“People used to go into EMS bc they wanted to help others, make a difference, etc and those are the exact same qualities the City has used to underpay and otherwise exploit them. You can’t have this unique, high volume experience anywhere else so if you want it the City has you over a barrel. Even with the sky high attrition, half the force is veterans who endure 2nd class treatment bc they’re drawn to the work despite the financial sacrifice.
I did my 25 years and topped out around 60k. EMS deserves MORE than parity, tbh.”

“Thanks for sharing your good heartfelt thinking…🙏”

“As I am going through a job transition definitely needed to read this... Thank you for sharing!”

“Ryn’s column has a powerful message and is wonderfully written with humor as well. I hope Work-Bites publishes more of Ryn’s insightful writings.”

“This is just what I needed to read today. Thank you.”

“At one time, the Democratic Party stood for the working people and protecting them with work rules, wagers, and working condition. Not today, they say it’s someone else’s fault, nothing i can do... whatever. Look at what the City of New York IS doing to its retired Medicare retirees. They are looking to take their Government run health care, Medicare, and replace it with a private for profit company “Aetna” in a Medicare Advantage Plan. Where has the Democrats of yesteryear gone? NO MORE 24… KEEP MEDICARE TRADITIONAL!!”

“I thought New York State forbid 24 hour shifts, and that it is only in the city that they exist.”

“Thanks for spelling it out in black and white. A very clear picture emerges. Excellent journalism!”

“I am a City retiree but not from the UFT. However, my wife is a retired UFT member and I have seen and heard a great deal about the problems with the current leadership in the UFT Retirees Chapter and the Mulgrew team. Having been in leadership in my Local and active for over 24 years, I know how important unions are to our survival.
It is especially critical that the fight against the MAP is successful. It is a matter of life and health for all of us as we age.
The Retiree Advocate/UFT slate is composed of dedicated union activists who understand the realities we face.
I support their efforts to change the leaders of the Retiree Chapter in this coming election.

Mike Stein
Secretary-Treasurer (Ret) EMTs, Paramedics and Fire Inspectors
Local 2507, DC 37, AFSCME”

“Although I was never a member of the UFT I do believe in solidarity. The current leadership of the UFT and DC37 have led the fight to force retirees into a Medicare Advantage. They gave us no choice. They have seriously jeopardized our health care I urge every one who can to vote for the Retiree Advocate/UFT slate.

Ray Markey
President (Ret) The New York Public Library Guild. Local 1930, DC37,
AFSCME
VP DC37 (Ret)”

“My advice to the city is throw in the towel. Adams and Mulgrew feel Untouchable. My former chapter leader taught me never mess with the retirees they are loud and ready to fight the good fight. I remember in the delegate assemblies I attended the retirees were loud and did not take being passed over to speak lightly or ask questions.
I was there when Mulgrew was first elected and the teaching job has gone downhill since then. Even though only some people tried to defend me like Amy Arundell, chapter leader JoAnn Sims (now retired). The new leadership was weak and has been weak for the last 20 years giving in and handing members over to management like they did to me. I was shocked sitting in Federal Court defending myself and my family however it taught me a life lesson this world is not fair. I was a good teacher defending members from a retaliatory administration and I guess being good was not important anymore or standing up for what is right is no longer the noble thing to do. What does Randy Weingarten have to say about her prodigies behavior? She trained him and got him the position when she announced her move to the international. This will tarnish all their reputations as union leaders more worried about making the City and State politicians happy. What would Al Shanker have to say about all this?”

“If Medicare Advantage were so great the City wouldn’t need to bully us into it. Just the fact that we don’t have a choice says all we need to know.”

“To call trump Fascist with absolutely no proof is disgusting and unprofessional
And should be retracted. The author of this article needs to go to therapy for his TDS
The economy and his policies during his presidency were the best this country has seen in decades. I will make it a point to never read one of his articles ever again as now I know where his mindset is.”

