Union-strong friend,

We hope the spring break has been restful and rejuvenating.

We're beyond excited to report that more than +6K UFT active and retiree members have signed the UFT Healthcare Referendum petition.  

What we're witnessing is the growing momentum of a people-powered movement demanding quality, premium-free, and affordable healthcare in NYC and around the nation.

This past week in a rally organized by the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, hundreds of city retirees and union workers congregated to raise their voices around preserving traditional Medicare for eligible city retirees, while City Hall and elected leaders had to take notice. 

Mayor Adams and the Municipal Labor Committee's de-facto leaders, Mulgrew (UFT) and Garrido (DC37), must make good on the promises made to us all.

In addition, we are among the thousands in our union that are galvanizing around a petition organizing effort that gives us agency over our healthcare, while mobilizing others and educating them about our member rights and responsibilities regarding mandatory subjects of bargaining, like healthcare.

Less than 4 weeks ago, together we successfully launched our member-wide referendum petition campaign calling for a membership-wide vote for any significant changes to active and/or retired members’ healthcare. These include any significant changes of our healthcare carriers, limits to our choice of healthcare carriers, or institutions of or raises to premiums, deductibles or copayments, etc. 

We also demand that UFT members must be provided full disclosure of the wording for such proposed changes, prior to the membership wide vote.

We continue to drive toward our 10% threshold of written member requests that are needed to trigger the UFT constitutional mandate compelling the UFT executive board to bring a member-wide referendum vote to all members.

Lastly, take a moment to read a piece entitled, "Activism is Circulating the Petition", by Arthur Goldstein, longtime educator, union leader and activist. Share it with others who are going back to school on Monday, along with the petition.

THE NEXT STEPS: CHAPTER-WIDE SIGNATURES AND OUR FIRST PETITION ORGANIZING ZOOM CALL - APRIL 18TH AT 7 PM

In our next phase, we are asking chapter leaders, delegates or any UFT member seeking to organize their chapters around this cause, to print the petition and share it with as many members at your school as possible. 

Scores of school chapters have already mobilized and are submitting their petitions. Retirees are also getting multiple petition signatures from UFT friends and colleagues.

Find a PDF copy of the petition to download, print and share here.

Join us this Tuesday, April 18th at 7 pm for our first organizing call for all those who want to help in reaching our goal of +20K signatures. To RSVP for our first Zoom organizing call, click here. We will map out a winning strategy together.

We continue to assert that in the coming days and weeks, thousands more of union-strong members, like you, are poised to sign it and lift their union-proud voices telling UFT leadership: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. 

Even as Mulgrew's leadership stoops by seeking to thwart these efforts with harassment and intimidation, WE REMAIN RESOLUTE.

We will no longer stand for this leadership's unilateral decisions and givebacks that have hurt and diminished our health benefits since the ill-fated, non-transparent 2014 and 2018 labor contracts which bartered "cost savings' to the City in exchange for our hard-earned healthcare.  Moreover, there are sound alternatives they have refused to explore that would help bring down costs.

As we approach a new labor contract deal, more givebacks have been negotiated away by the present leadership. Retirees are now being forced into a privatized Medicare Advantage plan with limited networks, life-threatening pre-authorizations and a labyrinth for seniors to seek reimbursements for any uncovered care.  In addition, a new, undisclosed and "no-frills" cheaper plan is now being devised to replace the premium-free GHI plan most active members have relied on for decades.

Our present and future healthcare, and the healthcare of our families, is not for sale.

We say: LET US VOTE, NOW!

Thank you for your brave stand and continued support. 

• Please also consider making a donation to this cause to help cover our costs.
• Share this news story in Chalkbeat and The City about our petition campaign with others too.