Big Businesses Put Corporate Profits Over Workers’ Pensions
San Jose, CA – On July 19 Hewlett-Packard, or HP, one of the country’s largest computer makers, announced that they would cut almost 15,000 jobs and dismantle their workers’ pension program. HP said that it could increase its profits $300 million a year by ending pensions for all new workers and cutting pension payments for all but the oldest and most senior workers – and expanding their 401(k)retirement program instead. HP is just another big business to slash their workers’ pension plans. In 1979 over 60% of workers with retirement benefits had pensions, but now less than 13% do.