We will be kicking off our advocacy for this legislative session with a Retirement Plus Lobby Day on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. The lobby day is in partnership with the BTU, MTA and the R+ Committee, and will provide members an opportunity to speak directly with legislators about the importance of legislation providing a Second Chance at Retirement Plus.
Complete the form linked here to register to lobby for a Second Chance at Retirement Plus and plan on meeting on February 18, 2025 in room 428 of the State House at 10 am!
Background
For decades, the AFT Massachusetts and member locals - including the Boston Teachers Union – have helped members navigate their benefits systems, which can be complex. Whether it be through advocacy, education, or resources, the AFT Massachusetts has been on the frontline of an issue impacting thousands of teachers across the Commonwealth – the Massachusetts Teachers Alternative Retirement Plan, or Retirement Plus.
In 2001, Massachusetts introduced Teachers' Alternate Retirement Plan (TARP) or Retirement Plus, an enhanced retirement option for teachers, school nurses, related service providers and other educators with a deduction rate of 11%. All educators hired after July 1, 2001 were automatically enrolled in the new program, but current educators had only 6 months to opt in. A complicated process and confusing branding meant that many educators didn’t properly enroll, or thought they were enrolled when they really weren’t.
An Act Relative to Benefits for Teachers
House Docket 3452
Sponsor: Representatives Alice Peisch and Rob Consalvo
An Act Relative to Teacher Retirement Election
Senate Docket 2208
Sponsor: Senator Liz Miranda
H.D. 3452 and S.D. 2208 would allow current non-TARP educators to opt into the enhanced TARP retirement benefits that current employees receive, by paying the difference between what they’ve paid in deductions since 2001 and what they would have paid if they had opted in at the time. This “make-up amount” could be paid in either a payment plan or in one lump-sum payment. The legislation would require modest additional state funding of teacher retirement benefits and would result in substantial savings to local school districts through the retirement of non-TARP educators and the hiring of new teachers at significantly lower salaries.
Other events/calls to action to keep an eye out for:
- Once the bill receives a bill number and is assigned to a committee for review, we will want members to send letters to the Committee Members, urging them to host a public hearing on these bills;
- Opportunities to testify publicly at a Committee Hearing on the bill;
- Additional letter writing campaigns to House and Senate leadership if the bills move out of committee to the next step in the legislative process (these letters would be calling for the bill to come to the floor for a vote); And more!