California Pension Reform

[clifp]

As a rank-n-file labor worker, it's probably impossible to 'spike' the pension. There would have to be specific language in the contract. For me and my contract there is language that allows me to build up sick leave and use it as service credit towards retirement. I get 12 days of sick leave a year. 8 hours a day. Over a 30 year career, that could be up to a year's worth a service credit. Under the 2@55 program, that would add 2% to the pension. So a pension that paid out $3000 a month could have another $60 a month if a person wasn't sick often. I'd hardly call that spiking though. (I don't know anyone that saves up that much sick leave anyways...)
More likely, it's salary people who don't record sick leave but just take the day under the auspices of their salaried position. Labor is hourly and every hour is documented.
Overtime isn't part of any PERS retirement pension calculation I know of. Buying time back is, but the employee funds that 100%.

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The general approach to pension spiking is to cash in unused sick time (uncommon) and vacation time (common) and since the final pension is a based on the final years salary (more recently the average of highest 3 years) it can have a dramatic impact on the final pension. It was not unheard of for people to have 30-40% more income in their last year before retiring than the previous years. I believe you are right that PERS no long allows overtime or vacation to count. But I am pretty sure it was not that long ago circa 2000 the public safety employees were allowed to count both.