Bills would collapse five tiers into one, retore pension justice for all
Following months of member organizing by NJEA members across the state, NJEA’s top-priority pension bills have been introduced in the Assembly and Senate. Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson introduced A5158 and A5160, which compress the 5 tiers of the state TPAF and PERS systems into a single tier, bringing back fairness and a commitment to provide public service employees with dignity and economic security in their retirement in exchange for a career of public service to New Jersey. Senator Linda Greenstein introduced identical bills, S5158 and S3997, in the Senate.
Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson said, “I am proud to stand with educators, state, county, and local employees who, based on the year they were hired, are in pension tiers that put a secure retirement out of reach for many. We should not require 40+ years of service to be eligible for a full state pension. This unrealistic expectation discourages people from taking these jobs and causes many to leave their positions early.”
NJEA President Sean Spiller thanks Reynolds Jackson for her bold leadership on this important issue. “At a time when we are experiencing severe staff shortages, with too many of our experienced educators leaving mid-career, we know that restoring pension fairness and the promise of a secure retirement will help both attract the next generation of educators and keep the dedicated professionals we already have. This will benefit our students, their families and every community in New Jersey. We thank the Assemblywoman for her continued commitment to students and public education and we pledge that our members will work with her to see these important bills become law.”
Over 30,000 NJEA members have already pledged to be pension justice advocates. In 2025, they will join fellow members across the state in advocating for the passage of these important bills.