Réforme du régime de pension:  La lumière au bout du tunnel

Note du rédacteur: Ce bulletin est un suivi qui précise un message électronique envoyé aux membres la semaine dernière.

La réforme du régime de pension semble en arriver aux dernières étapes après un long processus ardu. Le Comité du régime de pension a reçu une réponse par écrit de l’Agence des douanes et du revenu du Canada (ADRC) qui approuve à prime abord le mécanisme proposé de répartition de sommes d’argent aux membres au début et la réduction du taux de cotisation à l’avenir. L’ADRC doit aussi approuver la modification entière du régime de base après avoir obtenu le texte complet du règlement proposé.  L’ADRC n’a pas encore pris de décision non plus sur le régime de pension complémentaire proposé.

Il est important de souligner qu’il faudra franchir un certain nombre d’étapes ultérieures avant que la réforme soit en fait mise en œuvre. L’une de ces étapes a été conclue au cours de la dernière réunion du Comité de régime de pension (le 9 novembre 2001), c’est‑à-dire qu’on a apporté la touche finale aux règlements qui définissent la méthode de répartition du surplus. Il reste à franchir les étapes suivantes :

• L’APUO et l’employeur doivent conclure une entente sur la réforme du régime de pension et son interaction avec la convention collective (en particulier l’Annexe F.1(b)).

• Le Comité exécutif du Bureau des gouverneurs doit approuver les règlements qui devront ensuite passer au vote du Bureau des gouverneurs dans l’ensemble.

• Il faut envoyer la version finale des règlements à l’ADRC pour approbation et inscription ultérieure.

• Nous devons obtenir une décision de l’ADRC sur le régime complémentaire.

• Il faut procéder à l’inscription à la Commission des services financiers de l’Ontario.

• Il faut calculer les sommes à verser à chaque membre.

• Les membres doivent obtenir des conseils personnels sur les détails financiers et des renseignements sur les options de paiement à leur disposition.

Étant donné le nombre d’étapes à franchir et d’approbations à obtenir, il est difficile de prédire quand les membres de l’APUO pourront constater la conclusion de la réforme. Il faudra probablement attendre plusieurs mois encore.

Au sujet de l’Annexe F.1(b), l’APUO a envoyé à l’employeur le 1^er octobre 2001 une proposition sur la méthode d’application de la réforme, compte tenu de la convention collective. L’employeur a d’abord répondu le 12 novembre et une réunion a eu lieu le 16 novembre pour approfondir la question. D’autres réunions sont prévues.
 

Pension Plan Reform: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Editor’s note: This bulletin follows-up on and further clarifies an electronic message that was sent to members last week.

After a long and arduous process, the Pension Plan Reform appears to be entering the final stages.  The Pension Plan Committee has received a written response from the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), giving its preliminary favourable approval to the proposed mechanism for the initial cash allocation to members and reduced rate for future contributions. The CCRA will still need to give its approval to the entire basic plan amendment once the full text of the proposed by-law is provided. Furthermore, the CCRA has not as yet ruled on the proposed supplemental pension plan.

It is important to note that a number of further steps will need to be completed before the reform is actually implemented.  One these steps was completed at the last meeting of the Pension Plan Committee (on 9 November 2001), where the by-laws defining the method of distributing the surplus were finalized. Still to be completed are the following:

• An agreement between APUO and the employer on the pension reform and its interaction with the collective agreement (particularly Appendix F.1(b));

• The by-laws must be approved by the Executive of the Board of Governors, after which they must be voted on by the Board of Governors as a whole;

• The final version of the by-laws must be sent to CCRA for approval and subsequent registration;

• A ruling from CCRA on the supplemental plan must be received;

• Registration with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.

• Specific payout amounts for each member must be calculated;

• Members must be advised personally of the financial details, and they must be counselled about the options regarding payment available to them;

Given the number of steps and approvals that still need to be made, it is difficult to say when APUO members can expect to see the reform finalized. It probably will not be for several more months.

With respect to Appendix F.1(b), on 1 October 2001, APUO provided the employer with a proposal as to how the reform would be implemented under the collective agreement. The employer has responded initially on 12 November and a meeting was held 16 November to discuss the matter further. Further meetings are anticipated.

Update on Negotiations

As explained in earlier bulletins, we are engaging in a new type of bargaining called interest based bargaining. One of the hallmarks of this approach is the agreement between the two sides that nothing is considered agreed to until we have a complete package of mutually acceptable solutions to identified common issues. In past negotiations, we were able to provide you with updates as the two sides reached agreement on specific issues, but under the new style of negotiating this would be difficult. However, negotiations have progressed enough that we can announce that the two sides are, in principle, in agreement or very near agreement on the following issues:

• A general salary scale adjustment that compares favourably to the average for our comparator group of universities.

• A formula that addresses the imbalances within our salary structure, specifically the fact that our junior professors within each rank are badly underpaid in comparison to our comparator group.

• A financial reward when professors are promoted.

• The creation of a personal ranking system, as opposed to administrative ranking for librarians.

• A new streamlined process linking the granting of tenure with promotion to associate professor for future members. Current members would have a choice whether to opt into the new system.

• An agreement that for the beginning of the next contract, PTR will be paid out on May 1st as usual, even if negotiations have not finished, along with a commitment to the use of the interest based approach in bargaining.

• A number of issues of a more technical nature including articles on annual reports, conflict of interest and January start dates.

Our current negotiation sessions are concentrated on benefits, librarian issues, and language teacher issues. As well other issues that are still under consideration are: criteria for sabbatical leave, direct peer review of teaching, Canada Research Chairs, intellectual property, sexual harassment policy, and a new University office space allocation policy.

Note that as the issue of PER is not yet finalized, members are urged to keep track of and retain receipts for all allowable expenses during 2001; these will be reimbursed once negotiations are completed. Keep in mind that the current level is $700 and that both sides are committed to the principle that the future amount will not be less than $700.

We realize that some members believe these negotiations to be inordinately protracted. In fact the pace of negotiations has slowed considerably since September because it has been extremely difficult to find time during which most members of both teams are available. In order to try to speed up the process, the parties have adopted a system of “side table discussions” where many of the more technical issues or issues related to particular groups of members are discussed by the chief negotiators and representative team members. This has proven to be effective in dealing with issues of a more technical or group-specific nature that might otherwise prolong negotiations at the main table.