State Employee Retirement System (SERS)

Keeping the Commitment to "Win-Win" Solutions

Mon, 06/24/2019 - 5:30pm
Republican lawmakers earlier this month hatched a last-ditch attempt to block passage of a biennial budget package by misrepresenting so-called "labor savings." They have since continued pushing a false narrative that public sector union leaders were negotiating "concessions" with the administration of Governor Ned Lamont. In reality,  nothing could be further from the truth; ongoing discussions have since January focused on "win-win" solutions, not more givebacks.
 

Comments on Proposals Impacting Public Employee Pension Funding and Benefits

Wed, 02/20/2019 - 3:30pm
AFT Connecticut leaders made the following remarks regarding Governor Ned Lamont’s 2019 legislative proposals released Tuesday impacting retirement security for public school teachers and state employees:
 

Working Together to Protect Retirement Security

Tue, 01/29/2019 - 6:30pm
A small group of leaders representing several public sector unions in mid January sat down with Governor Ned Lamont and members of his new administration. The purpose of the informal meeting was to explore potential efforts to further safeguard pensions for state employees and shore up retirement funding for teachers. The discussion followed Lamont's frequent assertions last year as a candidate to treat working people — particularly, union members — in Connecticut with "fairness, dignity and respect."
 

Standing Up to the State Employee "Blame Game"

Sat, 12/22/2018 - 1:00pm
Last month on Election Day the candidates for statewide office and the legislature who pledged to stand up for Connecticut's working families won big. Yet corporate lobbyists and their front groups continue pushing austerity policies that benefit big business and the ultra-rich ahead of the opening of the General Assembly's 2019 session. Union leaders are mobilizing to ensure the new Lamont Administration and incoming lawmakers make better choices than more middle-class givebacks or additional public service cuts.
 

Defending the "Future of Our Collective Bargaining Rights"

Mon, 07/09/2018 - 5:00pm
A Republican legislative leader last week launched a politically motivated media attack on gains made by state employee unions. At issue are contractual bonuses due later this month as part of a 2017 agreement to protect jobs, extend benefits and preserve services. In reality, the true targets are the collective bargaining rights that secured them — rights which face an uncertain future in the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.
 
Click here for reporting on the state Senator's remarks.
 

Making Gains through the "Power of Solidarity"

Tue, 06/19/2018 - 5:30pm
On any given day of the year, leaders of one or more of AFT Connecticut’s 90 plus affiliates are exercising their fundamental collective bargaining rights. Whether negotiating contract terms or representing colleagues in a dispute with their employer, they're "at the table" to win better wages, benefits and working conditions. We're highlighting recent examples from the past three months demonstrating what the power of the "U and I in Union" can accomplish.
 

State Employees Vote to Secure Jobs, Extend Benefits & Protect Services

Tue, 07/18/2017 - 4:30pm
Union members gathered in Hartford earlier today to announce that a strong majority of their colleagues have ratified agreements to shield against layoffs and preserve their healthcare and retirement security. The news came at the conclusion of a three weeks-long period in which approximately 25,000 state employees voted by a 5 to 1 margin to accept negotiated cost savings. In addition to a master agreement covering pensions and health benefits, union members also ratified 33 individual five-year contracts, retroactive to July 1 of last year.
 
Click here for the master agreement approved in June by union leaders.
 

Defending Retirees from Predatory Wall Street Fees​​

Sat, 06/10/2017 - 10:30am
A new report reveals billions in potential savings if pensions slashed fees paid to hedge fund managers who invest in risky "alternative" assets such as private equity. The research, completed by our national union, for the first time quantifies the massive wealth transfer that has placed Americans' retirement security in peril. The findings are particularly important to understanding and resolving the mounting fiscal crises on states' balance sheets — the costs of which are ultimately being borne by taxpayers.
 
Click here for the full report.
 

Agreement Reached to Shore Up State Employees' Retirement Security

Fri, 12/09/2016 - 12:30pm
Representatives of the 15 unions in the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) yesterday reached agreement with the administration of Governor Dannel P. Malloy to restructure state employee pension fund payments. The agreement does not impact members' retirement benefits or require increased employee contributions; it does, however, stabilize pensions by ensuring obligations to current and future retirees are fully funded.
 
Click here for the signed memorandum of understanding (MOU).
 
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