Improved benefits and pensions are needed for wildland firefighters amid the unprecedented amount of wildfires in Canada this year, says Bert Blundon, president of the National Union of Public and General Employees. “Firefighters have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, mental-health concerns and cancer. That last one is the main source of contention for wildland […]
B.C. Transit’s Fraser Valley bus drivers are joining the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology’s DBplus pension plan. After a strike action that lasted 124 days earlier this year, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 561 secured a new six-year contract agreement for its 213 members who work in the communities of Abbotsford, Agassiz-Harrison, […]
The union representing employees at Community Support Centre-Northwest in Dryden, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes retirement savings and benefits gains. The agreement includes a new group registered retirement savings plan with a 100 per cent employer match when employees contribute up to four per cent to the plan. It also includes four […]
An article on how Yellow Corp.’s bankruptcy will impact Canadian workers’ pensions was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Yellow bankruptcy will have little impact on Canadian workers’ pensions: union 2. FSRA appoints Andrew Fung as EVP of pensions 3. Wildfires crystallizing threats of catastrophic […]
The union representing roughly 350 Canadian employees at Tennessee-based Yellow Corp. says the trucking company’s abrupt closure will have little to no impact on Canadian workers’ pensions. According to a spokesperson at Teamsters Canada, Yellow’s Canadian employees are enrolled in one of four defined benefit pension plans — all of which are fully or almost […]
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4554 at Memorial University and the university’s students’ union are ratifying a new four-year collective agreement that includes improvements to employees’ benefits and pay. The agreement includes a new fertility treatment clause that provides time off and financial support for employees seeking treatment, since there’s a lack of fertility […]
The union representing employees at Montreal-based Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd. has ratified a five-year agreement that includes retirement and benefits gains. The new agreement includes an early retirement program that allows employees to retire without penalty at the agreed upon time in the second and fourth year, starting at age 58 and meeting the factor […]
The Quebec Court of Appeal has ruled the province’s Bill 15, which substantially modified municipal sector pension plans, is unconstitutional with respect to retirees but justified for active plan members. The legislation, which was passed in 2014, adopted a cost-sharing formula for plans and plan deficits, established a shared-cost stabilization fund and put an end […]
The union representing more than 250 employees at Woodbridge Foam Corp. in Woodbridge, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. The agreement includes the introduction of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology’s DBplus pension plan at a two per cent employer match. It also increases annual vision coverage from […]
The University of Toronto is supporting employee well-being with enhanced gender affirmation coverage. Heather Boon, acting vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture at U of T, says the coverage was negotiated in several of its recent collective agreements and is also available to non-union employees. “Gender affirmation coverage is being provided to help support […]