We entered 2025 riding high from the most significant pension reform victory in 20 years — lowering the Final Average Salary calculation from five to three years for Tiers 5 & 6 members. This major win, secured during the 2024 budget cycle, means our newest colleagues will receive bigger pension checks for life.
But we knew this was just the beginning. Full retirement fairness wouldn't happen overnight. It would require sustained pressure over multiple years. We've done it before with Tier 4 and can do it again.
With no pension legislation proposed in 2025, we pivoted to a different strategy: keeping lawmakers focused on this critical issue and demonstrating the unwavering strength of our collective voice. Our answer? Monthly rallies across the state, held on the sixth of every month from February through June.
Our members showed up — no matter what.
Through snowstorms and thunderstorms, freezing temperatures and scorching heat, thousands of educators and union allies made their voices heard at events from Rochester to the Hudson Valley.
February 6 kicked off in Rochester, where a blizzard forced us indoors but couldn't stop the momentum. Union members from across the region packed the venue, sending a clear message that weather wouldn't weaken our resolve.
March brought dual rallies — one in Schenectady that drew both educators and supportive elected officials, and another at Westchester Community College where Teamsters and local firefighters stood shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of our members.
April saw us mobilize in the North Country and Southern Tier, with the Vestal rally showcasing the regional solidarity that makes our movement unstoppable.
As spring arrived in May, we traded winter beanies for bright new T-shirts and brought hundreds to downtown Buffalo, where the energy was infectious and the message unmistakable.
Our June finale delivered perhaps the most dramatic moment yet — dodging severe thunderstorms to march across the Walkway Over the Hudson, where we held our rally against a stunning sunset backdrop, a perfect metaphor for the bright future we're fighting to secure.
The power of persistence is paying off.
Each rally built momentum, kept retirement fairness in the headlines, and showed lawmakers that this movement isn't going anywhere. We're already planning fall events — check FixTier6.org for upcoming opportunities to stand with us.
Because when we stand together, we win together. And we won't stop until every public servant can retire with dignity.
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