? Bargaining Bulletin 5: Health Benefits and Leaves
Unit 5 Bargaining Bulletin
November 17, 2023
Bulletin #5
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
Yesterday, the Bargaining Committee (BC) met with the employer to present proposals to improve health benefits and leaves.
Postdocs currently pay the most of any UofT full-time workers towards their benefits, yet have the poorest coverage. The BC tabled a proposal to bring your health benefits and access to leaves more in line with other full-time employees at the university.
- Premium cost-sharing. We asked the university to cover 85% (currently 50%) of the cost of health insurance premiums.
- Higher coverage “caps.” Our proposal demands that our coverage maximums be increased to $2,500 per year for dental, $1,000 per 24 months for prescription eyewear, and unlimited access to medical services, equipment, and transportation.
- UHIP premiums and access to campus health services for international postdocs. The university should cover 100% of premiums in the 3-month waiting period for mandatory enrollment into UHIP and provide access to campus health services during this time.
- Reasonable leaves. We asked to increase our allotment for surgery hospitalization and serious illness from 2 to 4 months of paid leave, as well as improved pregnancy leave conditions and a new leave for reproductive procedures.
Our next table date: Nov. 23.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Pay and benefits are your two greatest issues in this round of bargaining. As a postdoc, you know how valuable your research is to the university and the world, and yet you are treated as disposable workers, with short contracts, low pay, and inadequate benefits.
This round of bargaining represents a real opportunity to change the direction of what contract academic labour will look like for years to come. Your local has historically achieved numerous recognitions and fair working conditions for those the university likes to take for granted.
The only way to make life better for postdocs is to join your colleagues in demanding better treatment by the university!
TAKE ACTION
Start by signing the bargaining pledge below to tell the university that you deserve fair pay and are willing to fight for it!
The next step is to join the Contract Action Team (CAT). CATs are integral to getting the word out to fellow workers about the collective bargaining process.
Click here to sign the bargaining pledge, where you can also join the CAT.
MEET YOUR BARGAINING TEAM
“The UofT has come to depend on postdocs as cheap research labour, while paying others a very healthy salary. We know that the university can afford to pay postdocs a livable wage!” ~ Christien Garcia, Third Vice-President
Unit 5 Bargaining team:
Federica Berdini
Sami Mamand
Zofia Ostrowska-Podhorodecka
Christien Garcia
Eriks Bredovskis
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