to the end of the meeting. Murphy announced there would be a Q and A after Carmen Alvarez speaks, but we will be limited to 2 minutes per question.

Attaboy Tom! Way to promote member involvement. Even as UFT protests the 2 minute limit at PEP meetings, impose the same limit on members. When you do it, it’s fine. Also, make direct participation the last thing you do so that it’s timed out.

The only thing Murphy volunteered about health care, the prime concern of most of those who actually showed up, was that there was a March 21st court date. The city was appealing, Murphy didn’t bother saying what they were appealing, or even whisper the Unity Patronage Cult’s position. For the record, Murphy and his entire cult support the city’s efforts to a. impose co-pays on us, and b. dump us into an inferior Medicare Advantage program administered by Aetna.

Murphy said members needed help in Florida, and some GOP candidates may be vulnerable, including DeSantis and Rick Scott. He said “Michael” has a great interest, and visited in Florida in February. Had “jam-packed crowd” and “vibrant debate.” 90 people.

Patronage recipients are on a first name basis with “Michael,” but if you send him an email that’s remotely critical, best sit while you wait for a response. I’ve heard Mulgrew’s Florida visit did indeed have vibrant debate, because few there wanted to be ejected from Medicare.

Murphy, again, announced we’re “dubbed by Michael Mulgrew” as the “daytime army.”

Murphy said we will “work like crazy” to help those in Tier 6. I’m for that. Still, I can’t help but wonder why we won’t work at all to help ourselves. It’s absurd we have hacks like Murphy working, at our expense, to generate funds for Eric Adams. I’d wonder how he sleeps at night, but he frequently appears to be sleeping even as he speaks.

If you can’t help yourself, how can you help others? What sort of role model does that make you, especially if you’re a teacher?

Murphy says founders foresaw retiree chapter. Says LeRoy is “one of the best friends this chapter has,” and that he’s “UFT historian.” Personally, I’d like our best friends to fight for us to keep our health care. For my money, Marianne Pizzitola is one of our best friends.

Barr—Pleasure to be here three days after 64th anniversary of UFT. Thinks of George Altamari. Says that’s why every year we have resolutions to commemorate founding and first strike. Says with 200,000 members we are largest local in country. Says the work is not done.

I couldn’t agree more. The work is not done. The work, as far as I’m concerned, entails electing leadership that will represent us, not Eric Adams. We are in the fight of our lives to preserve our health care. If we lie down and die on that, as Murphy and Barr would like us to, we’ll be of no earthly use supporting anyone else.

Barr says we have to fight for same things, in 2024, that they fought for in 1960s. Says we are still fighting for class size.

Barr neglects to mention we’ve made no progress in well over half a century. (Perhaps he forgets having opposed class size resolutions I brought to UFT Executive Board.) He also neglects to mention that, in the union’s zeal to reduce class sizes, we’ve done absolutely nothing to have it memorialized in our contract, the only instrument that’s ever successfully regulated class size.

Yes, there is a regulation. However, there’s long been one. C4E has been around for decades, and class sizes have gone nowhere but up. The only meaningful change has been an agreement that superintendents would be in on the loop on class sizes. That’s helped us to enforce the existing regs, but has done nothing to turn the tide toward lower class sizes.

Geoff Sorkin, Welfare Fund Boss—on Zoom or something—reminds us it’s time for Part B reimbursement. 164.90 a month. For both retiree and dependent.

In fact, this has already been covered, but in their desperation for happy talk, the Unity Patronage Cult needs to repeat it. Look, here’s a benefit we haven’t tried to take from you!

Yet.

Sorkin says not one word about the sellout of our health care, which the Q and A period revealed was the prime concern of attendees. Look at this, not that, seems to be the theme of the day.

The crowd is anxious to ask questions. Murphy shushes people, says question period is later. Ridicules people, “Why don’t you yell out?” (If you spoke to students the way he speaks to members, you’d be facing letters to file, at the very least. His contempt for those of us who wish to preserve our health care is palpable.)

Murphy announces functional chapter elections upon us.

“Non-partisan” election chair says NY Teacher, pg 33, tells you that we’re starting 2024 RTC election. Gives guidelines. On March 14th nominating forms were made available. On March 13th, you should’ve received email about it. Nominating form must be returned to Yasmin Colon. Must use UFT ID number.

Ballots will be mailed on or about May 10th. If you don’t receive one, you call American Arbitration Association. 800 529 5218. If you need to update address, call UFT. Deadline for receiving ballots is June 14th.

Murphy introduces Carmen Alvarez, who gives presentation about SRPs, or school-related personnel.

Alvarez—discusses SRPs. Brings up LeRoy Barr, Bradley Alter, others to help. Says it will be a three level presentation. Functional chapter leaders will speak. Of course, that doesn’t include the ones paraprofessionals elected who were not part of Unity Patronage Cult.)

They speak a lot about how they want to help paraprofessionals.

Alvarez finishes at 2:34.

Murphy opens question period. All questions regarding medical coverage receive tremendous applause from crowd.

Q—Lobbying. Asks whether union is vetting candidates on Medicare Advantage.

Murphy—Vetting on UFT policy. Present candidates with issues and judge by response. (Translation—It doesn’t matter whether or not they support Medicare Advantage, or us being dumped into it, because we, the Unity Patronage Cult, support it as well.)

Q—Were optional rider checks mailed, yes

Q—Says Tom has project going on, over 2000 members have not given us new addresses or email. If you know those who’ve moved, call membership office.

