There is much confusion over what health and welfare benefit plans are available to Loblaw workers and who belongs to which plan. Your Union negotiating committee spends a lot of time at the bargaining table fighting for improvements on these benefits at each round of negotiations and we want to ensure that you know what you have.
Confused about benefits? Check out our overviews for members from Superstore, Extra Foods and No Frills.
Below is an outline of the various benefit plans and the qualifications needed to belong to these plans, We have also listed the links to the benefit plan and the details for more information on the coverage they provide and the contact information to get more details and to check on your status. It is important to use your benefit plans whenever possible to offset your health and welfare costs and expenses. It is also critical that you update your personal information if your dependants change, or you have a new address/phone number or email. Please contact the plans directly to update your information and to make sure that you have all the benefits you are entitled to the employer and the union are not permitted to share your personal information with the plans.
Dental Plan -MFCW
The dental plan is the same for all part time and full time union members. It is the MFCW Dental plan. You must work at least 12 hours per week for 12 weeks to gain eligibility for single coverage and 20 hours were week for 12 weeks for dependant coverage.
The details for this plan and the contact information can be found on our website under Forms.
https://ufcw832.com/members/benefit-forms/
UFCW Local 832/Westfair Benefit Plan – Health and Welfare Trust Fund
The Jointly trusteed Health and Welfare benefit plan is administered by PBAS (Prudent Benefits Administration Services) and is jointly managed by equal union and employer trustees. This benefit plan has two levels of benefits as follows:
Tier 1 – Covers all employees regardless of the amount of hours you work after 6 months of employment. It provides for vision care, prescription drugs, chiropractor, sick pay, travel health etc.
Tier 2 – Covers full time employees and those part time employees who have qualified by working 32 hours per week for 13 weeks. It provides vision care, prescription drugs, chiropractor, sick pay, travel health etc.
Please see the link to the information for this plan here under forms:
https://ufcw832.com/members/benefit-forms/
Manulife Benefits Full Time Employees
This benefit plan provides you with prescription drug coverage as well as Weekly Indemnity pay (also known as short term disability) and Long Term Disability Coverage. You get access the full plan document by clicking here.
Manulife Benefits Part Time Employees
Part time employees who have become eligible by working a minimum of 32 hour per week for 13 consecutive weeks, are eligible for the Manulife part time benefit plan. It provides prescription drug coverage and Weekly Indemnity pay (short term disability).
Company Paid Sick Days
Under Appendix A-1.02 of your collective agreement, you earn Company paid sick days as follows:
Full time – 4 hours of sick time for each full month of employment to a maximum of 20 days.
Part time – 4 hours of sick time for each four week reporting period in which you work 128 hours or more. (This equates to 32 hours per week)
Please contact your store bookkeeper to apply for the Company paid sick time or to find out how many hours of sick time you have.
Did you know there are two ways to become eligible for paid sick leave?
UFCW LOCAL832/WESTFAIR BENEFIT PLAN – HEALTH AND WELFARE TRUST FUND
APPENDIX A-9 page 122 and 123 of your agreement.
Benefit plan booklet available online at https://ufcw832.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2019-Booklet-October-1-FINAL.pdf
This is a jointly trustee’d Health and Welfare plan which is governed by a Board of Trustees, which is comprised of two representatives from the Company and two representatives from the Union. All part time employees who have worked a minimum of 6 months (regardless of the amount of hours they have worked) are eligible for Tier 1 coverage of this plan. Full time employees and those part time employees who have worked 32 hours or more for 13 consecutive weeks are eligible for Tier 2 coverage under this plan. Tier 2 employees who have not worked sufficient hours to get Weekly Indemnity under the CBA provisions and have used all their Company earned sick leave credits may be entitled to paid leave from the Tier 2 plan. Sick pay is paid at a flat rate and is paid for full and partial days of absence due to illness or non-work related injury.
$70.00 if your hourly rate of pay is $14.00 or less. $90.00 if your hourly rate of pay is $14.01 to $18.00. $110.00 if your hourly rate of pay is $18.01 or higher. For each day that you work less than half of a shift, the Benefit Plan will pay you one-half of the amount noted in the above table (whichever is applicable).
Sick pay claims must be submitted within 45 days following your first day off. Major Medical claims must be submitted no later than April 30 of the year following the year in which the expense or charge was incurred.
COMPANY PLAN – APPENDIX “A” SICK LEAVE
Pages 112 to 114 of your agreement:
Full-time employees accumulate 4 hours of sick pay for each month of employment. Part-time employees who have worked an average of 32 hours or more/week during any 13 consecutive week period and have qualified to be covered under this appendix, accumulate sick pay at the rate of 4 hours for each four week reporting period that they work more than 128 hours. Eligible employees can claim sick pay for full and partial shifts. If you are full-time or part-time and qualify under this appendix of your agreement, this is the first plan you apply to when you are absent from work due to illness or non-work related injury. Ask your store manager or bookkeeper for the form. If you are a part time employee, eligible under this appendix of the agreement, but have no accumulated sick leave credits earned or left in your Company sick bank, you may be eligible for sick pay under the UFCW Local 832/Westfair Benefit Plan Health and Welfare Trust Fund.
For more information contact UFCW Local 832/Westfair Trusteed Benefit Plan:
Phone: 204-982-6087
Toll free:1-877-982-6087
Email: winnipeg@pbas.ca
Questions or concerns, please contact your full-time Union Representative