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UESF News
Para Pension Reform Coming to SFUSD
Reprinted from the December 09 edition of the SF Educator
Improvements are coming to the paraprofessional retirement system. UESF discovered that SFUSD has failed to meet its minimum pension obligation to paras. With the possibility of a lawsuit, the SFUSD has entered in to talks with UESF leaders to respond to the situation.For years, paras have known that their retirement plan, the Public Agency Retirement System (or PARS), was less than adequate. A para who has worked for fifteen years and has earned $50,000 in the PARS system typically receives no more than $250 per month in retirement payments. Not only does this payout fail to meet the target benefit promised by the plan itself, but it also fails to meet the legal minimum set in Social Security regulations. Those regulations guarantee a minimum pension benefit greater than or equal to Social Security to all workers.
For years, UESF has met steep resistance from the district when negotiators have sought improvements to PARS. Over the past two rounds of negotiations and through Prop. A, modest gains have been met. However, with the possibility of a lawsuit, the district has now decided that paras deserve something more.
The impetus for the change started with the advocacy of former UESF Vice-President for Paraprofessionals Bradley Reeves, who saw inequities in the system and began to organize around it. That torch was then passed to current Vice-President for Paraprofessionals Carolyn Samoa and UESF Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto Michel, who have continued the good work of advocating for reform.
UESF, the California Teachers Association, The California Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of Teachers have contributed over $20,000 to research the complicated issue, and to determine what the best possible outcome for paras could be.
UESF negotiators have taken this information to the talks with the district. Although a settlement has yet to be reached, UESF and district negotiators are close to creating a new retirement program based on Social Security. Under no circumstances will paraprofessionals lose benefits they have already earned.
“This reform has been a long time coming, and is long overdue,” says Carolyn Samoa. “But we did our homework and now the district has no choice but to improve the retirement system for paras. It’s the right thing to do; it’s just a shame it had to come down to this.”
Regular updates on the progress of the talks are given at the Para Division meetings, which typically take place on the fourth Wednesday of the month, and at the UESF Assembly. A presentation was also made at the October 31st UESF Conference. Look for more information in the coming year as talks continue with representatives from the SFUSD.
