1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

My name is Maureen and I have worked for NY state agencies for 20 years and am a member of Tier 6. The current cost of living in NYS makes it incredibly difficult just to get by, let alone buy a home, pay utilities, transportation and car expenses, food shopping and the list goes on. The pension fund has more than recovered since 2011 when the punitive Tier 6 NYS retirement provisions were installed and it’s the right time to restore the rights of Tier 4 and give NYS Employees back some dignity. We work hard and are dedicated and simply want to be able to live modestly in our home state that we also serve. Please consider being a hero and making NYS a competitive State to live and work in. We are urging Albany to:
• Extend 58/30 retirement options fairly across NYSERS
• Reduce employee contributions to 3% across the board OR eliminate contributions after 15 years of service (which would perfectly line up for the first tier 6 employees who started in 2011!)
• Allow employees with prior state service to buy back into the tier they originally served under
• Expand hybrid work opportunities for eligible titles to reduce commuting costs, improve mental health, increase productivity, and strengthen recruitment & retention statewide Public servants across agencies and municipalities have dedicated decades to New York State. Fair retirement reform and modern workplace policies would make public service dramatically more sustainable and attractive for the next generation. We are counting on you and will keep a close eye on which representatives have our back. A list of who voted for our welfare will be maintained and I pledge my vote in November to them. Be on the right side of history where you will be hailed the hero’s who redeemed the deed a villain did to take so much from the allure of NYS Employment in 2011, a year burned in our memories. Be the ones memorialized in 2026 who FIXED TIER 6. Sincerely,
Maureen