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IBEW 1574 |
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BENEFITS |
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February 1, 2009 To: All union employees of Northweste Inc. Please be advised that effective February 1st your Long Term Disability premiums will be decreasing. The technical rate will decrease from $55.00 per month to $45.65 The clerical rate will decrease from $44.00 per month to $36.52 If you have any questions whatsoever, please call the union office at 667-6552 and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Do not call the accounting department as the LTD insurance policy is administered by IBEW and the accounting department will not be able to answer your questions. Stephanie Fudge CanadianUnion Advantage Benfit Programs are changing the name to Union Savings. To access the many money saving benefit programs offered by Union Savings Benefit Programs go to the following websites. Union Savings Website: www.unionsavings.ca or www.cuabpunionsavings.com Union Affinity Credit Card Website: www.bmo.com/mosaik or www.unionsavings.ca Union Getaway Benfits Travel Plan: www.uniongetawaycanada.com or www.unionsavings.ca Union Mortgage Consulting Service: www.faf.ca or www.unionsavings.ca Union Advantage Accident Insurance Program: www.cuabpunionsavings.ca or www.unionsavings.com Union Legal Services Program: www.lawprotector.ca or www.unionsavings.com
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers LONG TERM DISABILITY Technical/Clerical employees of Northwestel Inc. Contract Number 22548 About this booklet The information in this employee benefits booklet is important to you. It provides the information you need about the group benefits available through your union’s group contract with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life), a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies. Your group benefits may be modified after the effective date of this booklet. You will receive written notification of changes to your group plan. The notification will supplement your group benefits booklet and should be kept in a safe place together with this booklet. If you have any questions about the information in this employee benefits booklet, or you need additional information about your group benefits, please contact your union office. Eligibility To be eligible for group benefits, you must be a resident of Canada and meet the following conditions: -you are a permanent employee. -you are actively working for your employer at least 20 hours a week. -you have completed the waiting period. There is no waiting period for your group plan. We consider you to be actively working if you are performing all the usual and customary duties of your job with your employer for the scheduled number of hours for that day. This includes scheduled non-working days and any period of continuous paid vacation of up to 3 months if you were actively working on the last scheduled working day. We do not consider you to be actively at work if you are receiving disability benefits or are participating in a partial disability or rehabilitation program. Enrolment You have to enrol to receive coverage. To enrol, you must request coverage in writing by supplying the appropriate enrolment information to your employer who will then forward this info to the union.. Normally, you request coverage within 31 days of becoming eligible for coverage. If you do not request coverage within this time limit, you will have to provide proof of good health at your own expense. When coverage begins Your coverage begins on the later
of the following dates: -the date your union receives your enrolment information for coverage. -the date Sun Life approves your proof of good health, if required. If you are not actively working on the date coverage would normally begin, your coverage will not begin until you return to active work. If there are additional conditions for a particular benefit, these conditions will appear in the appropriate benefit section later in this booklet. Changes affecting your coverage From time to time, there may be circumstances that change your coverage. For example, your employment status may change, or your employer may change the group contract. Any resulting change in the coverage will take effect on the date of the change in circumstances. The following exceptions apply if the result of the change is an increase in coverage: -if proof of good health is required, the change cannot take effect before Sun Life approves the proof of good health. -if you are not actively working when the change occurs or when Sun Life approves proof of good health, the change cannot take effect before you return to active work. Updating your records To ensure that coverage is kept up-to-date, it is important that you report any of the following changes to your employer: -change of dependents. -change of name. -change of beneficiary. When coverage ends As an employee, your coverage will end on the earlier of the following dates: -the date your employment ends or you retire. -the date you are no longer actively working. -the end of the period for which premiums have been paid to Sun Life for your coverage. -the date the group contract ends. The termination of coverage may vary from benefit to benefit. For information about the termination of a specific benefit, please refer to the appropriate section of this employee benefits booklet. Replacement coverage. The group contract will be interpreted and administered according to all applicable legislation and the guidelines of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association concerning the continuation of insurance following contract termination and the replacement of group insurance. Sun Life will not be responsible for paying benefits if an insurer under a previous group contract is responsible for paying similar benefits. If such legislation or guidelines require that Sun Life resume paying certain benefits because of a recurrence of an employee's total disability, Sun Life will resume payment at the same amount and for the remainder of the maximum benefit period. Making claims Sun Life is dedicated to processing your claims promptly and efficiently. You should contact your union office to get the proper form to make a claim. There are time limits for making claims. These limits are discussed in the appropriate sections of this employee benefits booklet. All claims must be made in writing on forms approved by Sun Life. No legal action may be brought