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Teachers and unions urge committee to fix flawed 2001 ‘Retirement Plus’ rollout with one‑time buyback window
Summary
Dozens of current and retired educators, union leaders and sponsors told the Joint Committee on Public Service the 2001 Retirement Plus enrollment process excluded thousands of teachers; they urged a legislative fix allowing a one‑time opt‑in with required buybacks.
State Representative Rob Consalvo asked the Joint Committee on Public Service on July 16 to give a favorable report to House Bill 2932 and its Senate companion, S 1884, which would give long‑serving educators a one‑time opportunity to enroll in the Retirement Plus program that rolled out in 2001.
Supporters told the committee the program’s initial rollout was administratively chaotic and that thousands of teachers who would have benefited were excluded through no fault of their own. Jessica Tang, president of AFT Massachusetts, said the original enrollment window required some teachers to navigate a “complex and confusing 6 months enrollment window” and that “many teachers weren't notified.” Amy Piacitelli, a Boston teacher, told the committee, “that 11% was a mistake on my paychecks... and that mistake cost me 4 years.”
The bills would allow…
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