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 15, 2017 | News Story

This week, the National AFL-CIO announced the start of a new comprehensive campaign to help protect union jobs.

Mar 3, 2017 | News Story

March is Women's History Month, and we would like to honor women in union leadership.

Mar 3, 2017 | News Story

Workers at the Sims Municipal Recycling plant in Brooklyn have vote to join Teamsters Local 210.

Feb 17, 2017 | News Story

This week, DC 37 posted an

Jan 17, 2017 | Press Release

Vincent Alvarez, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, released the following statement regarding Transport Workers Union Local 100's tentative contract agreement:

Dec 2, 2016 | News Story

This week, TWU Local 100 announced an arbitration ruling that helps secure pension parity for more than 2,000 bus drivers.

Jul 21

Workers at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City have been on strike since July 1.  Join these workers in Atlantic City to show your support and stand up for good wages and benefits!

 

Jul 1, 2016 | News Story

This week the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) rejected a request to rehear the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case, which received a 4-4 ruling from the court in March of this year.

Jun 17, 2016 | News Story

Today, CWA announced that the roughly 40,000 union members along the East Coast who had been on strike for 49 days have ratified new contracts.

Jun 10, 2016 | News Story

The NewsGuild of New York, CWA recently launched a new “What El Diario Means to Me” campaign, to highlight the importance of the hometown paper. El Diario is the nation’s oldest Spanish-language daily newspaper, and many New Yorkers utilize the paper as an important source of local news.