Retirement Security

Fewer employers today provide defined-benefit pensions for their workers—and among those that do, many are offering “defined-contribution” (like 401[k]s) rather than traditional “defined-benefit” pension plans.

That’s why Social Security insurance is essential for millions of retirees. Nearly two-thirds of retirees count on Social Security for half or more of their retirement income and for more than three in 10, Social Security is 90 percent or more of their income. It is a safety net that keeps retirees out of poverty.

It’s also important to figure out what you will need to retire. Talking a look at how much Social Security will provide, whether you have another form of pension and how much you spend are all components in determining when you can retire.

For decades, workers achieved retirement security because their retirement income flowed from a combination of employer-provided pensions, Social Security and personal savings. But the recession has exposed the severe deficiencies in our retirement system. We need to develop a new way to provide workers with lifetime retirement security beyond Social Security.

More about this issue:

Mar 10

Join #CUNYRising for a rally, march, and meeting to call for investments in CUNY students, faculty, and staff.

Mar 15

Join thousands of workers from across the state as they converge on the Capitol Building in Albany, NY to demand a $15 minimum wage.

 

Transportation will be provided as necessary, please click the link below to reserve a seat.

Feb 19

To NYC labor, immigrant rights activists, students and all defenders of workers’ rights: The owners of Bröd Kitchen are going all out in their drive to break the workers’ union, firing the union president and moving to decertify the union. This is an attack on all of us.

Jan 27

Stand with the News Guild of New York for a rally to save El Diario.

Jan 7, 2016 | Press Release

“Mayor de Blasio’s proposal is a real step forward in ensuring that New York City’s working men and women have the tools they need to help with the rising costs of everyday living expenses in our city,” said Vincent Alvarez, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Jan 13

The state legislature can pass a statewide $15 in 2016 – but they need to feel the pressure from people across the state who know that an $8.75 minimum wage isn't enough to live on.

Take a stand against poverty wages in New York on January 13!

Dec 14, 2015 | News Story

New York, NY - The AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust (HIT) announced a partnership with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO and a coalition of unions, area churches and developers known as the United Cl

Dec 4

Since Fall 2014, a strong majority of more than 3,000 research and teaching assistants (RAs and TAs) have consistently signed up in support of GWC-UAW as their union.  In December 2014, more than 200 RAs and TAs assembled to demand that Columbia respect the choice of RAs and TAs by agreeing to a

Nov 10, 2015 | News Story

Today, one year from 2016 Presidential Election Day, workers gathered in Downtown Brooklyn to call for “$15 and a Union.”  Representatives of unions including 32BJ SEIU, 1199 UHWE, TWU Local 100, RWDSU, Workers United, CWA District 1, CWA Local 1109, Teamsters 814, Ironworkers Local 40, Teamsters

Nov 6, 2015 | News Story

On Wednesday, 54 CUNY faculty and professional staff, members of the Professional Staff Congress (AFT#2334), were arrested while demanding a contract that will help CUNY retain excellent professors, ensuring a quality education for the 500,000 CUNY students across the city.