Retired NYC teachers toss out union prez’s crew in furor over Medicare coverage

Retired metropolis educators furious complete projected changes to their wellness attraction have toppled a national slate allied pinch powerful United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.

The Mulgrew-linked United Caucus’ Retiree section sent a announcement to its supporters Saturday saying unofficial results showed it mislaid nan caller predetermination to nan dissident faction Retiree Advocate.

The nonaccomplishment of power of nan UFT’s Retired Teachers Chapter by Mulgrew’s campy intends nan renegade faction will now beryllium overseeing astir 300 national seats carrying important voting and management powers while repping tens of thousands of retired teachers and different educators specified arsenic guidance counselors and paraprofessionals.

Tampering pinch retirees’ wellness sum was “a large mistake,” a national root said.

“This was cuckoo. Why were we messing pinch retirees’ wellness care? It’s for illustration a explosive has been dropped connected nan UFT,” nan root said.

Bennett Fischer, nan caller Retiree Chapter leader, said successful a statement, “Wow. It’s a caller time successful nan UFT Retired Teachers Chapter and a caller time successful nan UFT. A bully day. A very bully day.

“For 3 years now, retirees person been fighting for our lives: Fighting for nan wellness benefits that we earned; fighting against nan privatization of our healthcare; fighting for nan accepted Medicare and Supplemental security that we were promised. And, fighting for nan wellness and wellbeing of our early UFT colleagues-in-retirement,” he said.

The upheaval comes connected nan heels of guidance to Mulgrew and metropolis national leaders representing different municipal workers agreeing to displacement retirees from their accepted Medicare sum to Aetna-run Medicare Advantage to generate cost savings for New York City.

Critics declare the shift of 250,000 metropolis retirees to Medicare Advantage supplemental sum could time off them pinch higher costs and less benefits.

Fischer’s Retiree Advocate faction won 63% to 37% to Mulgrew’s Unity Caucus slate — 17,226 votes to 10,114, according to unofficial results. 

Tom Murphy was knocked retired arsenic nan longtime Retirees Chapter leader. 

Even UFT sources allied pinch Mulgrew said nan results are a disaster and spell imaginable problem erstwhile nan apical seats for president and different national offices are up for predetermination adjacent year.

Mulgrew has been nan UFT president since 2009.

Unlike different unions, thousands of retirees are allowed to ballot successful UFT elections.

Retirees person utilized nan courts to artifact implementation of nan planned move to Medicare Advantage, though nan metropolis has appealed.

UFT insurgents credited Marianne Pizzitola, a retired FDNY emergency aesculapian master and existent president of nan Organization of Public Service Retirees, Inc., pinch rallying citywide worker guidance to nan Medicare Advantage shift.

The rumor is simply a governmental basking murphy for Mayor Eric Adams, who is for re-election adjacent year.

The move to move complete to Medicare Advantage was first projected by former Mayor Bill de Blasio — and was designed to let nan metropolis to pat into an estimated $600 cardinal successful national subsidies disposable to Medicare Advantage plans, perchance lowering New York City’s costs to supply healthcare for its retired nationalist workers.

While Adams precocious nan programme pinch changes that were approved by nan Municipal Labor Committee — comprised of national leaders coalitions representing workers and retirees including nan UFT’s Mulgrew — nan move faced bitter disapproval from retirees and New York City Democratic Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called nan programme a “cash cow” for backstage insurers.

“This is simply a communicative of a monolithic displacement successful voting sentiment amongst retirees,” UFT activistic Norm Scott said of nan predetermination results. “Can nan aforesaid displacement hap successful nan wide predetermination adjacent year?”

Arthur Goldstein, vice-chair-elect of nan retiree chapter, said, “We person taken our United Federation of Teachers from nan clutches of those who thought Eric Adams’ fund and/or Aetna’s profits were much important than our health.

“We person surgery nan bonds placed upon america by ostensible leaders, national bosses to whom our wellness was not moreover an afterthought.”

A UFT rep said, “Final results will beryllium certified Tuesday. We wish to congratulate each those who won and convey each those who person served.” 

There were different national elections for section leaders, delegates and paraprofessional representatives for each of nan city’s nationalist schools. The Mulgrew-led Unity Caucus fared overmuch amended successful those contests.