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Víctor Manuel Bonilla Sánchez, president of the Puerto Rico Teachers Association (AMPR), is rejoicing over the landmark signing of the Social Security Equity Act (HR 82) by President Joe Biden. This act will positively impact thousands of current and retired teachers from Puerto Rico, as it removes the Windfall Elimination and Government Pension Offset provisions, resulting in increased Social Security benefits.
“Justice has been served today for millions of workers across the American landscape, including educators from 15 states plus Puerto Rico, whose retirements had been constrained by harsh and unnecessary regulations,” Bonilla Sánchez stated in a written comment on Sunday. “These unjust regulations have exacerbated the financial challenges faced by our retired teachers, who have struggled for years with diminished retirement benefits, and by active educators experiencing pension freezes. With the removal of these provisions, approximately 30,000 to 35,000 teachers in Puerto Rico will gain advantages, including many who are still active in the public sector and can access Social Security primarily from previous or secondary employment.”
The union leader observed that the new legislation was backed in Congress by multiple union organizations, among them the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), of which AMPR is a member. He pointed out that since 2022, the AMPR has engaged in various efforts to promote this legislative measure, including discussions with staff from the office of the then-resident commissioner and current governor, Jenniffer González Colón, lobbying in the U.S. Congress alongside the AFT, mass distributions of letters and emails to both congressional representatives and U.S. senators, a support initiative from educators’ families residing across various states, and written communication with the former executive director of the Federal Puerto Rico Affairs Administration in Washington.
“The retirement conditions of Puerto Rican educators have consistently been and will continue to be a priority for the AMPR,” Bonilla Sánchez expressed. “We sincerely appreciate the backing from AFT President Randi Weingarten and the principal sponsors in Congress of this new legislation, Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Garret Graves, Senators Sherrod Brown and Susan Collins, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer D-NY. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to President Biden, who is crafting history by signing this pivotal legislation for fundamental justice for millions of workers, including our teachers, before his term ends.”
