I am a retired police officer (Sept 2018) who served 30 years from 1988 to 2018. While in a Private Pension Plan System, I became part of a team that moved our pension from that private plan to the MERS Retirement System and this was in 1995. We went from a 1% uncompounded COLA to the 3% compounded that the MERS program offered. Our union was more than overwhelmed at this chance as it would only increase our post retirement benefits! Our contribution also decreased from about 9.6% to 9%. This was a win-win!

I have been negatively by the pension reform. I originally taught for 4 1/2 years in a private school. I stayed home with my children for 11 years. Then I subbed in public schools for several years. Soon after being hired in a public school in 2000, I purchased five years in the pension system. When the changes were made to the pension system, I was deemed a B in the new system because purchased years were not counted in the decision making. These changes then placed me in the system where my defined pension increased by 1% for the next 12 years.

I have been blessed to be an employee for the State of Rhode Island at the Department of Environmental Management. I feel I have served the citizens of this state effectively and honestly. Although I was lured three times to leave state service; one such offer would have resulted in starting out at double my salary at the time, I choose to stay working as a public servant. This was the correct decision for me and I feel for the state.

To Whom It May Concern,

I can't imagine what I will need to do to survive on 32000 per year in retirement I started paying into the system when a lower wage was offset by the promise of a livable percent of that salary in retirement. Now I am looking at retirement with very little income and the inability to collect the Social Security I paid into. This is not right. My advice to newer teachers is to teach in MA or CT where a pension is not poverty level.

Submitted via online webform

My name is Glen Hebert I am a retired Woonsocket police Detective Sgt. Retiring in April 2005 after 21 years of service At the time of my retirement I was told by the Rhode Island Employee representative that I would get a 3% no compounded COLA. as outlined in my paperwork. The paperwork states, under COLAs If you are a Municipal Employee you will receive COLA if your City or town has accepted the statutory provision allowing one. Which Woonsocket did.

Pension Testimony



Got a moment? Today is December 20, 2023. Imagine you have just received a memo that states that due to financial difficulties, you will not receive a raise during 2024. This incudes any built in step increase, longevity increase or cost of living increase that was promised to you.



When you ask questions, you get answers…



“Well, we understand that such increases were touted as benefits when we hired you, but…”.

When I began my career in November of 1997, I was under the impression I could retire after 28 years. In 2011 when Gov Raimondo overhauled the pension system, it is expected I retire at 67 with less than I expected. This is 15 years longer than what I signed up for. It's not fair. I honestly am not sure of the percentage of what I will get in the end but know it isn't what I will leave with, never mind getting COLA. I feel I should have been grandfathered in. I had over 10 years so I was tenured.

Being a retired state worker for 25 years now, I am extremely disappointed in the decision to include retirees in vacating the 3% cola back in 2011. This was an erroneous decision by Gov. Raimondo. She disregarded not only state law as well as the contract I have with the state. This is the reason I took a job with the state to begin with. It surely was notfor the salary I was receiving when I entered state service. Having worked in the court system, I became quite familiar with the General laws of RI and the retirement system.

I have just one request of this group - do a better job than was done by Ms. Raimondo at balancing utility with justice. We should not be left to live in fear and desperation. Thank you.

Submitted via online webform