Take Action
Urge your legislators to call for a fair (and affordable) fix for RetirementPlus.
In 2001, Massachusetts introduced RetirementPlus, a program that allows teachers to retire a little earlier if they increase the amount they contribute to their pension to 11 percent of their salary. Teachers hired before July 1, 2001, needed to elect to join RetirementPlus when it was enacted through an often-confusing process that led many to believe they were automatically enrolled, only later learning that they were not.
Last July the Massachusetts House unanimously passed a bill H.4361 (formerly H.2932) that would create a fair and clear pathway for teachers hired before July 1, 2001, to have a new opportunity to join RetirementPlus. In June, the Senate unanimously passed an amended version of the bill, S.3109. The Senate’s action was a major step forward, but its version changed how the buyback cost would be calculated, creating a significant increase in cost for eligible teachers that must be addressed in the final bill.
On July 15, the House called for the creation of a conference committee and named its members, but the Senate has yet to reciprocate. With the formal legislative session coming to an end on July 31, we are asking MTA members to contact their legislators again and urge them to send the Fair Fix for RetirementPlus to the Governor in July.
CALL AND EMAIL YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS NOW! Ask them to support a fair (and affordable) fix for RetirementPlus in the final version of H.4361. You can find your legislators' phone numbers by clicking here.