A proposed settlement over Rhode Island's 2011 pension overhaul was rejected Monday by one of the groups voting on it, said Joy Fox, a spokeswoman for state Treasurer Gina Raimondo.
Police union members, one of the six groups that have to approve the proposal, rejected it with 61% voting against the settlement.
“For over a year, the governor and treasurer participated in good faith in court-ordered mediation leading up to the Feb. 14 settlement agreement. This morning, in court, we learned the results of the first round of voting from the plaintiffs,” Ms. Fox said in an e-mailed statement. The statement added that the state “will continue to participate in this court-ordered mediation.” The court has ordered all parties back into mediation.
The settlement, the details of which can be found online, was issued in February.
The plaintiffs, which include public employee unions and retiree coalitions, sued to block a 2011 overhaul, which created a hybrid plan, raised retirement ages and suspended cost-of-living increases as a cost-savings measure. The lawsuit has been the subject of closed-door mediation since 2012.
