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To the editor:
The United Federation of Teachers (nearly 200,000 members) and DC37 (62 locals representing 150,000 members) endorsed the losers in last week’s upset by the Democratic Socialists of America slate in the Democratic primaries.
It is a sad commentary on the state of the labor movement that won’t surprise rank-and-file members, conditioned by decades of concessionary bargaining, public sector privatization and low expectations.
In May, DC37's Henry Garrido wheeled out a grotesque, staff-led rally at City Hall in favor of 24 hour shifts, cheerleading on behalf of his benefactors in the health insurance and homecare industries, promoting their unbridled exploitation of low-wage homecare workers and patients.
The UFT's Michael Mulgrew has defied the will of the public school teachers and other members in the union's delegate assembly (twice), refusing to support the New York Health Act while undermining active and retired members' healthcare at every opportunity.
As a public hospital doctor, I see the real-life consequences of these petty tyrants clinging to their welfare fund fiefdoms, putting insurance industry villains in the driver's seat; New Yorkers suffer every day due to delayed and denied care, rightfully afraid of medical debt and bankruptcy.
Both of these municipal unions have similar entrenched patronage machines that keep running only through opaque, antidemocratic practices learned from the boss and bolstered by a discredited Democratic Party
NYC DSA is taking on entrenched machine politics and winning soundly.
Can an ascendant democratic socialist movement revive the labor movement, emboldening rank-and-file city workers to win more for themselves and their communities?
A reminder to my union brothers and sisters on the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence: democracy is a muscle you flex - from the union hall to the workplace, either use it or lose it.
Damien Archbold
Dr. Damien Archbold is an anesthesiologist at Elmhurst Hospital and a Doctors Council SEIU delegate
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jlowenbraun
Amen, brother. As a retired teacher, I'm aghast that Mulgrew got re-elected after what he pulled, with Garido, to push us all into a Medicare Disadvantage policy, undermining our traditional Medicare, city promised secondary policy which works so well for my wife and me. We did unseat Tom Murphy, our retiree president who supported this move, but we are outvoted by the active members who got promised pay raises at our expense.
Friday, July 3 Report this
Mmclean
Bravo Dr. Archbold! Your mom sent me this link and I wholeheartedly agree with you. Why are the democrats so angry about DSA candidates campaigning on what the democrats SAY they fight for and then the DSA candidates then do what they say they’re going to do? Why are the democrats saying get in line with us or form your own party when the DSA is literally campaigning on democratic goals? Workers unite!!
I’m a nurse in the public school system and recently became a DSA member.
Tuesday, July 14 Report this