Subject:
We Won't Quit Until We Fix Tier 6!
Message:
Dear Legislator,
You saw what happened in Albany. On March 8, 15,000 educators, firefighters, nurses, law enforcement officers and public workers packed MVP Arena for the sold-out Statewide Fix Tier 6 Rally. That wasn't a one-off event — it was a message. Public employees across New York are united, and we're demanding action on pension fairness now.
As your constituent, I'm adding my voice to those 15,000: it's time to bring Tier 5 and 6 pension benefits to parity with Tier 4.
New York faces a persistent educator shortage. Enrollment in teacher preparation programs has dropped 50 percent since 2009. One-third of current teachers are at or nearing retirement eligibility, and school districts across the state are struggling to fill positions in critical subject areas. Many factors contribute to this crisis, but one is entirely within the state's control: the retirement system.
The numbers are stark. A Tier 4 member retiring at age 55 with 30 years of service receives 60 percent of their Final Average Salary with no penalty. A Tier 6 member with the same years of service receives just 26.4 percent. To retire without penalty, Tier 6 members must work until age 63—eight additional years—and still earn tens of thousands less in lifetime pension income. Meanwhile, they pay more into the system throughout their careers via contribution bands that increase with every raise.
We have made progress. In 2022, the vesting period dropped from 10 years to five. In 2024, the Final Average Salary calculation changed from five years to three. But more remains to be done.
Thirty years is a career. Public employees who dedicate their working lives to serving New Yorkers deserve the same retirement security as those who came before them. I urge you to support legislation that will bring Tiers 5 and 6 to full parity with Tier 4.
Those 15,000 people in Albany are watching. I urge you to act.
Sincerely,
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