New York delays payment to state workers’ retirement fund; benefits unaffected, says official

October 15th, 2009 Social Security to make it official: No COLAWASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration makes it official Thursday: There will be no cost of living increase for Social Security recipients next year, the first year without one since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975. The announcement comes as President Barack Obama and key members of Congress call for a second round of $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors, veterans, retired railroad workers and people with disabilities.

October 13th, 2009 NY court hears case against gay marriage benefitsALBANY, N.Y. — A Christian legal group seeking to stop New York agencies from recognizing same-sex marriages performed outside the state argued in the state's highest court Tuesday that the practice amounts to a policy decision that requires approval by lawmakers.

October 8th, 2009 Senate Democrats reach deal on extending benefitsWASHINGTON — Senate Democrats said Thursday they have reached a deal to extend unemployment insurance benefits to the nearly 2 million jobless workers across the country who are in danger of running out of assistance by the end of the year. The agreement would give an additional 14 weeks of benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states.

October 6th, 2009 Safeway, King Soopers workers reject contractDENVER — A union representing Colorado grocery workers says members statewide have voted to reject the latest contract offers from Safeway and the Kroger Co.'s King Soopers and City Market chains. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 said Tuesday that Safeway workers also voted to reauthorize a strike if the company doesn't offer better wages and retirement benefits.

September 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Wednesday entered into a Social Security Agreement with Luxembourg to provide benefits to Indian nationals working in the European country. The agreement, signed by Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, who is on a tour to Luxembourg, and Mars di Bartolomeo, Luxembourg's minister for social security, comes after negotiations held here last year.

September 23rd, 2009 La. unemployment taxes to rise, benefits to dropBATON ROUGE, La. — A rise in the ranks of Louisiana's unemployed will force business taxes to increase and state benefits for jobless workers to shrink next year, moves designed to keep the state's unemployment trust fund from being drained.

September 15th, 2009 House votes to prevent Postal Service shortfallWASHINGTON — The House voted Tuesday to let the struggling U.S. Postal Service cover a budget shortfall by reducing its annual payment to a health care fund for retirees by $4 billion.

September 5th, 2009 Obama expands workers' retirement savings optionsWASHINGTON — The government is trying to make it easier for Americans to save for retirement, President Barack Obama said Saturday, as he noted the toll the recession has taken on extra income and savings accounts. One initiative will allow people to have their federal tax refunds sent as savings bonds.

June 23rd, 2009 GM to cut 4,000 more white-collar jobs by year endDETROIT — About 4,000 more salaried workers at General Motors Corp. will lose their jobs by the end of the year as the automaker continues to downsize.

May 29th, 2009 NY pension fund takes more than 26 percent hitALBANY, N.Y. — New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says the state's massive public pension fund lost more than 26 percent on its investments during a fiscal year marked by Wall Street's meltdown and the recession.

May 14th, 2009 Judge denies Chrysler retirees' motionNEW YORK — A judge says there isn't sufficient cause to form a committee of Chrysler's retired white collar workers to take part in the automaker's bankruptcy proceedings. U.S. Judge Arthur Gonzales on Thursday denied the National Chrysler Retirement Organization's motion without prejudice, meaning that attorneys for the group can return to make their request again if circumstances change.

May 13th, 2009 Social Security, Medicare dwindling in recessionWASHINGTON — Social Security and Medicare are fading even faster under the weight of the recession, heading for insolvency years sooner than previously expected, the government warned Tuesday. Medicare already is paying out more money than it receives, something that happened for the first time last year.

May 8th, 2009 Political agents get subpoenas in NY pension probeNEW YORK — Investigators probing influence peddling at the state pension fund have subpoenaed a number of politically connected New Yorkers who picked up big paychecks lobbying former officials at the retirement fund. State officials on Wednesday released a list of dozens of agents who acted as middlemen between investment firms and pension fund officials during the tenure of former comptroller Alan Hevesi.

March 1st, 2009 BHOPAL - The Madhya Pradesh government would implement the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission with effect from January 2006, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. Chouhan said the benefits of the Pay Commission's recommendations will be payable to state government employees with effect from January 1, 2006, and added it would benefit around five lakh (500,000) state government employees, according to an official statement Saturday.

January 27th, 2009 SRINAGAR - Nearly 400,000 employees of the Jammu and Kashmir government Wednesday observed a day-long strike demanding extension of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations in the state. Work in various state government offices remained paralysed due to the strike call by the employees' joint co-ordination committee.