Retirees United to Preserve Medicare Access and Got Shut Down by Their International

 

The Cross-union Retirees Organizing Committee supports the following statement by the DC 37 Retirees Association. The high-handed takeover of the Association by its parent union, AFSCME, is a major blow to union democracy. CROC stands with our DC 37 union brothers and sisters in our ongoing fight for health care and quality of life for all.   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Retirees United to Preserve Medicare Access and Got Shut Down by Their International ****** Retiree Leaders Who Won't Be Silenced   Manhattan, Tuesday, February 27, 2024 - On February 22, AFSCME President Lee Saunders placed the DC37 Retirees’ Association under emergency administratorship. Eight AFSCME staffers barged into our office, seized books and records, and changed the locks to our office. This ended our ability to meet our members’ needs. Our staff on the job that day were shaken up by the way AFSCME staffers treated them and are still suffering mental distress. They even attempted to take away their personal phones. Contrast that with the efforts of our dedicated staff that kept our office open during the Covid pandemic to meet our members’ needs.   AFSCME’s statement says that all this was done because we failed to submit IRS 990 forms and our books had not been audited. AFSCME does not say there was any theft or wrongdoing. We gave our accountant the needed information to complete these documents. We never received notification from the IRS that there were any problems. We are not the only affiliate to have such problems. Usually help would be given to resolve the issue. When we learned there was a problem we started corrective action at once.   Ann Widger, who was named administrator of our association, said in her statement to our members, “I realize that some will say this is about the current debate around retiree health care for New York City Retirees. Make no mistake: it is not.” Our reply to Ann is that the healthcare issue is exactly what this takeover is about . What you call a “debate” is a matter of life and death for an older population whose health conditions will be compromised by switching from traditional Medicare to a Medicare (dis)advantage system known to put profits ahead of patients’ health needs.   One month prior to the AFSCME action, our board voted to resume contributions to help pay for the legal expenses of cases filed by the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees. Those lawsuits have stopped the retiree healthcare changes in their tracks. Last June, Widger sent us a threatening memo warning us not to continue our contributions. After a serious discussion, we resumed our contributions. We support the fight against the deal agreed to by the Municipal Labor Committee (including our local AFSCME District Council 37) and the city. That is the real “crime" we are being punished for.   We would have hoped that our national union would stand with us in this fight. They say they are in favor of traditional Medicare. They have passed resolutions saying so at conventions over the years. Instead, they are punishing us for our fight to maintain it. Many of us have spent over fifty years as members of AFSCME fighting for the benefits we all need. Our retiree constitution says that we exist to protect and expand the rights and benefits of New York City retirees. We refuse to have our health benefits diminished by the privatized for-profit Medicare (dis)Advantage Plan!   ###   Contact Information: For more information, interviews, or detailed discussions, please contact:   Neal Frumkin 718-938-5193 frumps@msn.com   Anna Berry 917-557-6707 annamarieberry@yahoo.com   Bruce Heigh 516-547-0784 bheigh2627@gmail.com   Media Coverage The Chief: DC 37 Retirees Association Taken Over by AFSCME The City: Medicare Advantage Feud Looms Over Union Takeover of City Retiree Group