By Forum Staff
A recently enacted law has resulted in over 28,000 men and women in the City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) enrolling in the pension plan, according to Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach).
For years, certain public employees who were part of the BERS pension plan had to manually enroll, while every other pension had an automatic enrollment. This caused massive problems when people decided to retire, only to learn that after a career of public service they were not in the pension plan. The bill, A.7156, which Pheffer Amato changed the law to ensure all BERS employees going forward would be automatically enrolled, but also enrolled all eligible current employees into the BERS pension plan.
Photo Courtesy of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato
“All of our public employees are now in a pension plan and can get everything they deserve,” Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato said.
The assemblywoman said the new law honors the legacy of Krystyna Naprawa, a Howard Beach resident who worked as an NYPD crossing guard. She was killed in the line of duty last year at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, while helping students and other pedestrians cross the street.
“This bill created needed parity and fairness. We are now ensuring our crossing guards, school meal workers, school nurses, substitute teachers, school custodians and so many other important roles are given the chance to be in a pension plan and grow a form of financial stability,” Pheffer Amato said. “They’ve worked and earned this pension, and it was in Krystna’s honor that I fought to make this dream a reality. All of our public employees are now in a pension plan and can get everything they deserve.”
