Posts tagged Retirement
New York City Carpenters Union Says Federal Oversight Has Ended
October 16, 2026 // The council said the end of the long legal process gives it greater authority over its operations and removes prolonged external approval processes. It said internal compliance and investigative systems, along with safeguards for the union and its members, will remain in place. The announcement did not describe the specific action or date that formally ended federal supervision.
Congress Just Learned an Important Lesson About Collective Bargaining
October 14, 2026 // Eight congressional employees negotiating with a strongly pro-union member of Congress took four years to get their agreement right. FLCA essentially gives private-sector workers and employers roughly four months before the process can move toward having outsiders determine the terms for them. And those agreements can be vastly more complicated than a congressional office contract.
Opinion: John Moorlach: AB 1383 is a costly pension mistake in the making
August 21, 2026 // Assembly Bill 1383, introduced by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, would increase pension benefits for public safety employees — allowing earlier retirement with higher payouts — while reducing the contributions those employees are required to make. The bill provides no new funding to cover these expanded obligations, which would further destabilize the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and local government budgets.
Novi school board OKs some teacher buyouts amid budget pressures
August 17, 2026 // The Novi Community Schools board of trustees on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to offer buyouts to teachers in the union’s highest three pay grades as the district faces mounting financial pressures.
NYC lifeguard ‘Boss of the Beach’ scores $570K pension on taxpayers’ tab: report
August 7, 2026 // A controversial former Big Apple chief city lifeguard nicknamed “Boss of the Beach” raked in a staggering $570,419 pension last year, according to the Empire Center for Public Policy, a nonprofit government watchdog. Ex chief lifeguard and union boss Peter Stein’s taxpayer-funded golden parachute comes after a longtime dual career where he also served full-time as a middle school gym teacher In Brooklyn — calling it quits while under investigation by the city Department of Investigation.
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.
Seattle’s The Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard closes amid union strike
June 24, 2026 // Owners of the popular establishment stated on social media that their security team documented instances of harassment, including name-calling and picketers spitting on guests. A notice posted at the restaurant now prohibits striking workers and picketers from entering the property.
The Beverage Market provides update about ongoing talks with striking workers, Teamsters Local 175 union
June 16, 2026 // Beer distribution company The Beverage Market said it wants to continue negotiations “in good faith” with striking workers involved in the current dispute between the company and the Teamsters Local 175 union. The current contract between the company and the union expired in early May. 49 workers at The Beverage Market began their strike May 12, and have been on the picket line ever since. Union members have said the company is asking for “unfair concessionary proposals” related to wages, insurance, and retirement.
Why Independent Workers — and the Companies That Hire Them — Need Portable Benefits
June 5, 2026 // Instead, one theme comes through clearly: Workers want benefits without giving up their current, flexible careers. Surveys say the same thing. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that only 8.3 percent of independent workers prefer a traditional employment arrangement, while more than 80 percent prefer their current work arrangement. At the same time, 4 out of 5 want access to benefits. That’s why it’s so encouraging to see portable benefits gain momentum and bipartisan buy-in: Kansas and Utah are among the eight states that have enacted reforms, Hawaii and Connecticut are among those considering it, and legislation has appeared in Congress as well. Reforms are advancing in states that prioritize the business environment and in others that focus on worker protection, because they expand access to benefits while remaining voluntary and market-oriented.
Hochul proposes $500M pension sweetener as she battles unions in budget stand-off
May 11, 2026 // Still, whatever deal is struck is likely to put a major strain on local governments, schools, public hospitals and law enforcement — which risk a mass exodus that could lead to service cuts. The cost of Albany’s public pension giveaway will also translate into higher property taxes and school taxes for New Yorkers.