OK folks. I’ve gotten several questions about retirement and the rumor of a “retirement” buyout. This morning we got some of the outlines of what the State System seems to be thinking:
- Health insurance to remain in place for retirement. Need to be eligible (Article 21 or 65)
- 30% of annual base salary up to $30,000 cash lump sum paid out
- Alternative Retirement Plan retirees would be allowed to teach as temps after retirement
- PASSHE claimed that about 800 faculty would be eligible and they are expecting about 20% (160) to accept
The State System sent APSCUF President Steve Hicks a letter requesting a “negotiating session” to address some of these issues. We had a long discussion on the floor about whether or not APSCUF should enter into negotiations over this issue. One of the problems with PASSHE’s request was that it did not indicate that the purpose was to discuss a retirement incentive. In other words, if we accepted we could have inadvertently entered into contract negotiations.
APSCUF Executive Committee and Negotiations Committee considered several options. Both Committees recommended the following:
- To enter into discussions with the State System over a retirement incentive package–and ONLY a retirement incentive package. The results of the discussions would lead to a side letter. In other words, there would be no opening up of the contract. Secondly, APSCUF would ask for a contract extension in exchange for discussing a retirement incentive package.
There was a lengthly discussion of the proposal. In the end, APSCUF Legislative Assembly passed the recommendation by overwhelming, though not unanimous, majority.
So, what this means in practice is that APSCUF President Steve Hicks and a lawyer, David O’Leary will meet with the State System next week or so.
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