Cuomo Rolls Out Pension Limits For State Workers

As promised, Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced his approach to scaling back state pensions which he says would save taxpayers $93 billion over 30 years. According to the Times-Union, "Among the proposed changes: Raising the standard retirement age from 62 to 65; eliminating early retirement; requiring a 6 percent employee contributions for a workers' entire career rather than a limited period of time; excluding the use of overtime from calculating retirement pay; and banning the cashing in of unused sick days or vacation time." Teacher's retirement ages would be raised from 57 to 62.

Cuomo said, "The numbers speak for themselves — the pension system as we know it is unsustainable. This bill institutes common-sense reforms to bring government benefits more in line with the private sector while still serving our employees and protecting our retirees," and his announcement marked a new era—as the NY Times reports, "Mr. Cuomo’s proposal escalates a battle between the first-term Democrat and a major Democratic Party constituency: public-sector labor unions."

Civil Service Employees Association president Danny Donohue said, "Congratulations to Governor Cuomo for another grandstand play for the attention of his millionaire friends at the expense of the real working people of New York. Governor Cuomo’s proposal can only be viewed as an attack on working people to score some cheap political points." Indeed: Mayor Bloomberg liked the plan, saying it makes "sensible pension reforms that won't impact a single current employee or existing retiree."

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By Jen Chung in News on June 9, 2011 4:13 PM

Comments [rss]

LazyNanny

You go get those parasites Gov. If you manage to get this past the incubus $helly $ilver, I will vote for you every day for the rest of my life.

Edward T

All these benefits are only minimal compensation for a lifetime of much lower salaries, if you're all so envious of state workers, it's easy enough to apply for and get a civil service job, but I don't see any of you rushing out and doing it. Sure, a pension sounds great, but realize that not everyone is lucky enough to live long enough to even collect on it, and even if you start collecting, only if you live long do you benefit from all you've paid in. This isn't a race to the bottom people, just because someone else might get somewhat better benefits than you doesn't mean they're privileged, it just means that you're accepting too little (or maybe you're just not worth as much), If they'd tax the millionaires, none of these attacks on the little people would be necessary, it's just class warfare, and you've already lost the game for us by attacking your fellow workers.

taracorinne

I can't speak for city jobs but I do know that state jobs and federal jobs, especially if you've got a college degree, pay much better over time, as their salaried positions come with guaranteed pay raises at yearly intervals, especially if employee tenure is in use. It's all public record if you ever want to look it up.

In addition, the costs of health insurance of people in the public sector is much lower to the individual than someone in the private sector (this includes out of paycheck costs for the insurance along with costs of prescription and doctor copays, hospital visits, and surgery deductibles) My sister, a Dekalb County, GA employee (not a rich state, either), has significantly lower costs out of pocket for her insurance than I do.

Jax

The general non union working public is getting bored with the unions cries. Those of us working stiffs who dont get the pension and benefits these people do, are sick of hearing it.
They might get more sympathy if they werent so friggin cranky everytime you walk into a government office.

GentleGiant

According to your logic everyone should race to the bottom instead of working and organizing for better pay and benefits. The problem isn't that unions have it too good; the problem is that non-union workers are getting screwed.

petey2

Yet the general non union working public in NY, especially NYC, continues to vote democrat, despite them being in the unions pockets.

ANGRYGOD11

Even union leaders know they went too far. Recently, a leader of the powerful California prison guard union publicly acknowledged they made themselves too expensive for a viable state budget and lost most public support.

SonnyBobiche

I know that at some point or another reality was going to bite us on the ass but up to now, no New York State politician has been willing to take on the Unions. This makes Cuomo exceptional and, at least in this regard, much better than his father. If only California would learn from this.

On his stance on nuclear power, though, the stick didn't fall far from the tree.

Len_Drexler

Cuomo can get away with it for now since he was just elected. Unions have been known to throw money at a primary challengers to get rid of Democrats that don't play ball.

ANGRYGOD11

In corporate America, most people don't get a pension anymore and just hope their 401K is worth something when they hope to retire.

Len_Drexler

In corporate America, most people don't get a pension anymore

True but even previous generations of private sector employees didn't necessarily get a deal as good as some public sector employees do now. My father and grandfather worked in the private sector and got pensions. As far as I know neither of them could start collecting in their 50s. And they were salaried so they couldn't pad their last years with overtime.

neilbmad

are many people in corporate America devoting 30 years to their employers?

Freddie Ja

in corporate america most companies do not pay for unused vacation days. if you don't use them you lose them. it's time to stop coddling govt workers.

SpideySense

Banning the cashing in of sick day sound sreasonable, but banning the cashing in of unused vacation days does not.

LazyNanny

Vacation days should be used, not cashiered. The public sector parasites already get more than their fair share.
Use them or lose them, just like in the private sector.