They pulled that carp here too.
The state, instead of funding the pension plan as they were obligated to by contract, used the money for the general fund. Then the economy collapsed and they decided that they would make everyone go under a new pension system from that day forward. Anyone who didn't want in on the new plan, who had enough time in could retire and take their agreed upon plan.

Massive numbers of workers filed for retirement to keep their pensions. Then there was no "institutional memory" since no one who knew what was going on was left. So the state had to hire back retired workers at their old pay and still pay them their retirements...

They decided to use the news to generate public support against the "corrupt, bloated state workers who are stealing taxpayers futures" without mentioning that it was their failed policy and the theft of the funds they should have been banking all along that got them into this mess...and the uneducated sheep who cannot think for themselves believed the propaganda, because if you say it loud enough and long enough, they will believe whatever you tell them. Then they used the misdirected hatred to go after the health care those same workers were guaranteed under their contracts, to turn people against the unionized workers, and have created a division in my state that may never heal, and no, it's not Wisconsin.

I truly believe that if we do not stop yelling at each other and allowing "faux news" channels and loudmouthed shills to pump up lies, we are done. There is no longer any compromise or negotiating at the federal, state or local levels of government. It's all out free for all fighting and nothing is getting done. Your elected officials are either right or left and there is no middle ground at all, which is where the majority of American people actually sit when it comes to politics. It's neighbor against neighbor and there isn't even a veil of civility, it's out of control, and somehow it's become ok to be the people those disgusting loudmouths on television need to stay on the air and in power.

The people who are suffering are the people who got up every day and went to work and did their job, believing that they had an agreement that would ensure their hard work for the public sector would be rewarded with a small pension and health care.