by you more than one year after the date we must receive your claim forms or more than one year after we stop paying disability benefits. Proof of disability From time to time, Sun Life can require that you provide us with proof of your total disability. If you do not provide this information within 90 days of the request, you will not be entitled to benefits. Medical examination We can require you to have a medical examination if you make a claim for benefits. We will pay for the cost of the examination. If you fail or refuse to have this examination, we will not pay any benefit. Recovering overpayments We have the right to recover all overpayments of benefits either by deducting from other benefits or by any other available legal means. Definitions Here is a list of definitions of some terms that appear in this employee benefits booklet. Other definitions appear in the benefit sections. Appropriate treatment Appropriate treatment is defined as any treatment that is performed and prescribed by a doctor or, when Sun Life believes it is necessary, by a medical specialist. It must be the usual and reasonable treatment for the condition and must be provided as frequently as is usually required by the condition. It must not be limited solely to examinations or testing. Basic earnings Basic earnings are the salary you receive from your employer excluding any bonus, overtime or incentive pay. Doctor A doctor is a physician or surgeon who is licensed to practice medicine where that practice is located. Illness An illness is a bodily injury, disease, mental infirmity or sickness. Any surgery needed to donate a body part to another person which causes total disability is an illness. Retirement date If you are totally disabled, your retirement date is your 65th birthday, unless you have actually retired before then. We, our and us We, our and us mean Sun Life Assurance
Company of Canada. General description of the coverage Long-Term Disability coverage provides a benefit to you if you are totally disabled. You qualify for this benefit if you provide proof of claim acceptable to Sun Life that: -you became totally disabled while covered, and -you have been following appropriate treatment for the disability since its onset. For your Long-Term Disability coverage, -during the elimination period and the following 24 months (this period is known as the own occupation period), you will be considered totally disabled while you are continuously unable due to an illness to do the essential duties of your own occupation, and -afterwards, you will be considered totally disabled if you are continuously unable due to an illness to do any occupation for which you are or may become reasonably qualified by education, training or experience. If you must hold a government permit or licence to perform your own occupation and your permit or licence is withdrawn or not renewed solely for medical reasons, we will consider you totally disabled for up to 12 months after the end of the elimination period. You cannot be working other than in a Sun Life approved partial disability or rehabilitation program. Benefits are paid at the end of each month and are based on your coverage on the date you became totally disabled. If you are totally disabled for part of any month, we will pay 1/30 of the monthly benefit for each day you are totally disabled. When disability payments begin Your Long-Term Disability payments begin after you have been totally disabled for an uninterrupted period of 180 days or after the last day benefits are payable under any short-term disability, loss of income or other salary continuation plan, whichever is later. This period, which must be completed before disability benefits become payable, is the elimination period. If you become totally disabled during a lay-off or approved leave and your coverage continues during this time, you will be eligible for benefit payments following your recall or scheduled return to full-time work with your employer. You must have been totally disabled for an uninterrupted period of 180 days and still be totally disabled on the date you are recalled or scheduled to return to full-time work with your employer. What we will pay Here is how we calculate your Long-Term Disability payments. Step 1: $2,500 – for technical division Step 2: We subtract any income provided to you: -for the same or a subsequent disability under any government-sponsored plan, excluding dependent benefits, employment insurance benefits and automatic cost-of-living increases under any government-sponsored plan that occur after benefits begin. -for the same or a subsequent disability under any Workers' Compensation Act or similar law, excluding automatic cost-of-living increases that occur after benefits begin. -under a motor vehicle insurance plan which provides disability benefits to the extent that the law does not prohibit such a deduction. -under a group plan, including any coverage resulting from your membership in an association of any kind. -under a retirement or pension plan funded in whole or in part by the employer, as a result of your disability or a medical condition. The result from Step 2 is the amount you will normally receive. If this amount plus the above sources of income and all the additional sources of income listed below exceeds 85% of your pre-disability basic earnings, we will reduce your Long-Term Disability payment by the excess. If your benefit is non-taxable, the maximum will be 85% of your pre-disability basic earnings after income tax. Additional sources of income provided to you: ? under any government-sponsored plan on behalf of a dependent for the same and a subsequent disability, excluding employment insurance benefits or automatic cost-of-living increases under any government-sponsored plan that occur after benefits begin. ? under any Workers' Compensation Act or similar law for another disability, excluding any automatic cost-of-living increases that occur after benefits begin. ? under any Criminal Injuries Compensation Act or similar law, where allowed by law. If you are eligible for any of the income amounts above and do not apply for them, we will still consider them part of your income. We can estimate those benefits and use those amounts when we calculate your payments. If you receive any of the income amounts above in a lump sum, we will determine the equivalent compensation this represents on a monthly basis using generally accepted accounting principles. We will not take into account any benefits that began before your disability