WHEREAS, in 1983, at the urging of the UFT, the state legislature gave Paraprofessionals the right to opt into the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) of the City of New York; and

WHEREAS, at the time, the union’s Paraprofessionals preferred to have an “opt-in” choice with regard to their enrollment in TRS because the cost to get into the system was prohibitive for many at the time;  and

WHEREAS, many of the union’s Paraprofessionals did not buy back years because of the cost at the time; and

WHEREAS, anyone who is not enrolled in TRS when they retire is not eligible for city-paid health benefits or a defined benefit pension; and

WHEREAS, to “buy-back” years, after a 30- or 40-year career is also cost-prohibitive for many; and

WHEREAS, a defined benefit pension, Social Security and personal savings make up the classic “three-legged stool” that provides for a secure, worry-free retirement; and

WHEREAS, after more than 30 years of counseling Paraprofessionals as they prepare to retire, UFT pension experts have found that those Paraprofessionals who do not have the defined benefit pension and health benefits approach retirement without the economic security that is the foundation of union membership; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the UFT support state legislation to rectify this situation and mandate the enrollment of Paraprofessionals into TRS when they are hired by the NYC Department of Education.