This is a crosspost by AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Lee Saunders from Huffington Post.

Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal, the Pravda of the 1 percent, is at it again, continuing its push to gut the retirement security of millions of middle class workers across the country while enriching the Wall Street moneymen who just three years ago took our economy over the cliff.

Hostess Brands, the company that has brought us such iconically American snacks as Twinkies, yesterday filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time since 2004. But the move does more than affect our universal sweet tooth—it has vast repercussions for some 5,000 workers, members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM).

NNU Communications Director Chuck Idelson sends us this report.

Thousands of nurses from National Nurses United (NNU) along with other union members and allies held rallies in six cities across the country today to support the nearly 2 million British workers striking in the United Kingdom.

The city of New York helps out taxpayers and retired public employees by sticking with a traditional defined-benefit pension plan rather than a 401(k) model, according to a new report issued by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS). According to the NIRS release describing the report, ”A Better Bang for New York City’s Buck,” which was commissioned by New York City Comptroller John C. Liu:

New York City’s defined-benefit pension plans can deliver the same retirement income at a nearly 40 percent lower cost than a defined contribution 401(k)-type individual account.

A new study finds that defined-benefit pension plans are not only preferred by state employees, but  more cost efficient for state governments than defined-contribution plans like 401(k)s.

Former President Bill Clinton yesterday singled out the efforts of the union movement in creating massive numbers of jobs through union pension fund investments. Speaking yesterday at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), Clinton praised the AFL-CIO and AFT for already providing $1 billion in pension fund investments to improve infrastructure and increase energy efficiency. (Watch the video of the event here. )

The AFL-CIO today is announcing a major “commitment to action” to bring public and private partners together to encourage both workers’ capital and skilled labor to promote large-scale investments in America’s infrastructure.

More than 7,000 Michigan workers, students, seniors and others rallied against Gov. Rick Snyder’s (R) proposed budget that cuts corporate taxes by $1.7 billion but raises taxes for low-income families, cuts $900 million from education, taxes pensions and slashes vital services.

Thousands of Michigan workers, students, seniors and others are heading for the state capitol in Lansing today for a massive rally against Gov. Rick Snyder’s (R) proposed budget that cuts $900 million from education, taxes pensions, raises taxes for low-income families and slashes vital services–all while, cutting business taxes by $1.7 billion.

Some 15,000 Maryland teachers, government workers and other public employees rallied and marched in Annapolis last night to protect public school funding and workers’ health and retirement security. Bills before the state legislature call for big cutbacks in all three.