Letter #9 – Letter of Understanding Re: Employer Cost Sharing for Post Employment NLTA Group Insurance Premiums
February 1, 2024
Ian Crewe
Chief Negotiator
Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association
3 Kenmount Road
St. John’s, NL
A1B 1W1
Dear Mr. Crewe:
Re: Employer Cost Sharing for Post Employment NLTA Group Insurance Premiums
The parties hereby confirm and acknowledge that:
1. Employees who are hired subsequent to March 31, 2020 (“Newly Hired Employees”) shall receive post-employment employer cost sharing of NLTA group insurance premiums in accordance with clause 5 of this Letter of Understanding.
2. Former employees who are rehired subsequent to March 31, 2020 following resignation, retirement, termination, or layoff and who no longer have recall rights under the Collective Agreement, shall be considered to be Newly Hired Employees for the purpose of this Letter of Understanding.
3. Notwithstanding clause 2 above, former employees with service prior to March 31, 2020 who are hired subsequent to March 31, 2020 by another School Board or the same School Board within one hundred and twenty (120) calendar days of resignation, retirement or termination shall not be considered to be Newly Hired Employees for the purpose of this Letter of Understanding.
4. Excepting Newly Hired Employees who receive post-employment employer cost sharing of NLTA group insurance premiums in accordance with clause 5, the Employer’s share of the cost of NLTA group insurance premiums for employees shall be based on the lowest required premium rate as determined in accordance with Schedule L of the Collective Agreement.
5. The Employer’s share of the cost of post-employment NLTA group insurance premiums for Newly Hired Employees shall be calculated as 40% of the lowest required premium rate as determined in accordance with Schedule L of the Collective Agreement. The parties acknowledge that for any employee to access employer cost sharing of NLTA post-employment group insurance benefits, whether Newly Hired Employees or otherwise, a minimum of five years of pensionable service under the Teachers’ Pension Plan is required.
6. Nothing in this Letter of Understanding shall have the effect of disqualifying an employee’s or Newly Hired Employee’s eligible survivor(s) from participation in the NLTA Group Insurance Plan, provided however that the Employer’s share of the cost of post-employment NLTA group insurance premiums for eligible survivor(s) shall be the same as was the case for the deceased employee or deceased Newly Hired Employee.
7. This Letter of Understanding shall prevail where any term herein conflicts with a provision of the Collective Agreement, one of its Schedules, Letters or Memoranda of Agreement, including, without limitation, any practice, settlement of dispute, agreement or arbitration award arising from events prior to the date of signing of the Collective Agreement.
8. This Letter of Understanding may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which will be considered an original of same, and which together will constitute one and the same instrument. A facsimile signature or an otherwise electronically reproduced signature of any party shall be deemed to be an original.
Yours truly,
Lisa Curran
Chief Negotiator
School Board Committee
