The Fight to Fix Tier 2 Is Far From Over

We have made real progress in recent years on the fight to fix Tier 2. However, the road ahead is not easy, and we are going to need every one of you in this fight.

Tier 2 employees — the dedicated public workers that keep our state moving — have been shortchanged for too long. You do the same work as your Tier 1 colleagues, but you retire on a lesser pension that doesn't provide an adequate retirement. The We Are One coalition’s bill, SB1937, would make dramatic strides to fix that. It would improve your final average salary calculation, lower retirement ages, strengthen your cost-of-living adjustment, and resolve the so-called "safe harbor" problem that the federal government could use against our pension system at any moment.

This bill is the right thing to do. It will strengthen the finances of our pension systems without requiring new taxes. And our members have made their voices heard with more than 100,000 calls and emails to lawmakers over the past year. But passing SB1937 through the full General Assembly will require even more of us.

Here is why: Springfield does not exist in a vacuum. The federal funding cuts coming out of Washington are creating real anxiety among state lawmakers about Illinois's budget picture. When legislators are worried about revenue, it becomes harder to move any bill that touches the state's finances — even one like ours that is responsibly funded and credit neutral. We understand that reality. But we also know that the Tier 2 problem does not get easier the longer it goes unaddressed, and the safe harbor risk does not disappear because Springfield is nervous.

We are continuing to meet with legislators and the Governor's office, answering their questions and making the case that this bill is the fiscally sound, fair solution Illinois needs. We will not stop and we will not back down.

The We Are One Illinois coalition — representing hundreds of thousands of working people across this state — has fought for this for years, and we will keep fighting for as long as it takes.

It is your engagement that can move lawmakers. Continue to tell your legislators that Tier 2 employees deserve a fair retirement, and that you expect them to finish the job.

This fight is not over. We are in it with you until we win.