More delays won’t fix Canada’s retirement security crisis
May 26, 2015
Finance Minister Joe Oliver’s announcement today that he will “consult” Canadians on voluntary increased Canadian Pension Plan contributions shows the government is more worried about appearances than actually tackling Canada’s retirement security crisis, says Canada’s largest labour body. “We know through polling that an overwhelming majority of Canadians already support expanding the CPP through increased mandatory contributions,” said CLC president…
Are you looking forward to retirement, or worrying about ever being able to?
April 25, 2015
You can choose a more secure retirement for all workers. Solutions for A Better Future Canadians are worried about their retirement, and the number of seniors living in poverty in Canada is on the rise. As older workers near retirement age, many fear they won’t have enough money saved. For some, the investment returns they were promised never materialized. Others…
Overview and context Budget 2015 sticks closely to the federal government’s seven-year script of spending cuts, restrained investment and tax measures largely benefiting wealthy Canadians. The 2015 budget has been advertised as the return to balance after 7 years of deficits, a period of red ink prolonged by massive tax cuts that further weakened an already sluggish recovery and added…
Federal Budget 2015: Not the economic stimulus we needed
April 23, 2015
The Canadian Labour Congress says the federal budget does not deliver the economic stimulus Canadians needed to feel better about their future. “As expected, this is a pre-election budget, with lots of little gifts aimed at fending off critics and buying votes from certain constituencies,” said CLC president Hassan Yussuff. “It does not launch the economic stimulus Canadians need to…
Canada is heading for a crisis. Today, seniors make up about 16% of the population, but within a generation that number will grow to nearly 25%. Between now and 2022, over 3 million workers are expected to retire – but many of them already know they can’t afford to. The legacy of wages that barely keep pace with the cost…
Did you know senior women are twice as likely to live in poverty as men?
March 3, 2015
For too many women in Canada, retirement means only financial struggle. Senior women are twice as likely to live in poverty as men. 30% of elderly women on their own live below the poverty line. Women are far more reliant on OAS and GIS than men. In 2011, 30% of senior women's total income was from OAS and GIS, compared to only 18%…
5 ways we are working to improve retirement security
March 3, 2015
The labour movement has been securing workplace pension plans for Canadians for over 100 years. We’ve also led the efforts to improve public pensions for all Canadians, from winning Old Age Security in 1952 to calling for changes to the current Canada Pension Plan. Here is just some of the work we’re doing to improve retirement security for everyone: We’re…
December 3rd: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 3, 2014
December 3rd is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day when we celebrate the contributions of persons with disabilities in our communities, and commit to removing barriers and creating an inclusive and accessible society for all. Canadians with disabilities commonly face severe challenges finding adequate and secure incomes. People with disabilities have lower employment rates and higher rates…
Submission to the Department of Finance Consultation on a Potential Federal Framework for Target-Benefit Pension Plans The CLC submitted this proposal to the Department of Finance recently to provide input on the proposed federal framework. While we recognize the focused nature of the consultation, it raises fundamental concerns of plan beneficiaries’ rights under pension legislation and jurisprudence, funding requirements, plan…
Leaving No One Behind: Promoting a Society for All – the CLC celebrates National Seniors Day and the International Day of Older Persons
October 1, 2014
Leaving No One Behind: Promoting a Society for All is the theme of this year’s International Day of Older Persons commemorated on October 1. Since 2011 Canada has also marked this date as National Seniors Day, a day for Canadians to pay tribute to “the seniors who have helped build our country and continue to make valuable contributions to Canadian…