Protecting Public Pensions

In Florida and other jurisdictions around the United States, politicians and anti-public employee groups have been engaged in an ongoing effort to change the retirement plans of government workers in ways that reduce benefits and shift costs from the employer to the employee. The Teamsters have worked closely with the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) and member organizations to educate the public and elected officials about the importance of maintaining secure pensions for all. NCPERS is a national trade association that advocates for preserving the stability of public retirement systems.

Michael Filler, director of the Public Services Division recently met with Hank Kim, NCPERS Executive Director, to thank him for the legal brief that was filed in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) case now pending before the Florida Supreme Court.

The Teamsters and a coalition of unions and associations in Florida joined together months ago in challenging changes that Governor Scott requested that eliminated future cost of living adjustments and imposed employee contributions of 3 percent. The law suit seeks to enforce the contract rights of public employees that are guaranteed by the Florida Constitution. The Court heard oral arguments by the parties on September 7, 2012, but the date a decision will be rendered is unknown at this time.