Letter To The Editor: Nurses and Teachers Demand Fairness in Illinois Retirement System
Letter To The Editor: I love my patients, my hospital community, and my job as a mental health nurse. I am Toni Holly, RN, Alton. While every single day we must remain calm amidst life-or-death situations and potential bodily harm from our patients, I am grateful to be living my purpose as a nurse. But unfortunately, as much as I love my community and my career, I am at risk of not being able to afford being a public employee in a profession I love so much. In order for public servants to continue to dedicate themselves to essential worker roles like nurses, teachers, and firefighters, it’s imperative that we fix the broken Tier 2 pension system in Illinois and pass the Fair Retirement and Recruitment Act. In 2010, the state of Illinois created a “Tier 2” of pension benefits for public workers. More than half of all teachers, firefighters, nurses, and other public employees are in Tier 2. Many Tier 2 employees do not receive Social Security and cannot retire wit