The Big Lies keep mounting up as Unity seeks to cover up their misuse of our UFT Welfare Fund for their patronage machine. It's time to start asking more tough questions.
Why won’t the Welfare Find publish the actuarial studies so that the membership and an independent actuarial firm can analyze the actuarial soundness of Mulgrew’s position?
Why is that so hard for Mulgrew to do? Isn’t he for transparency?
1. We keep reserves for good fiscal integrity. The reserves that you portray as being used for nefarious fashion are there to protect our plan for several years. Reserves should not be used to fund any benefits that will become unsustainable once it gets depleted. We explore benefit enhancements with regularity. Enhancements must be done in a smart fashion.
2. The dental RFP is ongoing. This has been reported regularly.
3. The patronage myth is false. Two former pedagogues work at the Fund. Me and Joe Usatch. Both of us were Chapter Leaders and have a substantial history of union involvement.
4. The UFT and the UFT Welfare Fund are two separate entities and finances are completely separate. Suggestions that they are commingled is inaccurate.
5. Your suggestion to audit the Fund is responsible…and has been happening for decades. The UFT Welfare Fund is regularly audited by both a reputable independent actuary and the NYC Comptrollers office. We have never been flagged for nefarious spending.
Geof I couldn’t agree more, reserves should not be used to fund any benefits that will become unsustainable once depleted. Then let me ask why did your union destabilize the health stabilization fund by withdrawing $1 billion to convey to the city of New York to fund your contract, thus destabilizing the city healthcare program for all city, workers, retirees, and their families? 🤔
Hundreds of millions more have been taken from the healthcare stabilization fund beyond that initial billion and transferred to welfare funds that have little oversight as to whether they are going to health related benefits …only for us to be told we must accept “cost savings” such as inferior and predatory Medicare Advantage with its countless pre-approvals and limited providers.
We’ve also been hit with much higher co-pays and deductibles to our GHI benefits plan because the HSF reserves have been depleted.
So how is any of this three card monte game where Peter robs from Paul and our other city union siblings so that those monies can sit idly in reserve in our Welfare Fund while hard working UFT members now also pay thousands out of pocket for their dental bills … “good fiscal integrity”?
Maybe taxpayers need to ask for an investigation at this point?
Yes that was part of the quid pro quo to get the unions in the MLC to agree to the Mulgrew scheme of taking $1 billion for their contract in 2014. Each union would get an additional $165 a year per employee and Retiree for their welfare fund. The City cannot provide any oversight or enforcement of a welfare fund. Once taxpayer dollars are in the union welfare funds, there is no oversight.
And while the Comptroller office does an audit, it’s perfunctory and they have absolutely no enforcement power. Even unions welfare funds have extremely high administrative costs and low benefit cost ratios are never taken to task. There are even unions with welfare funds in the red, and nothing happens.
Excellent point! As the WF bureaucracy eats up more HSF reserve $ earmarked originally for the healthcare of all city workers, those monies can also be set aside for other purposes like the millions Mulgrew’s and Sorkin’s political patronage machine spends on IT or other non-healthcare related projects like scholarships. And while the latter is worthwhile work, it’s not what the original monies were earmarked for — the healthcare of city workers and retirees and their families.
3 hrs ago·edited 3 hrs agoLiked by Educators of NYC
@geof sorkin
Right and Joe Wohl told another lie in October 2018 when he insisted that none of what was in the MOA was on the table including MAP.
How is it that CSA provides far better benefits than the UFT to both actives and retirees, including a no cost catastrophic plan?
Is the UFT local 2 the only NYSUT local that requires its retirees to pay dues in order to access plans that we then pay a monthly premium for?
What is your current patronage or whatever you want to call it Unity salary? I see that one of the “special reps” was pulling in $188,000 is 2020 or so. What’s your point Geof? Better in your pockets than serving the members as it’s intended to?
Actually Geof Jonathan Rosenberg, Director of Budget Review at the New York City Independent Budget Office, stated in his testimony to the City Council that there is little to no oversight on the Welfare Funds.
The independent budget office also suggested combining welfare funds citywide to leverage all city, workers, retirees, and their families for greater discounts and purchases of benefits for drug, vision and dental. 1.2 million people in a benefit plan would surely get a better discount then 200,000.
