Posts tagged local government employees

    Op-ed / Commentary ● Labor Unions

    Opinion: California’s public sector unions are trying to undo pension reform

    July 22, 2026 // In 2012, Democratic then-Gov. Jerry Brown made real progress by championing and signing the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA). It was a significant reform that adjusted benefits for new hires. By reducing abuses like “pension spiking” (by which some employees juiced payouts), raising the retirement age for many, and requiring the new hires to pay a larger share of their own pension costs, the reform sought to save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.

    AB 1383 California California Senate CalPERS cost of living Democrat Democrats Gavin Newsom Jerry Brown local government employees municipal bankruptcy pension reform pension spiking public employee unions Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act public sector unions Retirement state government employees