Members of the New York Teachers Union want the Tier 6 retirement system to be changed

Rochester, New York – Changes to the state’s retirement system are being demanded by union members throughout New York.

At a labor hall in Rochester on Thursday, members of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) met to advocate for pension reform in order to solve the issue of keeping younger employees.

BOCES United Professionals co-president Andrew Jordan expressed disapproval of the existing framework.

“I should not earn more in my pension than my colleague doing the same job working as hard as I do every day for 30 years,” he stated. It’s neither equitable nor fair. It ought to be.

While his colleagues in Tiers 5 and 6 must wait until they are 62 or 63, Jordan, a Tier 4 member, stated that he may retire at age 55 with a full pension.

Employees who joined on or after January 1, 2010, and April 1, 2012, are eligible for these tiers.
According to Jordan, Tiers 5 and 6 also have lesser retirement benefits and higher contribution requirements.

Jordan remarked, “It applies to more than just educators,” “Our municipalities are having a hard time hiring snow plow drivers and workers because again our youngest minds are seeing what Tier 6 will offer them in retirement, then taking themselves somewhere else.”

In order to facilitate recruitment and retention, Assemblymember Josh Jensen (R-Greece) reiterated the necessity of pension equalization throughout the tiers.

“There’s been some reforms to try and make it more equitable between Tier 6 and Tier 4, but there’s certainly more to do,” Jensen stated. “When I talk to local governments, they’re struggling to attract workers.”

Reforms for Tier 6 employees were part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2025 budget proposal, which sought to modify employee contribution rates and pension calculations.

Jensen highlighted the legislature’s nonpartisan attention to this matter.

“We have to make sure our state workforce really serves our people as a whole and that it’s robust and vibrant,” he stated. “For that, you have to have employees and, for that, we have to make sure we have a way to attract those people into public service.”

Hochul’s spokeswoman posted a statement.

Governor Hochul remains committed to supporting Tier 6 members, and she secured critical reforms to retirement benefits in the FY 2025 Budget. The Governor will continue working to ensure every New Yorker receives the benefits they need and deserve.