Parry’s Plan is a Wisconsin-style Attack on Middle Class Families

Responding to State Senator Mike Parry’s proposal to further squeeze public sector workers’ hard earned pensions, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson issued the following statement:

“Senator Parry’s pension proposal is unfortunately an attempt to bring an extreme, Wisconsin-style attack on middle class families across the border to Minnesota.

“Senator Parry should know that Minnesota public employees already pay a significant share of their pensions out of pocket.

“The Senator should also recognize that the average public employee makes around $38,000 a year and retires with an average annual pension of $13,000 a year.

“Middle class families across the state have already sacrificed more than their fair share in the last decade.

“It’s time for lawmakers to stop these attacks on middle class families and stay focused on creating jobs now and balancing the budget fairly.”