Any individual who is permanently employed twenty (20) or more hours per week by the Town of Winthrop or the Winthrop Housing Authority shall become a member of the Winthrop Retirement System (“System”).  In addition to the foregoing, an individual or elected official must earn at least $5,000 per year in regular compensation to be eligible for membership in the System. 

Any member purchasing past non-membership service shall have said service prorated based on 150 hours being the equivalent of 1 month of creditable service.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any member who works part-time his/her entire career, and purchases past part-time service rendered, will have all membership service deemed to be full time.  Members may purchase past membership service without limitation except as noted herein, with the lone exception to be seasonal service rendered in Winthrop shall be capped at one (1) year of service. 

G.L. c. 32, § 3(5) provides, in pertinent part:

[A]ny member of any system who rendered service in any governmental unit other than that by which he is presently employed, in a temporary, provisional, or substitute position and who was excluded from membership by the rules of any board, may, before the date any retirement allowance becomes effective for him, pay into the annuity savings fund of the system … an amount equal to that which would have been withheld as regular deductions from his regular compensation for such previous period … had such service been rendered in the governmental unit by which he is presently employed and in a position subject to the provisions of this chapter … Upon the completion of such payments such member shall receive the same credit for such period of his previous intrastate service … as would have been allowed if such service had been rendered by him in the governmental unit by which he is presently employed. Such member shall furnish the board with such information as it shall require to determine the amount to be paid and the credit to be allowed under this subdivision.

December 17, 2003

A full year for a Winthrop School Department employee who is a member of the Winthrop Retirement System shall consist of the school year of approximately 180 workdays.  For all other employee-members of the Winthrop Retirement System, a full year of creditable service shall be based upon the calendar year. 

July 19, 1999

Rules & Regulations

DEFINITION OF A FULL YEAR  A full year of employment shall be credited with a full year of creditable service. Work of less than a full year shall be credited pro‑rata to the appropriate full year. A full year of employment shall be deemed to be year of work at a job in which no other hours in a week are available to perform said job.

ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP Full-Time (35 or more hours per week) Employees who work at least 35 hours per week will become members of the retirement system as of their date of employment and will be deemed full-time employees.

Part-time (24 to 34.999 hours per week) Employees who work 24 to 34.999 hours per week after six months of employment will become members of the retirement system and will be deemed part-time employees.

This Board shall have full jurisdiction to determine eligibility of employees for membership in all cases involving part‑time, provisional, temporary, temporary provisional, seasonal or intermittent employment or service.

Work of a seasonal nature shall be credited as one year of service for at least seven calendar months of work.

ENROLLMENT  Every employee who is eligible to become a member of the Winthrop Retirement System must complete the necessary enrollment and beneficiary forms, including a birth certificate and, if a veteran of the armed forces, a military service discharge or its equivalent.

Elected officials may enroll within 90 days after the date of assuming office. If they do not enroll during that period, they waive eligibility for membership in the system for that term of office.

All references to full-time employment or a full year or similar terms in these regulations shall be deemed to be governed by their definitions.

CREDIT FOR PART‑TIME SERVICE FOR WORK WHILE A MEMBER IN SERVICE: Full Year Credit: Part‑time work shall be credited as a full year of service for a full year of work, work of less than a full year shall be credited pro-rata.

CREDIT FOR PART‑TIME SERVICE PRIOR TO MEMBERSHIPWithin one year of becoming a member of the Winthrop Retirement System, each person shall file a statement detailing all service for which he claims credit towards retirement in this system.

1/2 credit shall be allowed for buy‑back of less than 24hours per week for a full year.

BENEFITS TO CHILDREN OF RETIREES  Benefits will be paid in accordance with G.L. c. 32 secs. 7, 9, and 12 option d and 12B.  Each year by September 1, proof of enrollment in an accredited educational institution must be presented for every child over age 18 in order to receive additional benefits as provided by law.

March 11, 1996

Rules & Regulations

3/11/96  -A letter was mailed to the Winthrop Board requesting that the Board re-draft the proposed rules as reflected in PERAC’S comments and re-submit the entire set of proposed rules including those which we have indicated are acceptable as drafted.  11/12/98 D.G.