PPS Custodians Would Benefit from HB 2284 - Break-In-Service Protection
Feb 6, 2007
Legislation to protect the retirement of Portland School Custodians who were illegally fired has been introduced in Salem. House Bill 2284 was heard before the House Business and Labor Committee Feb 5, 2007.
This bill addresses one of the unintended consequences of the "break in service" provisions enacted in PERS legislation by the 2003 Legislature.
If a worker in a PERS-covered position leaves their job for six months or more and later returns to a PERS-covered position, under current law, they cannot rejoin the PERS pension plan, but instead are diverted to the replacement retirement system, OSPRP. Benefits under OSPRP are lower than those in PERS.
In testimony before the House Committee, President DiNicola stated, "Workers who were illegally laid off deserve to be made whole. This bill will fix an injustice and we will put the weight of our 40,000-member union behind this legislation."