UCSB Staff Assembly Exec Letter Supporting Senate Concerns About New Pension Tier

Retirement Options Feedback

The UCSB Staff AssemblyExecutive Board, which is comprised of policy covered staff, believe that future retirement options should be offered equally to all employees, including staff. Staff are the backbone of the University of California (UC) system and we are a fundamental component to ensure that the UC mission is realized. Thousands of bright and dedicated staff choose the UC as their employer and our daily duties, such as advising students on which courses to take, assisting faculty with writing grant proposals, and balancing department budgets, are integral to making the UC work. Staff are crucial in making the UC system successful and they should be given the opportunity to take advantage of the same retirement benefits that are being offered to faculty.

Benefits, including the retirement package, are one of the strongest tools UC has for recruiting and retaining employees. The new proposed retirement tier has been presented with the impression that it will not directly affect current UC employees.  However, this is not the case, since it will impact the UC's future and many current employees will continue to work here 10 to 20 years from now. Any lessening of the benefits injures UC's ability to attract and keep the best and brightest staff.

Additionally, we support the faculty's concerns that the proposed tier will affect faculty recruitment and retention. Salary is valued and important when attracting new hires. However, in order to keep these employees, we must invest in them and their futures. We feel strongly that whatever retirement options are chosen should be offered equally to all employees. If you want to hire future quality employees you have to keep the same level of retirement opportunities available: do not offer anything less. It is not the pay that keeps dedicated, hardworking supportive staff at the University who give of themselves and more. It is the promise that if we work hard and invest in our careers at UC we will have invested in our future.