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To the editor:
The hypocrisy of Municipal Labor Committee leadership is exhibited by its selective acceptance of established law. Their moral blindspot voices opposition to privatizing jobs but advocates for profit driven Medicare Advantage.
The duplicity continues. The UFT filed a lawsuit to prevent budget cuts, alleging violation of a state law that bars the city from cutting the education budget unless the city’s overall revenue goes down. (The comptroller’s projected surplus is cited.)
But when it comes to Medicare Advantage, Judge Lyle Frank has ruled that such a change would probably be violating a state law (the “Moratorium Law”) which applies to retired Department of Education employees.
It prohibits a school board or district “from diminishing the health insurance benefits provided to retirees and their dependents” unless there is “a corresponding diminution of benefits” for active employees.
Attorneys hired by the UFT and the MLC are shamefully dirtying their hands by siding with the city against retirees.
Two counsels are ubiquitous — Alan M. Klinger and Dina Kolker of Steptoe & Johnson LLP. City & State New York’s “2023 Law Power 100” lauded them as “go-to attorneys in New York’s public arena.” Indeed. They represent many unions. (Have there been conflicts of interest?)
In 2021, they represented the MLC in an attempt to intervene on the city’s side in the initial retirees’ lawsuit. They lost.
But in 2022, Klinger and Kolker filed an amicus curiae brief supporting the city.
In 2023, the two lost a similar motion in another lawsuit brought by retirees. Lost but were paid — with union dues!
Now they don UFT hats as counsels in the aforementioned December lawsuit.
Klinger and Kolker have essentially advocated for what Judge Frank characterized as “irreparable harm” to a “vulnerable population.” How do they sleep at night?
Harry Weiner
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namrogm
Thank you, Mr. Weiner. Perfectly stated.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 Report this
MARIANNE.PIZZITOLA
The MLC does not ask approval from its member unions for each amicus it files, and with Mr. Klinger representing all the unions on the MLC Executive Board in addition to the MLC, and several others on the Steering Committee and in general, this surely should be considered a conflict. The hypocrisy rings loudly that unions pay a dues to belong to the MLC, that dues is used to attack its own member unions in litigation against the City if the MLC leadership feels it would affect its position, like it sided with the City against the PBA, and again sided with the City when it went against retirees from all 102 unions in the MLC. A vote (oh my) should be conducted for each one, and unions not in support should not be on the memo. Any union that supports attacking another union or retired union workers should have the cohones to put their name on that and not hide under the blanket of MLC.
First Harry Nespoli said he represents retirees, then he called us Rump Retirees. He can't have it both ways. Labor is supposed to fiercely protect its union interests and that includes its future, by protecting retirees benefits from diminution. Labor is not supposed to be in some "partnership" with management. Their current position is Us Vs Them. That is not the union way. NYC Retirees warned active workers to watch what they were doing to us. We also warned DC37 and UFT were negotiating away their healthcare and furthering cost shifting to them. Watch what is happening. They are pushing for tiered hospitals and cost transfer making active worker healthcare more "managed." stay tuned, this is coming to an end. Will they sell active workers out like they did retirees? Will any union stand up to the MLC leadership and the one lawyer representing the MLC & executive board who is also the Labor chair of the Tripartite? Conflict ? yes, Harry... we agree!!
Friday, December 29, 2023 Report this