Thank you for this comprehensive and detailed report! Boy do we need answers.
Why won’t the Welfare Find publish the actuarial studies so that the membership and an independent actuarial firm can analyze the actuarial soundness of Mulgrew’s position?
Why is that so hard for Mulgrew to do? Isn’t he for transparency?
Five facts:
1. We keep reserves for good fiscal integrity. The reserves that you portray as being used for nefarious fashion are there to protect our plan for several years. Reserves should not be used to fund any benefits that will become unsustainable once it gets depleted. We explore benefit enhancements with regularity. Enhancements must be done in a smart fashion.
2. The dental RFP is ongoing. This has been reported regularly.
3. The patronage myth is false. Two former pedagogues work at the Fund. Me and Joe Usatch. Both of us were Chapter Leaders and have a substantial history of union involvement.
4. The UFT and the UFT Welfare Fund are two separate entities and finances are completely separate. Suggestions that they are commingled is inaccurate.
5. Your suggestion to audit the Fund is responsible…and has been happening for decades. The UFT Welfare Fund is regularly audited by both a reputable independent actuary and the NYC Comptrollers office. We have never been flagged for nefarious spending.
Thank you,
Geof Sorkin
Geof I couldn’t agree more, reserves should not be used to fund any benefits that will become unsustainable once depleted. Then let me ask why did your union destabilize the health stabilization fund by withdrawing $1 billion to convey to the city of New York to fund your contract, thus destabilizing the city healthcare program for all city, workers, retirees, and their families? 🤔
Hundreds of millions more have been taken from the healthcare stabilization fund beyond that initial billion and transferred to welfare funds that have little oversight as to whether they are going to health related benefits …only for us to be told we must accept “cost savings” such as inferior and predatory Medicare Advantage with its countless pre-approvals and limited providers.
We’ve also been hit with much higher co-pays and deductibles to our GHI benefits plan because the HSF reserves have been depleted.
So how is any of this three card monte game where Peter robs from Paul and our other city union siblings so that those monies can sit idly in reserve in our Welfare Fund while hard working UFT members now also pay thousands out of pocket for their dental bills … “good fiscal integrity”?
Maybe taxpayers need to ask for an investigation at this point?
Yes that was part of the quid pro quo to get the unions in the MLC to agree to the Mulgrew scheme of taking $1 billion for their contract in 2014. Each union would get an additional $165 a year per employee and Retiree for their welfare fund. The City cannot provide any oversight or enforcement of a welfare fund. Once taxpayer dollars are in the union welfare funds, there is no oversight.
And while the Comptroller office does an audit, it’s perfunctory and they have absolutely no enforcement power. Even unions welfare funds have extremely high administrative costs and low benefit cost ratios are never taken to task. There are even unions with welfare funds in the red, and nothing happens.
Excellent point! As the WF bureaucracy eats up more HSF reserve $ earmarked originally for the healthcare of all city workers, those monies can also be set aside for other purposes like the millions Mulgrew’s and Sorkin’s political patronage machine spends on IT or other non-healthcare related projects like scholarships. And while the latter is worthwhile work, it’s not what the original monies were earmarked for — the healthcare of city workers and retirees and their families.
So release the actuary report and their assessment of potential benefit enhancements and the repercussions to members. Easy.
@geof sorkin
Right and Joe Wohl told another lie in October 2018 when he insisted that none of what was in the MOA was on the table including MAP.
How is it that CSA provides far better benefits than the UFT to both actives and retirees, including a no cost catastrophic plan?
Is the UFT local 2 the only NYSUT local that requires its retirees to pay dues in order to access plans that we then pay a monthly premium for?
What is your current patronage or whatever you want to call it Unity salary? I see that one of the “special reps” was pulling in $188,000 is 2020 or so. What’s your point Geof? Better in your pockets than serving the members as it’s intended to?
Actually Geof Jonathan Rosenberg, Director of Budget Review at the New York City Independent Budget Office, stated in his testimony to the City Council that there is little to no oversight on the Welfare Funds.
The independent budget office also suggested combining welfare funds citywide to leverage all city, workers, retirees, and their families for greater discounts and purchases of benefits for drug, vision and dental. 1.2 million people in a benefit plan would surely get a better discount then 200,000.