The union representing more than 1,300 employees at General Motors’ assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont. has ratified a two-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. On Aug. 3, 2025, employees hired on or after Sept. 17, 2013, and currently participating in the defined contribution pension plan will be enrolled in the Colleges of […]
After a two-year consultation period, the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities released its 2024 guideline for capital accumulation plans in September. With a focus on improving plan governance and member outcomes, the 2024 guideline significantly increases compliance responsibilities for CAP sponsors. Updated regulatory guidelines are rarely shorter than their predecessors and the 2024 CAP […]
While the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ updated capital accumulation plan guideline contains several key updates with regard to plan sponsor and member responsibilities, smaller plan sponsors may face administrative challenges in applying the guidance, says Jordan Fremont, a partner at Stikeman Elliott LLP’s pensions and benefits group. “Because [the guideline] is so detailed, I […]
Brianne Collins, age 29, has worked as a senior copywriter at a large Toronto-based advertising agency for just over a year. Collins’ agency supports employee financial wellness in several ways, including a group registered retirement savings plan, financial advice and Financial Literacy Month webinars with sessions covering various financial topics. “In busy day-to-day work, it’s […]
From 2016 to 2024, fewer plan members are confident they’ve saved enough for retirement. Indeed, Benefits Canada’s 2024 CAP Member Survey found plan members’ optimism that their retirement is on track declined to 56 per cent from 63 per cent in 2022, while three-quarters (73 per cent) said they’re worried they won’t have enough saved […]
The union representing more than 1,600 faculty, librarians, archivists and post-doctoral researchers at York University has ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes multiple benefits gains. The agreement includes an increase in coverage for eyeglasses from $850 to $935 every 24 months, as well as an increase for paramedical services from $3,000 to $3,200. In […]
The consolidation of firms within the pension and benefits industries could pose a threat because there’s less choice available in terms of service providers, says Susan G. Seller, a pension and benefits lawyer at Bennett Jones LLP. “I think the evolution of the services they offer . . . poses a particular challenge for employers […]
While lawsuits against Canadian capital accumulation plans are virtually non-existent, U.S. pension litigation holds several lessons for plan sponsors that are based north of the 49th Parallel. “We don’t have these lawsuits occurring [in Canada], but it does help us educate our [plan sponsor] clients in terms of what trends may be because whatever happens […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is urging the Ontario government to ensure its proposed amendment to the Succession Law Reform Act doesn’t introduce unintended confusion or ambiguities that would make it challenging for pension plan sponsors, administrators and trustees to carry out their duties. In an open letter, the ACPM said the language of the […]
Businesses that are planning to establish themselves in Quebec by way of expansion or acquisition should be aware of some unique aspects of the province’s pension and benefits laws. Employers are required to make a voluntary retirement savings plan available to their employees. In addition, provincial legislation prohibits ‘orphan’ or ‘grandfathering’ clauses that distinguish pension […]