Town Hall on Retirement Security Crisis Promotes Increasing CPP Contributions

EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Nov. 25, 2014) - Students, retirees and community members gathered at a town hall meeting on Monday evening to discuss how expanding the CPP is the best way to end the pension crisis currently facing people in Edmonton and across the country. Panelists Aliza Dadani, student at Concordia University College of Alberta, and Frank Horwath, member of the Seniors Task Force of Public Interest Alberta were united in their support for an expanded CPP.

"Many Albertans don't have adequate pensions or savings for their retirement and data shows that government's voluntary or free market approaches aren't working," said Horwath.

Here in Edmonton, 93% of those 65 or older had income from CPP in 2012, while only 8.1% had income from an RRSP. 30% of seniors in Edmonton received income from social assistance.

"Employers can afford a gradual, phased-in increase of CPP contributions, and the time to do it is now," said Hassan Yussuff. "Canada can't afford not to do this."

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.

Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca.

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