NYC educators turn up the heat for pension reform on Friday, 2/6

Thousands of New York City public school educators are turning up the heat for pension reform by sharing their personal stories about why it's needed.

This Friday, 2/6, city educators plan to pepper elected officials' social media feeds about why New York State needs to lower the retirement age from 63 to 55 for municipal employees hired after 2012.

"Thirty years of teaching should be a career," said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers. "A realistic, fair pension is necessary if New York City and state are going to be able to hire and retain educators and other municipal workers."

UFT members will engage in actions before and after school and on their lunch breaks on Friday as part of a lead-up to a March 8 rally in Albany with other unions calling for the state to fix Tier 6 pensions.

Actions

BRONX
7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m.
Corners of E. 141 St. & Brook Ave., Mott Haven, Bronx, NY 10454

QUEENS
12:10 p.m. - in front of
PS 244, The Active Learning Elementary School
137-20 Franklin Avenue, Queens NY 11355

Municipal workers hired since the 2012 cutoff date are in what's known as the Tier 6 state pension. They are calling for the same financial security that colleagues hired before them already have - being eligible to retire with full benefits at age 55 after working 30 years. Currently, Tier 6 municipal employees must work until age 63 to receive full retirement benefits, according to state law. Over 78,000 UFT members are in Tier 6.

"Fixing Tier 6 is about honoring the promise that if you dedicate your life to service, your retirement won't be a burden or a gamble. The next generation of educators and public workers deserves a future that values our sacrifice as much as our work," said Michelle Lowe-Calixte, a paraprofessional at IS 392 in Brooklyn.

"I have two sons, both new teachers. They deserve the same benefits that I receive. It's about fairness," said Karen Marder, a teacher at Hillcrest High School in Queens.

"As an educator, I give my all to my students and school community. We, as educators, deserve dignity at the end of our careers. Teaching is physical and takes patience and stamina. Tier 6 doesn't reflect that," said Zakkiyya Rock, a teacher at PS 93 in the Bronx.