The PERS system is made up of 4 tiers, the first three are pensions and the 4th is a defined contribution which is a 401. State and municipal employees do not recieive social security. The PERS system is also protected by the state constitution which is a good thing for retirees who held up their end of the deal by putting in 20-30 years of service at lower wages than what they could have earned in the private sector. 

in general I'm so tired of reading posts from people who think the state employees have it so good. Apply for a fricking state job then! They are hiring all the time.