A Jersey City man worked into his 90s for $18 an hour because a clerical error prevented him from claiming a pension

Luis Ramos was a well-known fig successful his Jersey City vicinity for decades. Ramos was the unofficial “Mayor of Ogden Avenue,” and spent astir 30 years taking attraction of Janet Moore Park, according to the Jersey City Times (1). Whether it was mowing lawns, planting flowers oregon greeting generations of families who passed done the assemblage greenish space, Ramos was there.

But portion helium faithfully showed up to enactment twelvemonth aft year, 95-year-old Ramos says helium was missing retired connected thing that could person changed his status dramatically: a pension. Now surviving with Alzheimer’s disease, Ramos learned helium whitethorn person qualified for pension benefits decades ago.

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The find has sparked ineligible action, prompting the metropolis to admit a historical enrollment nonaccomplishment and raised questions astir however galore workers could beryllium missing status benefits they’re entitled to receive.

A beingness of enactment with nary status benefits

Ramos was hired by Jersey City’s Public Works Department successful September 1995. According to his daughter, Miriam Romero, metropolis officials repeatedly told her begetter helium wasn’t eligible to enroll successful the state’s pension strategy due to the fact that helium was considered a seasonal employee.

Romero claims that employment records aboriginal showed helium was really classified arsenic a imperishable provisional worker arsenic of 1998, a presumption that should person qualified him for pension participation.

Ramos continued moving adjacent though his wellness was declining due to the fact that helium ne'er thought helium would person status benefits. Even aft the decease of his woman successful 2024, helium reportedly kept showing up for enactment earning astir $18 an hour.

“He kept moving and moving due to the fact that helium was told helium was not going to get a pension,” Romero said.

It wasn’t until his girl began digging done decades-old wage stubs and employment documents that she recovered what she believes was a costly mistake.

Using records her begetter had cautiously saved for years, Romero reconstructed his employment past and presented grounds that helium should person been enrolled successful the pension strategy agelong ago.

City officials accidental (1) they person agreed to wage the afloat $39,342 needed to bring Ramos’s Public Employees Retirement System relationship current, covering some worker and leader contributions. The metropolis has besides committed to providing premium-free wellness attraction benefits, though the household continues to prosecute further damages.