Dear Director / Legislative Director:
Absent any unforeseen circumstance, it appears that the effort to address Tier Equity will be NYSPEC’s number one legislative priority in the 2023 state legislative session.
In recent discussions with our Legislative Committee Chair and other members of our Leadership Team, I believe it would be prudent to form a committee to specifically prepare for the Tier Equity issue, as at this point it appears that it will be the chief topic of discussion at our upcoming annual meeting / convention with respect to our legislative efforts in 2023.
It has become apparent that, because of the marked diversity among our member units, there are numerous differences in their pension plans, and the concomitant tier nuances that are present in the various plans specific to certain member units. This is especially true within those of our member units representing members with varying and disparate job specifications/titles, such as Suffolk AME, PEF, or the PCNY.
Our goal is to formulate a plan to address tier equity which will encompass improvements impacting all our members. To that end, at some time in the near future we will be seeking information from each member unit regarding the specific pension plans applicable to their members. Consequently, I ask that you begin to determine what those specific pension plans are.
Thank you,
Peter D. Meringolo, NYSPEC Chairman