began. However, increases in those benefits as a result of your disability will be taken into account. We have the right to adjust your benefit payments when necessary. Partial disability program You may be required to participate in a partial disability program approved by Sun Life in writing. After you are eligible for Long-Term Disability payments, you may be considered for a partial disability program in which you return to your own occupation for a reduced number of hours per week. During your partial disability program, you can receive a salary from your employer for the hours worked. However, your Long-Term Disability payments will be reduced by the percentage of your normal work week that you are now working for your employer. During your partial disability program your total income from all sources cannot exceed 100% of your pre-disability basic earnings, indexed for inflation (less provincial and federal income taxes if your benefit is non-taxable). If this is the case, your Long-Term Disability payments will be further reduced by the excess. Your participation in a partial disability program will be limited to the own occupation period. Rehabilitation program You may be required to participate in a rehabilitation program approved by Sun Life in writing. It may include the involvement of our rehabilitation specialist, part-time work, working in another occupation or vocational training to help you become capable of full-time employment. Sun Life is under no obligation to approve or continue a rehabilitation program for an employee. We will consider such factors as financial considerations and our opinion on the merits of rehabilitation. During your rehabilitation program, you may receive your Long-Term Disability payments plus income from other sources. However, if during any month your total income is more than 100% of your pre-disability basic earnings, indexed for inflation (less provincial and federal income taxes if your benefit is non-taxable), your Long-Term Disability payments will be reduced by the excess. You should consider participating in a rehabilitation program as soon as possible after becoming totally disabled. If you enter a rehabilitation program during the elimination period, it will not be considered an interruption of the elimination period. Interrupted periods of disability during elimination period Interrupted periods of total disability due to the same or related causes occurring before the elimination period has been completed are treated as one period of disability and are accumulated to complete the elimination period as long as this benefit is in force and all of the following conditions are met: -the initial period of total disability lasts for at least 30 days without interruption. -afterwards, there is no interruption of more than 30 days. -each period of total disability is completed within 12 months after the start of the elimination period, or as approved by Sun Life in advance in cases where the elimination period is 365 days or more. The difference between your normal number of scheduled hours and the number of hours actually worked is credited towards the elimination period. If the Long-Term Disability benefit terminates, any balance of the elimination period must subsequently be completed by uninterrupted total disability. Interrupted periods of disability after payments begin If you had a total disability for which we paid Long-Term Disability benefits and total disability occurs again due to the same or related causes, we will consider it a continuation of your previous disability if it occurs within 6 months of the end of your previous disability. You must be covered when total disability reoccurs. These benefits will be based on your coverage as it existed on the original date of total disability. If you recover damages from another person We have the right to part of any money you recover through legal action or settlement from another person, organization or company who caused your disability. If you decide to take legal action, you must comply with the applicable terms of the group contract concerning legal action. If you recover money, you must pay us 75% of your net recovery or the total disability income benefits paid or payable to you under this plan, whichever is less. Your net recovery does not include your legal costs. Seventy-five percent of your net recovery must be held in trust for us. We have the right to withhold or discontinue disability income payments if you refuse or fail to comply with any of these terms. Your responsibilities During your total disability, you must make reasonable efforts to: -recover from your disability, including participating in any reasonable treatment or rehabilitation program and accepting any reasonable offer of modified duties from your employer. -return to your own occupation during the first 24 months that benefits are payable. -obtain training in order to qualify for another occupation if it becomes apparent that you will not be able to return to your own occupation within the first 24 months that benefits are payable. -try to obtain work in another occupation after the first 24 months that benefits are payable. -obtain benefits that may be available from other sources. If you do not, Sun Life may hold back or discontinue benefits. When payments end Your Long-Term Disability payments end on the earlier of the following dates: -the date you are no longer totally disabled. -the last day of the month in which you reach age 65. -the last day of the month in which you retire with a pension or are eligible to retire with a full pension or a full pension equivalent. -the last day of the month in which you die. When coverage ends Long-Term Disability coverage will end on the day you reach age 65 less the elimination period of 180 days or the day you retire, whichever is earlier. Payments after coverage ends If the Long-Term Disability benefit terminates while you are totally disabled, you are entitled to continue receiving payments, as long as your total disability is uninterrupted, as if the benefit were still in effect. What is not covered We will not pay benefits for any period: -you are not receiving appropriate treatment. -that you do any work for wage or profit except as approved by Sun Life. -you are not participating in an approved partial disability or rehabilitation program, if required by Sun Life. -you are on a leave of absence, strike or lay-off, except where specifically agreed to by Sun Life. -you are absent from Canada longer than 4 months due to any