Retirement security has been a priority for generations of North Dakota educators and public employees. In 1911, members of the North Dakota Educational Association called for teacher pensions and a legislative proposal to establish them. The following year, the association appointed a committee to draft a bill and advocate for its passage, helping lay the groundwork for the retirement system established in 1913 that became today’s Teachers’ Fund for Retirement (TFFR). Historical sources: Proceedings of the Twenty-fifth Annual Session of the North Dakota Educational Association (1911), p. 58; Frank E. Vyzralek, Pensions for Pedagogues, pp. 2–5. Go to reference Public employees organized through the North Dakota State Employees Association — later the North Dakota Public Employees Association (NDPEA) — to help establish the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System (NDPERS) in 1966 and secure its conversion from a defined-contribution plan to a defined-benefit pension in 1977.
When NDEA and NDPEA merged to form North Dakota United in 2013, their members brought that shared commitment with them. Together, they continued organizing, contacting legislators and advocating for dependable retirement benefits. Those efforts helped defeat a proposal to close the NDPERS Main pension plan to new hires in 2021.
In 2023, however, the Legislature passed House Bill 1040, closing the Main defined-benefit plan to new employees effective Jan. 1, 2025. Existing pension participants remain in the plan, while newly enrolled employees generally enter a defined-contribution retirement plan. TFFR was not included in that closure.
Our work continues. NDU believes dependable pensions help recruit and retain the skilled workers our schools and public services need, while providing security after a career serving others. Protecting TFFR, safeguarding benefits earned by current employees and retirees, and strengthening retirement security for public employees all require members’ continued involvement. By organizing and holding lawmakers accountable, we can defend the progress earlier generations achieved and build greater security for those who follow.
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