From MEA.org:

Right before the holiday break, the Office of Retirement Services (ORS) put out information regarding how refunds would be handled through local school districts for employees owed their 3 percent after our unanimous legal victory before the Michigan Supreme Court.

After more than seven years of waiting for a resolution to this case, some speed is finally appreciated. But MEA is also working to make sure these refunds are handled correctly so that every school employee who is owed money receives it. That’s why MEA and the other plaintiffs in the case have asked the trial court to require ORS develop guidelines consistent with court decisions for how this money should be returned.  This will keep school districts from handling questions inconsistently – and ensure those districts aren’t left to clean up the state’s mess after years of frivolous appeals in this case.

For many employees, the refund is simple – they worked during 2010-2012 in the same place they’re working today. But what about those who’ve retired? Or left the profession? Or died waiting for their money to be returned? Both school employees and school districts deserve clear answers about how to properly handle the return of this money to those who earned it – and MEA is working to ensure that happens.

Pending the court’s response to our request for ORS to work with us to develop those guidelines, there are two things you can be doing now to prepare for the refund:

1 Gather together any records you have that show exactly how much money was taken from 2010-2012 – particularly copies of your paycheck details that itemize funds taken from your check.

2 If you no longer work in the district where you were employed in 2010-2012, get in touch with them and ensure they have your up-to-date contact information. (And be sure to share that information with us at webmaster@mea.org as well so we can keep you informed of any developments.)