Employee Benefits Review

Local 2010 held several Employee Benefits Review Town Hall meetings over the summer of 2018, and uploaded all relevant documentation to our web site for review. This documentation will remain on our web site as reference material and includes details on:

• New Proposed Plan Design – Summary including Generic Substitution Details
• Physiotherapy and LTD Enrolment figures
• Registered Massage Therapy, Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), Registered Psychologist Information, and more.

August 2018

The University, in partnership with all eligible unionized and non-unionized groups on campus, formed the Multi-Employee Group Employee Benefits Committee, and began a review of our Employee Benefits Plan in May 2016.

As part of this review process USW held a special Benefits Review Update meeting in November 2016 with speakers from the university’s benefits consultant Mercer, University Management, as well as Alex McKinnon, our USW Benefits and Pension Specialist from the Canadian National Office.

Also in November 2016, the Employer circulated a Benefits Survey. The survey data was received from the Employer and USW conducted its own analysis of the data and then shared it with Members at a meeting held in February 2018.

Our benefits form part of our terms and conditions of employment with the University.  Any potential changes to our terms and conditions are subject to the process of collective bargaining and need to be recognized as such. Having said this however, a review of this magnitude would be difficult to undertake for both Local 2010 and the University in the midst of bargaining. As such, Local 2010 has been participating in this review process to date to ensure our Members’ interests are supported.

We are now at the conclusion of the review process and wish to share the details of the new Proposed Plan Design with our Members. We encourage Steelworkers to attend 1 of the Members-only Benefits Review Town Hall meetings that are scheduled (see below). The information shared will assist later in September when each USW Member votes to either ACCEPT the new Proposed Plan Design or REJECT it and continue with the Current Plan Design.