WHEREAS, the current eligibility for public workers to qualify for the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) specifically excludes Oregon public university graduate employees and employees below 0.50 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE); and
WHEREAS, the eligibility for PERS also excludes postdoctoral scholars; and
WHEREAS, the state of Oregon has expanded access to the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) for postdoctoral scholars who work in Oregon public universities; and
WHEREAS, the requirement for postdoctoral scholars is to contribute between 2 and 4 percent to qualify for ORP; and
WHEREAS, a postdoctoral scholar's contribution to ORP will be matched by their respective public employer:
RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will advocate for expansion in public retirement eligibility for graduate employees and employees below 0.50 FTE at the national level.
(2020)