Hands Off Our Healthcare: Time to Put The City Council, The Mayor and Mulgrew on Notice -We're the Union.
We must protect healthcare of NYC's union workers & expand healthcare for all working families. Let leaders know we're against changing Code 12-126, the law protecting our healthcare.See our poll, too
Hi Everyone,
I've received a number of questions about the confusing email Michael Mulgrew sent to us this past Saturday regarding our healthcare. I know a lot of you are wondering what in the world is going on. I'm wondering too.
It's no secret that here in the United States (the only major industrialized nation without universal healthcare), the costs of essential medical services and prescription drugs continue to spiral out of control. The City is using these spiraling costs as the reason why they cannot give us raises that at the very least match the rate of inflation. I don't believe the City's argument for a second, as our mayor is sitting on an unprecedented stockpile of over $9 billion in unspent funds; and there is no indication that New York City is falling off the financial cliff that Mayor Adams keeps crying about.
At this point in time, our UFT President is saying that the only way to get a raise is to reduce healthcare costs, and the only way to reduce those costs is to change Admin Code 12-126, the city law that protects the guaranteed healthcare of both retirees and in-service members. Changing the city law that protects our healthcare makes zero sense, threatens to reduce our healthcare benefits during our lifetimes, and flies in the face of protecting what was promised to us. It's a total non-starter and we should not accept it.
When votes were cast by the 103 municipal labor unions of NYC to determine what to do about our healthcare, 11 unions voted against changing Admin Code 12-126, 48 unions voted yes, 4 unions abstained, and 40 unions did not attend the voting session at all. While only 2 unions, the UFT and DC 37, unfairly possess most of the weighted votes within the MLC.
That's nowhere close to a widespread agreement.
Unions that are adamant about keeping our healthcare protections fully intact include UFA/UFOA (FDNY), DC 37 Local 2507 (FDNY EMTs, Paramedics and Fire Inspectors), Doctors Council SEIU (Physicians), Professional Staff Congress (College Professors), and a consortium of 5 Police Unions (NYPD).
President Mulgrew's email this past Saturday is telling UFT members to urge their local politicians to change Admin Code 12-126, the law currently protecting our healthcare. Don't do that! Clear and comprehensive information about healthcare must first be shared with ALL UFT members, and we ALL need time to review the information and discuss how we want to move forward as a union. In the meantime, here is what you can do to protect your family's healthcare:
1. Call your City Council Member and tell them, "I am a public educator in NYC. I need my family's health care to be better and more affordable, not worse and more expensive. Do not change Admin Code 12-126!"
Here is a link to the contact info for NYC City Council Members: https://council.nyc.gov/districts/
2. Contact your City Council Member on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and tell them to leave Admin Code 12-126 untouched. Protect the healthcare of working families and expand healthcare access for all New Yorkers!
3. Contact UFT President Michael Mulgrew at mmulgrew@uft.org, and tell him why it is so important for us to fight for healthcare gains, not healthcare givebacks! If you want more information on this extremely important topic, click on these links:
1. http://nyceducator.com/2022/10/uft-if-we-dont-surrender-we-will-lose.html?m=1
2. https://www.ronniealmonte.com/p/the-ufts-health-care-strategy-is
3. https://jd2718.org/2022/10/31/abcs-of-mulgrew-vs-retirees-health-care/
5. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/health/medicare-advantage-plans-report.html
6. https://www.nycretirees.org/
In Solidarity,
Dan Alicea - Lead Organizer
I have a feeling that Michael M. doesn't want to mess up our present Medicare. He is being pressured from outside sources, and I hope he fights in our favor. We must encourage him to fight for us.