Posted on 04/02/2026 11:27:12 AM PDT by Libloather
ALBANY– Gov. Kathy Hochul is quietly negotiating a possible deal with one of New York’s top labor leaders to allow public workers from teachers to nurses hired after 2014 to retire at 55, sources said.
The age is currently 62 for those hired in the past 14 years.
The potential fat pork deal pact would involve more than a billion dollars in sweetening pensions for the unionized public employees.
Legislative leaders are being kept in the wings of the talks – which could be wed into the state budget package and lead to taxpayers footing billions – with Hochul dealing directly with New York AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento on behalf of New York’s heavyweight teacher, healthcare and other public sector unions, whose members top 2.5 million.
The unions are pushing a proposal that would include lowering the retirement age from 62 to 55 for employees hired since 2012 known as Tier 6, Newsday first reported Wednesday. Those hired before 2014 can currently retire at 55.
The proposal would also lower employees’ contribution rate from 4.5% to 3.5%, according to details shared with The Post from a source familiar with the situation.
If she goes along with it, Hochul’s handout to the unions could cost taxpayers $1.5 billion, split between additional costs handed down to school districts and local governments including New York City, which could be left with $328 million in additional costs.
The unions cry that the pension boosts are necessary to boost “recruitment and retention.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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…Then it’s off to a new low-intensity career with the state where they can start a second pension and still have 10-15 years to build it up, no doubt. Dip, dip, dip that bucket!
Give NY school teachers big fat early retirements so they can move to Florida and spend the last several decades of their lives in peace and safety.
As long as remaining NY taxpayers can afford it - do it.
And double their champagne rations.
NY is a long-term, one-party ideological state and government
Its got to follow the political lifecycle of all declining, long-term, one-party governments - from the Soviet CCP to Iran’s IRGC to California’s democrat party
As it slowly declines, its ideological intensity, as well as its support to its key factions will increase and accelerate, not decrease.
Reform only opens obvious fissures which bring forward collapse.
It would be stupid to leave at 55 when the check at 62 would be bigger. Of course, we have idiots taking social security at 62 instead of regular retirement age. You can’t fix stupid!
As a New York State resident, I can honestly say, the plight of the taxpayer is never considered, with the possible exception of the lead up to an election, at which point we receive a small dose of lip service. But even this conceit evaporates the day after election day.
Scott Walker is now a long-forgotten footnote, alas.
I’m not suggesting - h/t in a non-blasphemous, humorous way - resurrecting him (though, I’d have liked to see him take a shot a Wisconsin senate seat!).
However, I would very much like to at least see what he accomplished as Wisconsin governor be given a shot as a national GOP template.
Busting up public sector unions really SHOULD be a core conservative concept — they’ll fight like hell and Walker had to fight that, but he managed to win twice and beat back a recall.
For taxpayers? Few things should rank higher on priorities.
You want lower taxes? The best and most meaningful way to get there is to eliminate public sector unions. Or at least, defang their power so they don’t get sweetheart contracts like this idea.
Let me reiterate - I’m not suggesting a Walker comeback. I’m simply saying - what he accomplished? It will pay longterm, untold dividends in the future.
Teachers unions are criminal enterprises.
With all the parachuting night jumps and rucking 150 pound packs their knees and backs are probably in pretty rough shape by the time they are 55.
Kids are just the grist for Deep State’s publik skrewl diploma mills.
Making NYS “affordable” by dropping the ONE BILLION DOLLAR price tag on middle class tax increases. In a few years I hope to escape NYS, while I can still sell my house before total collapse. I’ll sell it to a state employee, the rich.
There are some solid (non-idiot) reasons to take Social Security early.
The break-even point is around age 78. Only past 78 does waiting pay off more. Some folks would rather have less money earlier, while they’re still young enough to enjoy it. Travel, etc.
Others have to retire before 65, and take SS it early to avoid having to dip into IRAs for living expenses. I’m in this group.
As the old saying goes, your mileage may vary.
Also remember- NY state teachers don’t pay NY state income tax on their tax payer funded pensions once they receive them (assuming they live in NY)...
I was going to wait til I turned 67, I have/had a thriving business and made a lot of money. When I was diagnosed with cancer I retired exactly when I turned 65 and sold my Business to my number one guy for a Retirement Package plus other perks and can live comfortably pretty easily til I die. But I was prepared in advance for retirement, something most are not!!!
I would support certain blue collar jobs to have a lower retirement age. Physical labor, demanding type jobs. Many union contracts and unions already have lower normal retirement age, for just that reason. It is hard work and takes a toll.
But indoor jobs that aren’t hard on the body? Complete BS.
Living in the land of fatty and the fiefdom of the dumbest Brandon, you don’t have to tell me.
Teachers unions are the worst, but if I had one wish? I’d eliminate all public sector unions. Sure, I want competent teachers, competent police, even competent paper pushers at the DMV.
However, the ridiculous protections that prevent eliminating the poor performers? The ridiculous benefits goodie bags and (taxpayer funded) goodie bags that let the mediocre glide?
Sheer madness.
Public sector unions simply should not exist. Teacher or Police or the lady who processes your license renewal?
We don’t need union socialism to get that. It’s possible to attract and retain the best without the current state of gifting the sad sack mediocrities kings ransom pensions who manage to stay above the worst of the worst lines and glide through vesting.
If we could fire the losers and pay the great public employees based on merit, we'd get a better product at a lower cost.
Why not 45? 35?
Really, negotiating, that's what they're calling it? Just both sides of the same side hashing it out, right? Journalists in Tammany Hall's day would know this as straight up political payola.
Hochul should form a self-owned non-profit to study the matter and make recommendations for the "deal" - everybody wins!
They've removed the teacher testing requirement.
They're running out of incentives. They'd put Indian truck drivers in as teachers or fill the ranks with prisoners and illegal aliens if they could get away with it.
Such a failed state is now at the point of offering teachers a shorter work obligation.
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