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NJ Lawmakers Hammer out Pension Reform Measure
A Gannett news service report said the bill (See NJ Lawmakers Sanction Benefit Reform Package ) raises the retirement age for future government hires for the second straight year from 60 to 62. The retirement age was reset last year from 55 to 60.
According to Gannett, the new bill would require
part-time workers to earn $7,500 per year to qualify for
a pension credit. That is up from the $1,500 now required
for state, county, and local workers and $500 for
education workers, but down from the $10,000 some
lawmakers proposed and without an earlier requirement
that workers put in at least 30 hours per week.
That $7,500 threshold will be raised each year to keep
pace with inflation, though capped at 4% officials
said.
According to the news report, the bill also:
- allows state workers to buy back out-of-state service time for pension considerations in New Jersey, but not for retiree health benefits, and
- allows the government to offer incentives to workers who opt out of public health benefits and require part-timers to work 20 hours to qualify for health benefits.
Unions called the legislation an attack on
collective bargaining and pension savings they have
already agreed to and said they’re being treated as
scapegoats for the state’s fiscal mismanagement.
Robert Master, CWA’s regional political director,
said the measures disregard issues the unions have
bargained – including concessions reached last year that
participants in the negotiations said could save the
state $6.5 billion over 15 years.
Another wrinkle, introduced earlier Friday, would reduce
the number of state holidays from 13 to 12 by combining
Lincoln’s Birthday with Washington’s Birthday
into a single February holiday. That would take effect at
the end of the current state workers contract in three
years.
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