Log in Subscribe

A few of our stories and columns are now in front of the paywall. We at The Chief-Leader remain committed to independent reporting on labor and civil service. It's been our mission since 1897. You can have a hand in ensuring that our reporting remains relevant in the decades to come. Consider supporting The Chief, which you can do for as little as $3.20 a month.

A loose affiliation

Posted

To the editor:

Justice Lyle Frank has wisely paused the effort by the city and Municipal Labor Committee to force retirees into a Medicare Advantage plan. This is a defining moment in New York labor history.

Union dues were paying for MLC attorneys trying to intervene in the legal action — against retirees. (Frank denied the request.)

The MLC’s co-chair, District Council 37’s executive director, Henry Garrido, threatened to withhold or withdraw campaign support from City Council members who back legislation protecting retiree health benefits.

On NY1, in a segment sponsored by Aetna (!), Garrido slandered retirees fighting to have the city keep its promises, shamelessly stating that they “fan the flames of fear.”

Despite the heated rhetoric, the threats by unions to Council members, and the city’s limitless legal resources — retirees have the law and moral high ground on their side,

Postscript: Bill de Blasio, who was responsible for the original health savings agreement with unions that led to Medicare Advantage, is suing the city after the Conflicts of Interest Board issued a fine and ordered reimbursements (totaling nearly $500,000) for improper expenses during his ill fated presidential campaign.

As Paul Simon sang, “These are days of miracle and wonder…”

Harry Weiner

Comments

1 comment on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • Admin

    Let me add something from one of Paul Simon's masterpieces, one he sang with Art Garfunkel, "The Boxer." What do supporters of Medicare Advantage do?: Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie.

    Tuesday, July 11, 2023 Report this