Social security

This summer, Social Security celebrated its 86th birthday. Although Social Security is part of the foundation that has helped put many retirees on the path to a secure retirement, the program has been under attack in recent years. Politicians have pushed for radical changes to the program, including raising the age of eligibility.

AFT retirees have worked in coalition with groups such as the Alliance for Retired Americans and Social Security Works to fight these attacks—rallying in opposition to a proposed reduction to the program’s cost-of-living increase, meeting with elected officials to discuss the needs of current and future retirees, and supporting legislation that seeks to strengthen and expand Social Security. The AFT is also among a number of unions and organizations calling on Congress to fully fund the Social Security Administration’s budget to restore services and keep field offices open.

At this year’s AFT convention in Boston, delegates approved a resolution that states that the AFT will support efforts at the state and national levels to improve and build upon the federal Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs.