Securing Your Retirement, AFSCME Style

Six things to fight for at the bargaining table and in the legislature.

1. Pay Equity. On average, where a man earns a dollar, a woman earns 71 cents. With pensions, Social Security and the ability to save based on salary, it's no wonder so many elderly women end up in poverty.

2. Automatic COLAs. Otherwise known as cost-of-living adjustments, COLAs help your pension payments keep up with inflation. Many pension plans don't have them.

3. Pension Protections. While private-sector pension plans are protected by federal regulations, the public sector has no such protections.

4. Uniform Vesting Schedules. While the federal government requires that most workers be fully entitled to contributions made to their private-sector pension plans within five years, public plans often require longer vesting schedules.

5. Pension Coverage for Part-Time Workers. When part-timers don't get their fair share of benefits, they and their families suffer, and wages are driven down for everyone.

6. Retiree Health Care. Gaps in Medicare coverage mean that health care can be a major expense for retirees. Be sure your employer pays at least a portion of the cost of a plan to supplement Medicare -- this could mean big savings during your retirement.