No representation

To the editor:

How does one appeal to a group of strangers to address the moral and ethical decisions that affect New York City retired civil-service senior and disabled citizens? Unions and the Municipal Labor Committee do not represent retirees in any capacity; they only represent active employees. 

When the unions and the MLC negotiate for active employees to receive higher wages along with other benefits, city retirees are not part of the negotiations or recipients of those raises. The retirees’ health-care funds are ingrained in the city’s budget and have been for almost 60 years.  Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lyle Frank and an appeals court have already found in favor of the retirees on three separate occasions.

Like many of the City Council members, retirees were young once, providing vital services to the city. This included jobs that had a high probability of injury. Retirees elected to forego raises and do the difficult work because they were promised excellent health-care benefits when they retired or became disabled as a result of their service.  

The city thrived because of these retirees. Too many are now either too ill or do not have the ability to advocate for themselves. How much more abuse must the elderly and disabled retirees living on low fixed incomes that are below the national poverty level endure?  

We were proud to serve OUR city, now it is your turn to make us proud of you in doing the right thing by supporting Councilman Charles Barron’s legislation to protect retirees traditional Medicare and GHI Senior care once and for all.  

DB. Brugman