The answer is simple. Mulgrew and Mulgrew. It comes down to his hubris and tone deafness. There are many examples, in fact too many, over the years. But one example stands out among all others.
To me it boils down to how Medicare (Dis)advantage has been handled by him. Of course, his handling of COVID has left a lot to desire. But at least in 2020 and through last school year I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. I saw something different coming from him, though it turned out to be fleeting. But I want to focus on the handling of Medicare (Dis)advantage and how this is just a continuation of how he is clueless.
In my opinion and I am going to be a retired soon, retirees simply don't want their pensions and health care fucked with (pardon my french). They don't want surprises. How simple can it be? I am thinking ahead to my retirement. All will care about from the UFT is my pension and my health care.
There are many types of retirees. Some are quite wealthy. Some are living check to check. Some are healthy. Some aren't. What Mulgrew has done is bring all those with many different agendas and lives together and they have banded together to oppose this joke Medicare and Mulgrew.
If Medicare (Dis)advantage was inevitable as Mulgrew has claimed, why then was there a lack of transparency. Were retirees kept up to date during negotiations? Was the input of a diverse group of retirees, including those that opposed Mulgrew asked for? If not, how come? If so, how much input was asked for and received?
Does Mulgrew realize the tsuris he has laid on the retirees? Seriously, does he?
If Medicare (Dis)advantage was inevitable as Mulgrew has claimed, why was there a rush to have retirees sign up by January 1, sight unseen? I wouldn't sign my name to anything without reading it first, how could Mulgrew have accepted this without a complete list of providers? Shouldn't one want to know what they are signing up for? Heck, why wasn't Medicare (Dis)advantage rolled out over a period of time?
Did Mulgrew try to lead in finding serious savings in the traditional Medicare coverage? From what was explained to me, Medicare pays 80 percent and Emblem 20 percent. There weren't any savings to be had?
The big question to Mulgrew is why there was ZERO transparency. Give an answer!
We have lacked transparency coming from 52 Broadway time and time again. Mulgrew might just have finally touched the proverbial third rail.
Trust me. Free Fitbits, food delivered to hospitals, and rides to providers is not enough to sell Medicare (Dis)advantage. This might not be Joe Namath Medicare (Dis)advantage as Mulgrew claims, but it is at the very least Al Woodall's version.
Retirees vote. Retirees are pissed.
It's not just the retirees who hate Mulgrew for what he pulled but also all the teachers who are 3-4 years away from retirement. Teachers with 20+ years busted their collectives asses in shithole schools for decades with the expectation that decent retirement benefits will be waiting at the end of the tunnel. The groundswell of votes against Unity will be huge this spring.
ReplyDeleteDon't count on it... people vote what they know, and what they mostly know is UNITY. The other fringe caucuses are not getting enough exposure... Unity will be voted in again
DeleteThe DOE will see the end result when the seasoned teachers retire and there will be teacher shortage because no one wants to go into the profession. Or will they just care of that issue by jamming as many students into a classroom? Same as it ever was…
ReplyDeleteHow much time you think before charter schools take over from public schools..are the days of public schools numbered? Are people entering the education field from college reconsidering the job? Charter schools have turned teaching into a blue collar job meaning the job is not secure and one can be fired at any time. There are no unions and the benefits - if there are any- are pitiful. ONe can truly expect to see teacher shortages due to the fact that the profession is in turmoil because of the charter school expansion.
ReplyDeleteCharter schools treat teachers like construction workers. You have no job security, treated and yelled at, given minimal supplies and watched like a hound dog by administrators who have varied backgrounds stemming from garbage collectors to attorneys. So, if one is looking for ateaching job in the future and charters are all the city has to offer, expect huge teacher shortages or even better expect to see student teachers and teachers with minimal credentials a far cry from the two college diploma requirement we have now
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