Insurgent Bid to Unseat UFT Head Michael Mulgrew Fueled by Medicare Advantage Anger

New York: So, there’s some serious drama brewing in the United Federation of Teachers. A group of retired teachers, really fed up with the union’s health insurance changes, is trying to kick out President Michael Mulgrew. They’ve formed a coalition called ARISE, and they’re not holding back.

They just announced their candidates to take on Mulgrew and his Unity caucus in the upcoming elections. This isn’t just a one-off; there’s another group, “A Better Contract,” gearing up to challenge the current leadership too.

ARISE is made up of three different caucuses, including one that recently ousted a Mulgrew ally from the Retired Teacher chapter. They’re hoping to tap into the anger over the push to switch retired city workers to a privatized healthcare plan, Medicare Advantage, which many feel could hurt their access to doctors.

Michael Shulman, who’s running for secretary with ARISE, mentioned that the recent changes in the retiree chapter show a big shift in how retirees view the union leadership. They’re still pretty upset about the whole situation.

The UFT has since backed off from supporting the switch to a plan managed by Aetna, which retirees were worried wouldn’t be accepted by their doctors.

In a recent court ruling, New York’s highest court sided with retirees, saying City Hall can’t make them pay more to keep their current insurance. But the Adams administration is still pushing for the Medicare Advantage plan.

ARISE has also put forward Olivia Swisher, a middle school art teacher, for president, and Aixa Rodriguez, who teaches English to non-native speakers, for assistant secretary.

Meanwhile, “A Better Contract” is set to announce their candidates soon. LeRoy Barr, chair of Unity, said they’re looking forward to the campaign and believe in a democratic exchange of ideas.

But not everyone is convinced. Some union members feel Mulgrew’s change of heart is too late. One member, Steve Swieciki, expressed that the Medicare Advantage issue was really alienating for future retirees like him. He believes the union should be standing up for its members, not just going along with the city’s plans.

He pointed out that since the UFT changed its stance, they haven’t really taken any strong actions to oppose the switch. It’s clear there’s a lot of frustration and a desire for real representation among the members.