Posts tagged New York United Federation of Teachers
Teachers union flexes on New York state budget: pension boosts or bust
April 1, 2026 // The UFT and other teacher unions are focused on lowering the age when someone can retire without penalty. Under Tier IV, public employees including teachers can retire at 55 if they’ve worked for 30 years. Under Tier VI, an employee must work until 63 in order to retire without losing half of their pension award. Opponents say there’s scant evidence that pensions are contributing to recruitment and retention challenges. Tier VI required employees hired after its 2012 enactment to contribute to the cost of their retirement for the duration of their employment, instead of just the first 10 years. It also set a later retirement age — all measures that are saving state and local governments an estimated $80 billion through 2042.