SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – Public employees, including teachers, firefighters and police officers, visited the Illinois state capitol Wednesday to call on lawmakers to fix a pension system they say , does not work.

Civil servants were united Wednesday in Springfield, but on retirement, they are divided. That’s because a 2010 state law separates them into two groups. Tier 1 employees were hired before 2011. Anyone hired after that is a Tier 2 employee. They have to wait longer to get their full pension.

“We need to fix this,” said Brandon Thornton, a special education teacher at Bloomington High School, a Tier 2 employee.

As a teacher, Thornton cannot retire until age 67. His level 1 colleagues can retire at age 55 if they have worked for at least 35 years, or at age 60.

“I want a solution. I want a fix for level 2. I think 67 is way too late. » said Thornton.

According to the Illinois Education Association, nearly 3 in 5 teachers have considered leaving the professionand the retirement system is one of the main reasons for this.

While there is no silver bullet, lawmakers have filed invoices in the House of Representatives and the Senate to resolve Tier 2 issues. If passed, it would align the final average salary pension calculation with that of the first tier, align the retirement age between tiers , would implement a widespread cost-of-living adjustment at a simple interest rate of 3% for all Tier 2 members and would close and adjust the pension salary cap corresponding to the Social Security salary base. This will solve the so-called “safe harbor” problem and ensure that their pensions are equal to those they would earn if they received Social Security benefits.

“Teachers deserve to retire with dignity and respect. They should not be forced to teach until age 67. They should not have to earn less than if they had been on Social Security. I hope we get this resolved,” said Cyd Paulsen of the West Suburban Retired Teachers Union.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) was asked about the potential changes Wednesday. He said it was essential that the state meet the social security minimum, which would be paid over several years.

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