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From: The Wire: Powered by Educators of NYC <
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Date: Wed, Mar 1, 2023 at 3:01 PM
Subject: UFT Contract Update and Analysis – Get Ready for a Pay Cut
To: <marjoriestamberg@xxxxxxxxx>
Nick Bacon, co-chair of New Action UFT and high school Executive Board
member, shares how the accepted contract pattern will bring pay cuts and
diminished healthcare to city workers.
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UFT Contract Update and Analysis – Get Ready for a Pay Cut
<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=293646&post_id=105818407&utm_source=post-email-title&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo3NDc4ODQ2MCwicG9zdF9pZCI6MTA1ODE4NDA3LCJpYXQiOjE2Nzc3MDA4MzgsImV4cCI6MTY4MDI5MjgzOCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTI5MzY0NiIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.Zn6ppZNzhnc2kJK4fnhTMR8Nu_ljRlLboXrWITmX4Bw>Nick
Bacon, co-chair of New Action UFT and high school Executive Board member,
shares how the accepted contract pattern will bring pay cuts and diminished
healthcare to city workers.
Nick Bacon
<https://substack.com/redirect/110d4323-13a9-4a80-b9c0-5003d9247ab6?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>
Mar 1
<https://substack.com/redirect/110d4323-13a9-4a80-b9c0-5003d9247ab6?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>
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Bad news abounds on upcoming the UFT contract. Teachers, paraprofessionals,
and the rest of our members deserve answers on why. While, I’m bound by
NDAs not to disclose what is said in the 500-member negotiating committee,
I have more flexibility with information given in the Executive Board,
Delegate Assembly, and other sources. So, in this post, I’ll go through
some of the public information we have right now and analyze what it means
for our members and for our union.
*Committing to a Pay Cut*
It’s no secret that DC37 is about to set the economic pattern for all other
New York City municipal unions. A roughly 3% annual salary increase is
absolutely dreadful. Even when accounting for the one-time $3000 signing
bonus, DC37 is committing to sub-inflation increases. The exact numbers for
UFT may be slightly more or slightly less depending on other ‘economic’
decisions made in DC37’s contract. But, we have the big numbers here. DC37
is effectively committing us to an effective pay cut in real wages. And,
because their contract will last for more than five years, DC37 is also
committing to a pay cut for a very long time. If that’s hard to stomach,
it’s even worse when we look at the pattern in context
<https://substack.com/redirect/f788aa7c-8ef8-47e3-b89e-d2d7a1eeb7dc?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>.
Nationally, non-unionized workers are getting better raises on average than
unionized municipal employees are about to agree to here in New York.
That’s why at Executive Board this Monday
<https://substack.com/redirect/52216793-a9f0-4247-99a9-7c3082dc58ea?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>,
I asked LeRoy Barr why we weren’t publicly taking issue with the pattern
about to be set. His response, that ‘we can’t make public statements about
another union’s contract,’ astonished me. First of all, let’s be clear that
UFT leaders *have *publicly criticized the pattern set by other unions
before. For instance, back in 2001 Randi Weingarten stated
<https://substack.com/redirect/09b449e8-c9da-48c8-877d-69b910ccf397?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>
that a pattern set by DC37 was too low for teachers to take. Second of all,
why on earth would current UFT leadership place being courteous to other
union’s leadership over the interests of our members? If our raises are
about to be set at horrendous levels by DC37 leadership, it is the absolute
duty of Mulgrew et al to do whatever they can to stop that. The fact that
UFT leadership isn’t publicly fighting for pay increases that exceed that
of non-unionized workers frankly raises existential questions about our
union.
*A ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ on Healthcare Reductions*
At this week’s executive board meeting, Mulgrew claimed that ‘there won’t
be any ‘healthcare savings’ in this round of bargaining.’ In the next
breath, however, he said ‘but, we’ll look at the RFP.’ There are currently
two RFPs, both of which were designed so that the MLC could realize cost
savings for the City. The problems with the first RFP, Medicare Advantage,
are well known.
<https://substack.com/redirect/f13474e9-5d57-41b5-925f-594dac112b4f?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>
In short, retirees could lose access to traditional public Medicare and
face diminished networks and tons of red tape. The second RFP, which is
more mysterious, is for in-service members. Union officials have stated
that they are seeking a plan similar to GHI at around 10% less of a cost.
They have also threatened the possibility of premiums
<https://substack.com/redirect/eaf27eba-bc69-4f36-a501-b5d1c6fe3071?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>.
So, call me crazy, but if healthcare isn’t a part of this round of contract
negotiations, why are we humoring plans that potentially reduce our
benefits or increase member responsibility for healthcare costs?
The only possible answer here is that clearly healthcare *is *a part of
contract negotiations. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. The City was blunt
with all unions that new contracts would be predicated on finding
healthcare savings first. And frankly, the City and the MLC have been
lock-step
<https://substack.com/redirect/597e1cd0-ad59-4f69-aa02-eaddefc51c6c?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>
on many of the proposed changes. Now, on the eve of DC37 ratifying a new
contract, we see two RFPs in the mix to reduce the City’s fiscal obligation
to our healthcare. This isn’t rocket science.
Where does this leave us? As Mulgrew has stated time and time again,
healthcare is a part of our overall compensation package. So, if the City
reduces our healthcare or increases our costs, the already bad 3% annual
wage increase could be much worse. Heck, we might see a pay cut even
*without* adjusting for inflation.
*Settling for Minor Workplace Changes*
So, if salary is down the drain and healthcare reductions are already in
the works, what’s left? All UFT can do is negotiate for workplace stuff.
There’s potential here, but I’m still pessimistic. First of all, if we
can’t even negotiate raises above inflation, do we really think we can get
the City to improve our working conditions? My guess is that we’re only
going to get the City to agree to stuff they want anyways. Mulgrew kind of
hinted at this at the last Delegate Assembly
<https://substack.com/redirect/1dc346b1-fb26-44d2-bdbf-fb00f4d52ba1?j=eyJ1IjoiMThpejU4In0.FBlAMbtSE5m-_ds-XT5Cvk-Ho0Z9LsLA1JZHojziewM>,
where he said ‘[The DOE is] listening on us to some extent on things we
need just to be able to do our jobs better.’ I’d love to see those
improvements that make it easier for me to do my job well. But, changes
that are mutually beneficial to both the employee and the employer are easy
fights. We see those types of wins in places that don’t even *have *unions.
But, we do have a union. What we need to be fighting (yes *fighting*) for
is precisely the stuff that is good for teachers and *not *necessarily good
for the City (as an employer): things like smaller class sizes, caseload
reductions, and yes – better wages and healthcare. Bottom line: the UFT *must
*do better than settling for what the City wants anyways. We aren’t going
to get anything more than the bare minimum unless we act like a union and
organize.
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