reason, unless Sun Life agrees in writing in advance to pay benefits during the period. -you are serving a prison sentence or are confined in a similar institution. We do not pay benefits if your disability results directly or indirectly from a condition which existed on or before the date your coverage began. However, this limitation will not apply to you if: -you have been covered for Long-Term Disability with your employer for at least 13 weeks during which you have been actively working continuously (up to 3 days of absence does not count) and you have not been treated by a doctor, or any medical personnel under the direction of a doctor, for the condition, or -you became totally disabled more than 12 months after your coverage began. If your coverage ends but you are covered again under this plan, we will use the latest date your coverage began when applying the above limitation. We will not consider you totally disabled if your disability results from drug or alcohol abuse. However, this limitation will not apply while you are participating in a Sun Life approved treatment program or you have an organic disease which would cause total disability even if drug and alcohol abuse ended. We will not pay benefits during a maternity and/or parental leave allowed by law or agreed to with your employer. Maternity leave agreed to with your employer will begin on the date you and your employer have agreed will be the start of your leave or the date the child is born, whichever is earlier. The leave will end on the date you and your employer have agreed that you will return to active, full-time work or the actual date you return to active, full-time work, whichever is earlier. Parental leave is the period of time that you and your employer have agreed on. We will not pay benefits for total disability resulting from: -the hostile action of any armed forces, insurrection or participation in a riot or civil commotion. -intentionally self-inflicted injuries or attempted suicide, while sane or insane. -participation in a criminal offence. When and how to make a claim To make a claim, complete the Notice of Claim for Group Long-Term Disability Benefits that is available from your union office. We must receive notice of claim on the earlier of the following dates: -60 days after the total disability begins. -within 30 days of the termination of this Long-Term Disability benefit. Part of the application process will include filling out claim forms that give us as many details about the claim as possible. You, the attending doctor and your employer will all have to complete claim forms. In order to receive benefits, we must receive these forms no later than 90 days after the end of the elimination period. We will assess the claim and send you, your union office and your employer a letter outlining our decision. From time to time, Sun Life can require that you provide
us with proof of your total disability. If you do not provide this information
within 90 days of this request, you will not be entitled to benefits.
COMPASSIONATE CARE BENEFIT NOW AVAILABLE Federal government will provide up to six weeks of coverage for those who qualify Recent changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) Act will help eligible employees who take a leave from work to care for a gravely ill or dying family member. The Compassionate Care benefit, available as of January 4, 2004, provides temporary support for up to six weeks for employees who qualify for EI, and who have: - worked 600 insured hours in the last 52 weeks While EI has made their compassionate care program available to all Canadians, employers need to consider the employment standards legislation that exists in each province and territory. Some provinces and territories – Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Yukon, Nunavut and Quebec – have introduced legislation that requires employers to provide job protection for employees in this type of family situation. In provinces and territories that don’t have such legislation in place, employers aren’t required to allow employees to partake in the EI compassionate care benefit. However, federally regulated employers must allow participation as the Canada Labour Code has been amended to provide consideration to compassionate care. Flexibility for family members The Compassionate Care benefit is designed to provide flexibility when caring for a family member. The benefit covers the caring of an employee’s spouse, child or parent, as well as a common-law partner, a child of the spouse or common-law partner, and the spouse or common-law partner of a parent. The ill family member doesn’t have to live in Canada. The six-week benefit can be divided among family members provided that everyone applies for the benefit and is eligible for it. For example, an employee and two other family members wanting to share in the care could each apply for two weeks of the benefit. Only one two-week waiting period would need to be served. Each caregiver could use his/her portion of the benefit at any time during the 26-week period specified as the critical period for the ill family member. When coverage ends The compassionate care period ends on the last day of the week in which one of the following occurs: - the family member dies, When setting the six-week benefit limit, the government considered medical information, best practices in the public and private sectors, and the fact that most Canadians who take time off from work to care for a gravely ill family member do so for six weeks or less. Impact on employers Employers may set up a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) plan in order to top-up an employee’s compassionate care benefit. Directions on how to set up a sub-plan can be found at http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/sub-psc/010_e.shtml . Impact on benefit plans There will be no impact on our contracts at this time. As to whether health and dental benefits can be continued during a compassionate care leave, the current leave of absence wording in your contract will apply. We’ll provide you with updates if and when other provinces and territories decide to introduce a similar benefit. We are also in the process of exploring SUB-plan options for plan sponsors. For more information on the Compassionate Care benefit, go to the Government of Canada Web site at http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/ei-ae/pubs/compassionatecare.shtml or contact your group benefits representative.
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