Teamsters and Senator Hayden working to weaken correctional pension

This speech was given by Mn DFL Sate Senator Hayden at the Teamsters Local 320 Christmas Party.

Hayden addressed his bill S.F. 998—the bill to expand the PERA Correctional Pension coverage to include 911 Operators/Dispatchers, Probation Officers and Hennepin County Security Officers.

“I have one particular issue regarding pensions,” said Hayden. “For those of you who are working county security and 911 and some of you who are probation officers, I know your jobs are tough. Some of those jobs are particularly stressful. You work with people who are in crisis or people that are the most dangerous in our society. Those jobs have a way of grinding people down, almost the same way as if you’re in a combat zone. I can’t make any guarantees, but Ed Reynoso (Teamsters Joint Council 32 DRIVE Political Director) and I are going to work very closely to make sure those jobs are looked upon as other jobs in corrections.” 

As mentioned in our previous post:

Pension Commission Considers Bill to Expand Correctional Plan

Traditionally, membership in the Correctional Plan or the PERA Police and Fire Plan (PERA P&F) is limited to individuals with jobs that expose them to increased risk of physical injury and death. 

This bill would add non-essential security guards and probation officers. If enacted this would demean the very reason our pension exists. It was never meant to be a "I want to retire at 55 because I'm stressed out pension," but a, "We need to retire early before we are killed or seriously injured pension."