The union representing more than 5,200 Air Canada pilots has ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes multiple benefits gains, avoiding a possible strike. The agreement includes physiotherapy coverage of up to $5,000 a year per plan member and lifetime coverage for fertility drugs up to $10,000. Employees will also have a choice between $500 […]
Overseeing the transition of a single-employer pension plan to a jointly sponsored one felt at times like launching a startup firm, according to Theo Heldman, chief financial officer and vice-president of risk at the Workplace Insurance and Safety Employee Trust, speaking during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Risk Management Conference. “There was […]
The union representing 60 employees at Maple Leaf Foods in Port Perry, Ont., has ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. Vision coverage will increase from $280 to $315 in the first year and coverage for paramedical services will increase from $380 to $410 in the first year and to $420 […]
An article on why employers that mandate onsite work could see increased employee turnover was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Employers mandating onsite work may see exodus of skilled employees: expert 2. 69% of Canadian workers experiencing symptoms […]
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 […]
An article on how national dental-care and pharmacare programs will impact unionized employees was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. How national dental-care, pharmacare programs will impact unionized employees 2. Survey finds 56% of Canadian workers reporting reduced productivity […]
A recent Quebec Superior Court decision has unleashed uncertainty over the liabilities of companies and their directors when a pension deficit appears in the context of a reorganization. The court authorized a group of defined benefit pension plan members to proceed with a $65 million class action against companies involved in a 2011 reorganization. The […]
The Canada Dental Care Plan will help make dental services more accessible for unionized employees who don’t currently have a dental program within their contract, says Sandeep Kakan, director of pension governance at Unifor. Kakan, who until recently was the union’s director of pension and benefits, says the new program has established a standard from which […]
With many Canadian defined benefit pension plans in a strong funded position, plan sponsors, particularly those with unionized workforces, are increasingly discussing the use of surplus funds, says Gavin Benjamin, a partner in the retirement and benefits solutions practice at Telus Health. The funded position of a typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan rose on […]
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 […]