Insurgent groups — including retired teachers fed up with attempts to overhaul their health insurance — are trying to oust United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.
The Alliance of Retiree and In-Services Educators, or “ARISE,” announced a slate of candidates Wednesday to challenge Mulgrew and his powerful caucus, Unity, during upcoming union elections. It’s one of at least two groups expected to confront the UFT’s current leadership this spring, alongside “A Better Contract.”
ARISE is made up of three caucuses, including “Retiree Advocate,” which last summer toppled Mulgrew’s ally who led the Retired Teacher chapter. The coalition is hoping in part to harness the anger against Mulgrew over efforts to move former municipal workers onto privatized healthcare, known as Medicare Advantage.
“The change in the retiree chapter indicated there’s been a tremendous shift for retirees in how they view the union leadership,” said Michael Shulman, the ARISE candidate for secretary and the current vice chair of the retiree chapter. “They’re still very angry over what was attempted.”
The UFT has since withdrawn its support for a switch to the plan managed by Aetna that retired workers warned may not be accepted by their doctors and diminish their care.
Last month, New York’s highest court sided with retirees in a prolonged legal battle that decided City Hall cannot ask them to pay more to stay on their existing insurance. The Adams administration has indicated it will continue to pursue the Medicare Advantage plan.
In addition to Shulman, ARISE announced Olivia Swisher, a middle school art teacher in Brooklyn, would run for president, and Aixa Rodriguez, who teaches non-English-speakers the language at a Queens high school, for assistant secretary, as first reported by POLITICO.
A Better Contract will announce its slate in the next couple of weeks, said Steve Swieciki, a Bronx high school social studies teacher, slate member and former Unity member.
“The UFT is a democratic organization that thrives on a vigorous exchange of ideas,” LeRoy Barr, chair of Unity, said in a statement on behalf of Mulgrew and his caucus. “Unity has a track record of improving the lives of UFT members and so we look forward to the campaign.”
But for some teachers union members, Mulgrew’s reversal is too little, too late.
“I’m an aspiring retiree one day,” quipped Swieciki. “As an aspiring retiree, the Medicare Advantage debacle was very alienating. I understand the city’s position. They have a fiduciary responsibility. But the union shouldn’t be carrying their water. The union should be representing their members.”
Since changing its official stance, the UFT did not file a superseding amicus brief or push for a City Council bill that would kill the switch, he noted.
“They’re talking out of both sides of their mouth,” Swieciki said, “and you have to watch not what they say but what they do.”
