Hundreds of District Council 37 members and allies demand State legislators “Fix Tier 6!” with 3% contribution limits at Lobby Day rally

ALBANY, NY— More than 400 DC 37 members rallied at the Capitol today to demand the state legislature “FIX TIER 6!” The rally took over the Capitol’s Million Dollar Staircase during the union’s annual Lobby Day with legislators.

Since its implementation by former Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Tier 6 pension has been controversial, affecting city and state public employees who began working in civil service on or after April 1, 2012. This pension tier forces workers to pay more into the system and retire later while receiving a smaller pension than those in the other five tiers.

Tier 6 imposes “contribution bands” that require workers to pay 3-6% of their salaries, including overtime and cost-of-living adjustments. The reduction in take-home pay, particularly in the midst of an affordability crisis, creates a disadvantage for working in the public sector.

“Public workers should be uplifted for their service to our communities, not punished for the work they do,” said Henry Garrido, Executive Director of District Council 37. “Tier 6’s contribution bands penalize workers as their pay increases, absorbing raises and reducing take-home pay. A pension is not a gift—it is money that has been earned over the course of a career in the public sector, and we call on the legislature to stand with our workers in setting the contribution rate at 3% for all employees in Tier 6.”

Tier 6 impacts more than 75,000 DC 37 members. While recent reforms to Tier 6 in past legislative session have been positive steps, they ultimately failed to address the overall financial burden public employees grapple with while serving the community.

Legislation in the Senate calling for the 3% contribution cap is sponsored by Senator Robert Jackson.

“Public workers are the quiet architecture of our democracy. Every day they open the doors of our schools, care for our communities, and keep government functioning. When a retirement system asks them to give more while promising less, it breaks the balance between service and security,” said State Senator Robert Jackson. “Fixing Tier 6 is not simply a policy correction—it is a statement of respect. I stand with DC37 and public workers across New York in the call to Fix Tier 6, and I will continue working in Albany to restore fairness. New York must honor public service with a retirement system worthy of those who dedicate their lives to it,” said Senator Robert Jackson, sponsor of the Tier 6 legislation in the Senate chamber.

Many of the union’s legislative allies participated in Wednesday’s rally to support fixing Tier 6, including Assemblymembers Khaleel Anderson, Alex Bores, Noah Burroughs, Catalina Cruz, Micah Lasher, Jenifer Rajkumar, Rebecca Seawright, Tommy John Schiavoni, Yudelka Tapia, Claire Valdez, Jaime Williams and Stefani Zinerman. DC 37 was also joined by state workers from CSEA.

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District Council 37 is New York City’s largest public employee union, with 150,000 members and 89,000 retirees. Visit us at www.dc37.nyc.