New York State United Teachers hopes to fill at least 10 buses full of unionists from the Western New York area to attend a ‘Fix Tier Six’ rally March 8, 2026 in Albany. Many Buffalo teachers, aides and assistants, kitchen workers and bus drivers have already committed to participate and Substitutes United of Buffalo is hoping to get some members on board also! Fixing Tier 6 is about solidarity, fairness and dignity and is necessary to recruit talented educators.
The Fix Six Rally’ is to protest changes made to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) benefits for workers hired under Tier 6, which was established in 2022. All Buffalo substitutes, hired since then, who choose to join NYSTRS, are under Tier 6. Although some improvements have been made to Tier 6, there are some major differences since Tier 4 was established.
The main differences between Tier 4 and Tier 6 are:
Tier 4 members can retire and collect their pension, penalty free at 55; Tier 6 members can’t retire or collect their pension penalty free until 63.
Tier 4 contributions cap at 3% and end in 10 years, while Tier 6 contributions grow with raises, never end and members will pay thousands.
Tier 4 retirees who retire at 55 after 30 years get 60% of their final average salary, while Tier 6 retirees who retire at 55 with 30 years only gets 26.4 percent of final average salary and pensions will be about $35,000 less per year than Tier4.
The State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) is one of the finest pension systems in the country. With a Market Value of Assets at 100% for 2025 and a track record of paying benefits to retirees on time and without fail since 1921, teachers can rest assured that their pensions will be there. NYSTRS collects payments from both employers and all Tier 5 and Tier 6 employees. The employer contribution (currently 9.59% of payroll for all tiers) is taken directly from state aid and sent to districts so that payments cannot be missed. Having guaranteed funding assures that the system can pay out the promised benefits. In addition, Article V, Section 7 of the NYS Constitution has a line that refers to the pensions of public sector employees which states that they “shall not be diminished or impaired”. This not only means that your pension cannot be reduced once you are receiving it, but also that the benefits guaranteed under your tier cannot be unfavorably changed. They can, however, be enhanced!
The “Fix Tier 6” rally in Albany is on Sunday, March 8, 2026 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM. Buses, t-shirts, food and refreshments will be provided free.
Seating is limited and on a first, come, first served basis. You must register for the trip by January 20, 2026, by scanning the QR Code.
substitutesunitedofbuffalo.com 
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