Q—Upset because fight continues for retirees to protect health care, stories in NYT about deaths who’ve died, denied care. Mulgrew’s fault. Murphy interrupts. How about having retirees vote on Medicare? That’s listening to members. Murphy says they’re listening now. Member says we have great plan and want to keep it. In Washington unions stood up and fought it. (Murphy is listening, but the union position has not changed, and we’ve had neither voice nor vote in it. Boss Mulgrew has sold us out, in exchange for sub-standard contracts for in-service members that, in fact, do not affect us at all.)

Q—Wife will retire in August. When can I start process to enroll her?

Murphy—Speak to WF.

Q—Gloria Brandman says thanks Carmen. Nice to see you. I haven’t seen you here in months (begging the question of why she’s here today). Do you believe one of the best things union can do is to protect our current excellent health care?

Carmen Alvarez defers the question to Tom Murphy.

Murphy—Michael Mulgrew has said that he favors a premium free health care plan, preferably with pay up option.

First, this is not an answer to the question, Murphy, though, is saying Michael Mulgrew wants us to pay 200 bucks a month, each, to keep the health care we now have for free. This will come to five thousand dollars a year, per couple. Carmen Alvarez testified there was a need for this option.

This is remarkable on many levels. Carmen Alvarez was a UFT Vice-President. She made a whole lot more money than any of us who did the nitty gritty work of teaching (let alone being a paraprofessional). She can afford a few thousand a year. Retired paraprofessionals, for whom she professed deep concern, cannot.

As a matter of fact, Carmen brought with her not only fellow Patronage Cult members, but also a cancer survivor, who stated she needed real Medicare. The fact is, any of us can have cancer. I’ve had it. If the Advantage plan is not good enough for a cancer survivor, it’s not good enough for anyone.

Q—Congestion pricing—Barr—in court, we filed lawsuit. Says fees won’t solve issue. Will affect outer boroughs. Says he doesn’t trust government.

Q—What can we do to help tier 6? Will focus on that April 16. Says this is people’s lives, something you can’t play around with.

Q—Member wants to defer to Bennett Fischer, Murphy refuses to allow member to defer to Bennett, candidate for President.

This is very much like a Seinfeld skit, as Bennett texted me yesterday. No soup for you. After allowing Carmen to “defer” to Murphy, the member is not allowed to do the same. Privileged members of the UFT Unity Patronage Cult, like Carmen and Murphy, may do whatever they please. Mere members, like us, can sit down, shut up, and go to hell unless we follow rules Murphy and Carmen invent on the spot.

Q—Hears Congress will have secret commission to reduce Medicare and Medicaid. Murphy—Biden says it won’t be changed on his watch. GOP has produced no productive legislation, but is looking at that. Says AFT will fight anything like that. Says campaign 2024 on June agenda.

Q—Amount of Medicare part B. 164.90 a month, says Bennett.

Q—Doesn’t think majority here wants our health program “better” We want to keep what we have. Why not a special meeting that takes two hours to address this?

Q—Murphy lets guy who isn’t Bennett, who tried to defer, ask a question. Respectfully, understand what it is to make negotiations. Bennett Fischer only announced candidate for RTC chair. Can he speak?

Murphy, with straight face—We do not do that. We do not entertain internal politics at this meeting.

Q—Why are we as a union engaging in Tier 6 fight. What’s difference between Tier 6 and 4?

Tom Brown—Difference is tier 6 requires age 63. Tier 6 has 5 year salary average. Contributions different. We need to tweak that. Long process. We live an anti-pension, anti defined benefit atmosphere. Only 20% have defined benefit pension. We have death, disability benefit. SS and health benefits. Work not over. Will discuss this next month. June 4, lawyer will explain how RMD is calculated.

Murphy—says we had 28 minutes of questions (In fact, we have had 24.), as though he’s generous to let us participate at all. Murphy’s flagrant lack of respect for member participation, as well as his readily evident eagerness to be done with it, is unconscionable.

Murphy brings LeRoy Barr on to say he loves the union.

Barr says we were born in strife, but in spite of it we’ve gotten where we are today. You have to look for the things that bind us, that bring us together. We can talk about our differences, but only reason we’re sitting here today, is we all came together.

I like LeRoy. He’s got a quick mind and a tough job. With all due respect, the UFT Unity Patronage Cult has utter contempt for dissent. Multiple occurrences in this very meeting suggest they do not wish to discuss differences.

I’m also reminded of a Shakespeare professor I had in college. He told us whenever anyone says but, you may disregard whatever precedes it. When LeRoy suggests we appreciate differences but…I know exactly what that means.

I can only suppose that’s why they got rid of Paul Egan. That’s why Amy Arundell is sitting somewhere twiddling her thumbs instead of running Queens UFT. That’s why David Kazansky is moving to AFT. That’s why they passed over their most qualified candidate for trustee. That’s why Migda Rodriguez was given no time, no job, no compensation, not even a UFT email address when she was elected second vice chair.

Closer to home, that’s why, one day, I suddenly found I was no longer receiving UFT email (I was able to fix that, thanks to advice from Daniel Alicea.) That’s why I was sent a letter from UFT lawyers threatening me with civil and criminal penalties for parodying Michael Mulgrew. And my domain was blocked on the Blogger platform. That’s why I’m here, with a much-expanded readership. (Thanks, “Michael.”)

I know exactly how leadership feels about dissent. And they will never intimidate me or shut me down. If they manage to stop me here, I’ll find somewhere better.

Don’t let them quash your voice either. Vote them OUT this MAY.