Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Pensions! We have gathered the top stories about pensions and retirement security from the previous week.
NPPC Highlight
Have you checked out the latest opinion piece by NPPC Executive Director Kendal Killian? Read our blog connecting the dots between the decades-long attacks on defined benefit pensions and the mounting threats to Social Security.
Attacks on Public Workers Put Retirement Security—and Public Services—at Risk
Across the country, public sector workers are facing a growing crisis. Harmful policies at both the state and federal levels are targeting the very people who keep our communities running—jeopardizing the essential services they provide, their livelihoods, and ultimately their retirement security.
In Minnesota, more than 300 public health workers were recently laid off after the federal government slashed over $220 million in funding to the Minnesota Department of Health. The cuts are already forcing critical programs to shut down, from vaccine clinics and emergency preparedness to disease tracking, nursing home support, and public health education. According to MDH officials, these layoffs weren’t a choice—they were a direct result of the federal government’s sudden withdrawal of support. The consequences will be felt by all Minnesotans, especially the most vulnerable.
These cuts are part of a broader wave of mass federal layoffs by the current administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE team. Across agencies—from the CDC and Department of Education to the USD and Treasury—hundreds of thousands of dedicated public servants are being forced out, with no regard for their vital roles in protecting our health, food supply, public infrastructure, and more. While some of the terminations have been deemed illegal by courts, the administration has doubled down, pushing for even deeper cuts under the guise of reorganization and austerity.
However, as Hank Kim, NCPERS executive director, recently noted in Governing, the damage goes beyond lost jobs and disrupted services. These layoffs also threaten the long-term sustainability of public pension systems, which rely on steady contributions from active employees. With fewer workers paying in, the financial stability of these pension funds is jeopardized—risking reduced benefits for retirees, or worse, opening the door for critics to call for dismantling the systems altogether.
In Alaska, Teachers Face Pink Slips—And a Broken Promise
Alaska’s public education system is facing a breaking point. This week, school districts across the state—including Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the Kenai Peninsula—began issuing potential layoff notices to hundreds of teachers and school staff. These notices result from budget uncertainty, but they are also a symptom of a deeper, ongoing crisis: Alaska’s failure to invest in its public workforce.
Despite a severe and sustained educator shortage—Alaska began this school year with over 600 teacher vacancies—state leaders have yet to take meaningful action to retain the professionals who educate and care for Alaska’s children. One of the top reasons cited for the exodus? The lack of a defined benefit pension.
Principals, teachers, and school nurses are sounding the alarm: educators are leaving the state in droves for jobs in the lower 48, where better pay, lower cost of living, and defined pension benefits offer greater stability and long-term security. Alaska is trying to recruit professionals into a system where budget instability and the absence of retirement benefits make it nearly impossible to stay.
This isn’t just about schools—it’s about values. When Alaska closed its pension system to new public employees in 2006, it broke a promise to its workers. Now, the state is paying the price in turnover costs, unfilled classrooms, and a generation of students losing access to experienced retirement security.
Utah’s Fight for Workers’ Rights Heats Up
In Utah, public workers are taking a stand against HB267—a sweeping new law that bans collective bargaining for public sector unions. The bill, which passed swiftly through the legislature and was signed by the governor, has drawn sharp criticism from educators, firefighters, police officers, and countless others who serve their communities.
In response, a coalition of 19 public labor unions—Protect Utah Workers—has launched a massive, statewide effort to gather enough signatures to get a referendum on the 2026 ballot and overturn the law. Volunteers and supporters are showing up in parks, outside grocery stores, and even at parades, determined to give voters a chance to speak directly on this issue.
For many, like journalists Holly Mullen, the fight is deeply personal. In an op-ed, she describes how local action helped her channel her news fatigue into meaningful advocacy.
With an April 16 deadline looming and a goal of 200,000 signatures—130,000 collected so far— Utah’s public workers are proving that when retirement security and workers’ rights are on the line, they won’t back down.
Be sure to check back next Friday for the latest in the fight for a secure retirement! For now, sign up for NPPC News Clips to receive daily pension news from across the country directly to your inbox.