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Fighting for Pension Fairness
Fighting for Pension Fairness
Fix Tier 6 Fact Sheet.pdfNYSUT’s Fix Tier 6 campaign is dedicated to securing fair retirement benefits for New York’s public employees, including teachers and School-Related Professionals. Tier 6, which covers anyone who joined a public retirement system on or after April 1, 2012, provides significantly weaker benefits than earlier tiers.
Key Issues with Tier 6
Higher contributions: Members must contribute 3%–6% of their salary for their entire career, unlike Tier 4 members whose contributions were capped at 3% and ended after 10 years.
Retirement age: Full, penalty-free retirement is delayed until age 63, compared to age 55 in Tier 4.
Final Average Salary (FAS): Benefits are calculated using a member’s three highest earning years (changed from five in 2024), a small improvement but still less favorable than older tiers.
Vesting: Members now vest after five years of service (reduced from 10 in 2024).
Progress So Far
Thanks to NYSUT advocacy, Tier 6 has seen important improvements:
Reduced vesting period (10 years → 5 years)
Improved FAS calculation (5 years → 3 years)
What’s Next
NYSUT continues to push lawmakers to:
Lower lifetime contribution rates
Reduce the retirement age for full benefits
Ensure public employees can retire with dignity and security
Why It Matters
Without meaningful reform, Tier 6 makes it harder to attract and keep dedicated public servants. The Fix Tier 6 campaign is about fairness, respect, and protecting the future of education and public service in New York.
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