With our new collective agreement, a number of temporary employees at the CBC now qualify for participation in various benefit plans because they have worked longer than thirteen consecutive weeks at CBC.

However, they have not yet been added to the plans.

CBC has advised that it is having several difficulties implementing the new plan. These problems include sorting out who qualifies with our benefits providers and ensuring the right systems are in place for putting these temporaries on benefits and removing them from benefits if and when they leave.

The CBC says it is working on these problems and hopes to resolve them shortly. The Corporation is also planning on sending out an information update about this shortly.

The CBC agreed that the benefits should be available retroactively for those temporaries who qualify. Keep your medical receipts to claim expenses when you join the plans.

Here’s what the collective agreement says when it comes to benefits for temporary employees:

27.5.10
Temporary employees hired for a period of more than thirteen (13) weeks or who work longer than thirteen (13) continuous weeks will:

a. subject to any restrictions contained in various benefit plans or legislation, enjoy the benefit plans related to this Collective Agreement, prorated for time worked;

b. be treated in accordance with the Short Term Disability/Long Term Disability (STD/LTD) provisions of this Collective Agreement;

c. not have to requalify for supplementary health benefits if they are re-engaged within a thirteen (13) week period following their previous engagement, subject to the provisions of the plan;

d. receive an amount in lieu of pension equivalent to the Corporation’s current service cost contributions to the pension plan for permanent employees. Should the employee meet the Corporation’s pension plan eligibility criteria and opt to join the plan, any compensation paid in lieu of pension shall immediately cease.