FINANCIAL PRESSURES ON THE ETFO-ELHT
When it initially negotiated funding for the ETFO-ELHT during the 2014 round of bar- gaining, the Federation’s primary objective was to have a standardized benefits plan that would offer sufficient coverage to meet most eligible members’ needs. After that funding was negotiated, decisions were made to ex- pand access to benefits and address existing coverage issues, while maintaining the long- term sustainability of the plan. Attempting to meet these multiple (and
sometimes competing) objectives has put some financial pressures on the ETFO- ELHT. One of the biggest pressure points is that there are ETFO members who are eli- gible to receive benefits under the terms of the ETFO-ELHT, but the ETFO-ELHT does not receive funding from the government to cover the cost of their benefits.
LONG-TERM OCCASIONAL TEACHERS
A long-standing goal for ETFO has been to strive to improve entitlements for occasional teacher members, who represent some of the lowest paid members of the Federation. To move forward on that goal, a decision was made in 2015 to expand benefits eligibility, which meant that more long-term occasion- al (LTO) teachers are able to access benefits through the ETFO-ELHT. For example, the ETFO-ELHT provides
occasional teachers with LTO assignments greater than 90 days (or shorter in some lo- cals, depending on local collective agreement language) with access to paid benefits. This is the case even though the terms negotiated during the 2014 round of bargaining don’t require benefits for LTO assignments. This scenario has contributed to some fi-
nancial pressure on the Teacher/Occasional Teacher benefits plan that was not envisioned when the plan was initially negotiated. The funding plan developed for ETFO
Education Workers’ benefits does not in- clude expanded funding for LTO Education Workers. Consequently, the benefit plan for ETFO Education Workers was in a stronger financial position. However, the funding rec- onciliation will have a major impact on the financial position of the Education Worker plan if it is applied.
PREGNANCY/PARENTAL LEAVES
Additional funding pressures on the ETFO- ELHT occur when a permanent member takes a pregnancy/parental leave.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 37
Members on a pregnancy/parental leave
are entitled to continue to receive full benefits during their statutory leave. When a mem- ber on pregnancy/parental leave is replaced by an LTO member, that LTO member is also entitled to receive benefits under the terms of the ETFO-ELHT. In some cases, the LTO member may also take a pregnancy/parental leave and would be replaced by another LTO member. That means two members – and sometimes three members – are eligible to receive benefits, but the ETFO-ELHT only receives funding to provide benefits for one member. Given the size of our membership and the number of statutory leaves that oc- cur, this can create a significant strain on the ETFO-ELHT. In addition, inflation, increasing drug
costs, the introduction of new drugs and technologies, etc., also contribute additional financial pressure on the ETFO-ELHT.
NEGOTIATING FAIR FUNDING FOR BENEFITS RESTS ON MEMBER SOLIDARITY
During the 2022 round of central bargain- ing, the rising costs of benefits and the long- term sustainability of the ETFO-ELHT will need to be addressed for the teacher/occa- sional teacher plan and the education work- er plan. This will require ETFO to negotiate an increase in per member benefits funding that will sustain the plan for the term of the new collective agreement. Insured benefits are a critical compo-
nent to your overall compensation pack- age. Negotiating anything less than sustain- able benefits funding in the next collective agreement would be a major concession with a significant financial impact on you and your colleagues. During the goal-setting process for the
2022 round of bargaining, ETFO members told their Federation very clearly that main- taining the current level of insured benefits is important to them, and that benefits are worth fighting for. In this round of central bargaining, member solidarity and strength will be key to ensuring that the benefits you and your family rely on are appropriately funded, now and in the future. n
Derek Hulse is a member of the ETFO executive staff.
“ INSURED BENEFITS ARE A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO YOUR OVERALL COMPENSATION PACKAGE. NEGOTIATING ANYTHING LESS THAN SUSTAINABLE BENEFITS FUNDING IN THE NEXT COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT WOULD BE A MAJOR CONCESSION WITH A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL IMPACT ON YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES.”
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