“Since Eugene Debs has been referenced, it’s an opportunity to point out he did not begin his life in the labor movement as anything near a class struggle unionist. He was a skilled railway trades worker, who quickly rose to the presidency of his AFL craft union. During the Great Strike of 1877, he spoke out against the strikers and attacked the use of the strike tactic. Like other railway crafts unions, his tried to continue working, that is, they scabbed. In the years after that, there was a growing realization among many railway workers, including Debs, of the weakness of craft unionism, and the American Railway Union was founded in 1894, with Debs as president. Even then, he opposed the boycott of Pullman cars called for by the striking Pullman workers, but when the ARU convention approved it, he led the boycott, which in turn led to his imprisonment. It was only this encounter with the repressive state that formed him into the Eugene Debs who, we see from how this article invokes his name, is a symbol of class struggle unionism.”

“This article should be sent to mainstream media. I inquired to ny post about this situation and the mayor and gov with no response. Crickets!”

“Why is the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1056 (Queens NYCTA) & ATU L. 1056 Retiree Chapter, not actively supporting Traditional Medicare? At the same time, the ATU International Union, in Silver Spring, MD, appears to be MIA. Will the Amalgated Transit Union be next in line to throw their Retirees under the bus? ~We keep asking, but they don’t answer... Jerry Fancher, Past Pres. Retired, ATU Local 1056”

“Labor for Traditional Medicare supports our TWU retirees. It is truly amazing that a union with a fighting tradition like the Transport Workers Union would attack their retirees health benefits. Solidarity is a keystone of the movement and retirees are proving this . Three cheers to TWU100R President Lloyd Archer and Marianne Pizzatola, President of the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees for leading this fight to protect traditional Medicare.”

Ray Markey
President (Ret.)
NY Public Library Guild
Local 1930
VP (Ret.) DC37, AFSCME”

“I have been married 55 yrs. and we still have that communication breakdown! Well said. I glad I found you again.”

“I doubt Adams wants to be seen giving raises to NYC employees while there is a migrant expense problem. Wishful thinking, though.”

“280,000 NYC workers represented by Unions get retroactive raises while 20,000 managers will not get the same because of a migrant problem ? Managers were furloughed during covid , we did not get the last tranche 0.87 % of the raises that were agreed to by city hall in 2019 to pay for the parental leave and yet we are being punished for a problem we did not create ? We go above and beyond keeping the lights on for the city , working in emergencies without OT , filling in for roles that the city has not filled yet we are the ones who do not get the same raises as everyone else does . This is a travesty”

“Amen to all that, brother!

Some former and present unionists raised the issue of endless tax dollars for wars vs uplifting our communities, at a December 13 NYC City Council public hearing.. About thirty working people — no bankers, no “robber barons” — showed up to testify.

We in Move the Money-NYC pushed for that hearing. Our dream like Rev. King’s is to reallocate our tax dollars now hoovered up by the Pentagon to the tune of nearly a TRILLION dollars this year — and put much of that money to work in our communities. Let’s improve our transit options, our schools and healthcare etc etc instead of endless warmaking. Now we are pushing the Council to vote and make this the official stance of NYC, by calling on Congress and the President to change course.

Long live the spirit of Dr. King!”

“Good morning Steve and let me start by saying “Great job Mike and the rest of NYC District Council of Carpenters..” I’m Jimmy Callahan, the downtown BA for Local 28 Sheet Metal Workers NYC. Its been great working with Mike Piccirillo over the past four(4) plus years. He’s a true gentleman, inspiring and dedicated to the BCTC(Building Construction Trades Council) of NYC. This guy “does his homework” and is relentless in keeping contractors “honest” which translates to thousands upon thousands of man hours for the District Council of Carpenters… GREAT JOB Mike!…. and Thank You Steve and Work Bites for all your efforts brother. Without media coverage from “true sources” such as Work Bites the hard working, tax paying people of NYC may never see the scams promulgated by unscrupulous contractors here in our great UNION town…NYC….AND… to the rank and file of ALL the BCTC Unions, NEVER STOP THE FIGHT BROTHERS AND SISTERS…. ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL👍”

“So everyone sees the Mayor as a sinking ship and they are all scurrying to jump off.”

