UFT - United Federation of Teachers

03/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/09/2026 19:57

Massive Sunday labor rally for pension reform

New York's labor movement came together on an extraordinary scale Sunday, March 8, to demand pension reforms at a rally at the MVP Arena in Albany.

More than 10,000 union members from the NYS AFL-CIO, New York State United Teachers, United Federation of Teachers, NYS Public Employees Federation, NYS Professional Fire Fighters Association, New York State Nurses Association, and Civil Service Employees Association sent a clear message to state lawmakers: Fix Tier 6 now and restore fairness to the state's pension system.

Speakers - Video clips

  • NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli
  • Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie
  • Michael Mulgrew, President, UFT
  • Mario Cilento, President, NYS AFL-CIO
  • Melinda Person, President, NYSUT
  • Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
  • Lisa Ann Walter, Star of ABC's Abbott Elementary and Vice President of the Los Angeles Local of SAG-AFTRA
Roughly 780,000 New Yorkers are stuck in the state pension's Tier 6, forcing them to work longer, contribute more out of every paycheck, and receive dramatically reduced retirement benefits compared to their colleagues in earlier tiers.
The blatant pension inequity is fueling workforce shortages across education, public safety, healthcare, and other essential services by driving young, talented professionals away from public service careers and pushing experienced workers out.
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