Published: Jun 24, 2024
The leader of New York City’s public school teacher’s union says his organization is pulling its support for Mayor Eric Adams’ ongoing effort to switch retired city workers from traditional Medicare onto a private Medicare Advantage plan — a change that some retirees argue would weaken their health benefits.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew’s announcement signals that the plan could be losing the union support it needs to move forward, even if it eventually gets the green light in court after a prolonged legal battle. Any change to coverage could affect about 250,000 retirees. Adams' office argues that shifting to a Medicare Advantage plan would improve coverage overall while saving $600 million annually — money that's slated to fund health benefits for current city workers.
The city needs approval for the plan from the Municipal Labor Committee, an umbrella organization that represents city unions. As head of the UFT, Mulgrew is among the labor leaders with the most sway on the committee. His union represents nearly 200,000 members and the committee has weighted votes that give larger unions more power.
But it remains to be seen whether other unions that have backed the health plan will follow Mulgrew’s lead.
The committee previously voted to approve Aetna’s Medicare Advantage contract, and labor leaders including Mulgrew have long defended the plan against detractors, even among their own retired members. Committee members planned to discuss the UFT’s reversal in a steering committee meeting on Monday morning.
Mulgrew’s change in position comes after UFT retirees voted last week to oust union reps who supported the Medicare Advantage plan, spelling potential trouble for the union president.
“When you have a vote, you listen,” Mulgrew said. “That's what you're supposed to do as a union leader.”
The ongoing dispute over changing plans had “just created all this fear and anxiety and it's, like, enough already,” he added.
A group of retirees who fear the Medicare Advantage switch would weaken their health benefits successfully sued the city over the plan and got it blocked by a judge last year. But even after an appeals court upheld that decision last month, the Adams administration hasn't given up. The city is now petitioning the state’s highest court to hear the case.
On Sunday, Mulgrew sent a letter signalling his decision to Harry Nespoli, chair of the Municipal Labor Committee and president of Teamsters Local 831, which represents sanitation workers.
Nespoli did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Henry Garrido, president of District Council 37, the union that represents city workers in health care and other sectors, said in a statement on Sunday that he and other committee members would assess the move and figure out their next steps.
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