“These are noble sentiments, but unfortunately the Mayor hasn’t applied them to our most vulnerable population - retirees fighting to preserve their health care benefits. For much of the past three years, the New York City Organization
of Civil Service Retirees has sought a dialogue with the Mayor and the heads of the Municipal Labor Committee, asking for meetings, requested hearings and called for blue ribbon panels to explore cost cutting measures as an alternative to privatized Medicare Advantage.
The answer has been an unwillingness. Perhaps the Mayor has made the cynical political calculus that as a reelection campaign approaches, placating a large union trumps protecting retirees, many who live outside New York City.
But we are resilient and the Mayor has been on the losing end of our ligation to date, despite the City’s limitless funds to pay attorneys and appeal. Martin is Luther King Jr. observed, ‘We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’”

“Selling off healthcare benefits and privatizing Medicare should never cross the mind of a unionist. Ever. No raise is worth that! When you retire, your income will reduce by half, and you will come to rely on your healthcare as your health declines. Traditional Medicare gives you direct access to any provider in America. Unlike Medicare Advantage plans, which have networks and prior authorizations, and the plans can change within the contract and if you choose to go back to traditional Medicare you may find you can’t! As your health declines, he will be subject to underwriting, where your age, geographic, location, and health status can cause you to be denied a medigap plan, or make the premium so expensive. You’ll never be able to afford it. And you will be stuck in a health plan that isn’t working for you, Medicare advantage.”

“Love it! Thank you for writing this….maybe it will save some heartache ….and lives!”

“My husband worked for the Transit Authority for over 30 years. He retired and was promised good health benefits for him and his family.
I worked in the medical field for over 20 years. I know how dangerous Managed care is. Aside from the fact that you have to wait extensive amounts of time to be able to get needed procedures or testing but many doctors do not accept the insurance because they usually pay the doctors a flat fee whether they see you or not. So once they see you, they have already lost money!
Managed care programs are only good for the insurance companies!”

“It’s very simple. I joined City service in 1969. Then, and ever since, I was guaranteed traditional Medicare and a supplemental plan paid for by NYC as part of my retirement package. In the blink of an eye, the City wants to unilaterally change that agreement. I don’t think so. If NYC has a better health plan, fine, make it optional and I’m sure everyone will join voluntarily. Makes sense, no?”

“I stand with TWU retirees as they stand up against Mayor Adams, and their own Union’s betrayal! Trying to force more Seniors into a Medicare Advantage Plan without a choice in supplemental coverage, threatening to take away their traditional Medicare to once again Line the pockets of the corrupt is outrageous! How can the citizens and current employees in service to the CITY standby and watch this abuse of the most vulnerable among them… the retirees! There has to be a stop to this before more people either go into poverty or die after years of dedicated public service! The Transit Union Workers are among the bravest. Without them no one could get to work, school, doctors, hospitals, etc. They were and are are the NYC transit system. They deserve to have retired and to have kept what they retired with… traditional Medicare and a choice of paid for supplemental insurance! How can anyone allow these Unions to lie in bed with Management and get away with it. After years of low pay, long hours, and rules that made no sense placed upon the dues paying members for decades the hurt they are imposing on these public service workers is atrocious! The retirees must fight back to survive!”

“Mayor Adams and the MLC thought they could roll right over their retirees. They were wrong. Labor for Traditional Labor is glad to join ranks with our TWU retirees in fighting this attempt to force us into a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Ray Markey (Ret)
President
New York Public Library Guild
Local 1930, DC37, AFSCME
VP DC37 Executive Board”

“As retirees we are no longer represented by our unions and don’t vote in union elections. Yet the union leaders on the Municipal Labor Committee are deciding our health care benefits. How is that fair?”