For the past several years, NEARI members have been fighting at the Statehouse to improve retirement security—and we’ve made important progress.
But there is still much more to do.
That’s why NEARI is launching the next phase of our statewide campaign to improve pensions for our members. Our goal is to build the member participation, unity, and political power it will take to win meaningful improvements.
The Challenges Ahead
We face two major barriers.
First, meaningful pension improvements will require greater investment from the state. At a time when federal funding cuts are putting even more pressure on Rhode Island’s budget, winning that investment will take a strong, visible, and united membership.
NEARI has 12,000 members. Imagine the impact if thousands of us contacted our legislators—and more than a thousand members showed up together at the Statehouse to advocate for retirement security.
Second, there are many different proposals for improving the pension system. We need to understand which changes matter most to our members so we can establish clear priorities and build a focused campaign around them.
That starts with you.
Building the Campaign
On August 19, union leaders from NEARI locals participating in Rhode Island’s state pension system came together to kick off the next phase of our pension campaign.
Leaders reviewed where we’ve been, the progress we’ve made, and the work ahead. Together, they began shaping a plan to build member involvement and fight for a better pension.
Now, leaders are taking that conversation back to their locals so members across Rhode Island can learn about the options, make their voices heard, and work together to win meaningful pension improvements.
Take the Pension Survey
The survey is the first step in this campaign.
It will help us understand which pension improvements members believe should be our priorities. It will also help you learn more about the different options we can fight for—and how those changes could affect your retirement.
We Need to Hear From Everyone
To build a successful campaign, we need participation from members at every age and every stage of their careers.
Whether retirement is 30 years away, right around the corner, or already here, your voice belongs in this campaign.
If we hear primarily from members at one point in their careers, the results won’t reflect the needs of our full membership. That’s why widespread participation is so important.
We all deserve a fair pension that allows us to retire with dignity. What should that look like? We want to hear from you.
Your Pension Is Worth 20 Minutes
This is not a five-minute survey.
Pensions are complicated, and the choices we make now could affect members for decades. Please set aside about 20 uninterrupted minutes to review the information, consider the different options, and complete the survey thoughtfully.
Take 20 minutes. Learn about the options. Make your voice count.
Then encourage your coworkers to take it, too. Widespread participation is essential to building a strong campaign!
Survey → Analysis → Plan → Action
The survey is only the beginning.
After responses are collected, NEARI will analyze the results and use what we learn to help establish priorities for the next phase of our pension advocacy.
In September, we’ll hold an all-member Zoom town hall to share what we learned, discuss potential priorities, and talk about what comes next.
From there, we will organize members across the state to build the pressure necessary to win.
The Work Behind the Campaign
In 2025, the NEARI Political Action Committee for Education (NEARI PACE) created a pension subgroup dedicated to planning the next phase of our pension advocacy.
The group is reviewing pension proposals, analyzing their potential costs and impacts, and helping develop ideas for the next ambitious, achievable, and equitable step toward strengthening retirement security for NEARI members.
But no proposal moves forward without member power behind it.
The stronger our participation, the stronger our voice—and the stronger our chance of winning.
YOU are the union.
