Town Hall on Retirement Security Crisis Promotes Increasing CPP Contributions

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 28, 2014) - Young workers, retirees and community members gathered at a town hall meeting on Thursday evening to discuss how expanding the CPP is the best way to end the pension crisis currently facing people in Ottawa and across the country. Panelists Del Dixon, PIPSC retiree, Gabriel Bourdon, PSAC young worker, and Gisele Bouvier, Vanier ACORN member, were united in their support for an expanded CPP.

"Many young workers struggle to find a decent job. How can we ever hope to have a decent retirement?" said Bourdon.

Bouvier pointed out that for people living in poverty, retirement planning is entirely out of reach. "Nasty surprises happen in life that can leave you penniless and forced to start over. Do I take a minimum-wage, part-time job away from a young worker or do I hope to die earlier than my projected life expectancy so my life savings can carry me through?" she asked.

Here in Ottawa, 90% of those 65 or older had income from CPP in 2012, while only 10% had income from an RRSP.

"There's something fundamentally wrong with a system that allows people to live in poverty after a life of work," said CLC President Hassan Yussuff. "We need to help those who helped build this country."

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada's national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 111 district labour councils.

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