EXPAND RETIREMENT BENEFITS

WHEREAS, the current eligibility for public workers to qualify for the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) specifically excludes Oregon public university graduate employees and employees below 0.50 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE); and

WHEREAS, the eligibility for PERS also excludes postdoctoral scholars; and

WHEREAS, the state of Oregon has expanded access to the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) for postdoctoral scholars who work in Oregon public universities; and

WHEREAS, the requirement for postdoctoral scholars is to contribute between 2 and 4 percent to qualify for ORP; and

WHEREAS, a postdoctoral scholar's contribution to ORP will be matched by their respective public employer:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will advocate for expansion in public retirement eligibility for graduate employees and employees below 0.50 FTE at the national level.