Good morning,
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend and are ready for the week ahead. Please note, the dental plan date for any new members; or members currently not enrolled in the dental plan and may with to do so. If you were enrolled last year, you will stay enrolled. Please also make note of the ERIP deadline in the Check-In and our meeting dates. Just a reminder that our next local meeting is next Wednesday at the Legion in Lower Sackville.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Enrollment into Dental Plan (New Members only)
New members who commence work prior to October 1st must contact Johnson Inc. and enroll no later than October 15th.
New members who commence work after October 1st must enroll within 31 days of commencing work.
ERIP (Early Retirement Incentive Program)
Any member who is retiring this year and interested in an Early Retirement incentive Plan (ERIP) must apply by December 31st. Any retiring teacher should reach out to the local’s NSTU executive staff officer, Wally Fiander, for details. The ERIP article (38) and explanation of the Plan (Appendix A) may be found in the Teachers’ Provincial Agreement (TPA) at the link below. The Appendix explains the application process, conditions and other pertinent information.
Teachers’ Provincial Agreement 2015-2019 (windows.net)
Meeting dates
The Halifax County Local General Meeting dates are as follows:
September 27
October 18
November 22
January 10
March 6
April 10
May 8
June 5
*Meetings are held at 6pm (5:30 supper) at the Legion in Lower Sackville.
It is in your Provincial/Regional Agreement
ARTICLE 50 TRAVEL ALLOWANCE
50.01 Teachers who must travel in the performance of their regular duties (which include a specific duty assigned by the Education Entity or a meeting called by the Education Entity or an Education Entity initiated in-service) shall be paid a travel allowance the greater of thirty-four (34¢) per kilometre or the current provincial government rate for those kilometres in excess of the round trip distance between the teacher’s residence and the school/site where the teacher teaches the greatest percentage of his/her time. If the teacher teaches an equal amount of time at more than one (1) school/site, then the school/site to be used in the calculation of travel allowance shall be the school/site closest to the teacher’s ordinary place of residence.
50.02 The parties to this Agreement shall encourage teachers to travel together when attending the same meeting/in-service when circumstances make it reasonably practicable.
NSTU Benefits at a Glance
Long Term Disability
Effective August 1, 2014 – the NSTU Long Term Disability Plan is mandatory for all members without the ability to opt out unless the following condition has been met:
- Plan member is age 65 or has 35 years of pensionable service less accumulated sick leave.
Cost Sharing
Under the Teachers’ Provincial Agreement/APSEA Agreement, the Employer cost shares monthly premium with members by paying 50%. Some members are grandfathered at 70% of the monthly cost.
Coverage
- 70% of gross monthly salary at time claim commences – taxable
- For long-term claims, benefit reduced by Workers’ Compensation and/or Canada Pension
- Rehabilitation benefit
- Cost-of-living benefit, outside the insurance contract
- Elimination period of 90 calendar days, or accumulated sick leave, whichever is greater
- Benefits payable to age 65
- Pension contributions are made by Member and Employer
Adjudicators
Adjudicated by Manulife Financial
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the above, please call the Administrator, Johnson Inc., at 453-9543 or 1-800-453-9543 (toll-free).
email: insurance@nstu.ca or nstu@johnson.ca
Visit the Johnson Inc. website: www.johnson.ca
In solidarity,
Shawn Hanifen