Long Term Disability Plan (i) The Employer and the Union shall participate in the Long Term Disability Plan provided under the joint GVLRA/CUPE LTD Trust, or its successor trust when applicable, pursuant to the Trust Agreement executed by Trustees representing the Union and the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association on behalf of the Employer effective January 1, 1987, which Trust Agreement may be amended from time to time by the Trustees.
(ii) All regular employees shall participate in this LTD Plan as a condition of continued employment. The required contributions for this coverage shall be as determined and amended from time to time by the Trustees and shall be shared equally by each employee through payroll deduction and the Employer (50% each), provided that in no event shall the total cost of such coverage exceed three percent (3%) of the total payroll for basic CUPE wages. Should the current benefits prove impossible to maintain for this three percent (3%) maximum in accordance with accepted actuarial accounting methods, the benefits shall be amended by the Trustees so that the three percent (3%) total cost is maintained.
(iii) The terms and conditions of this LTD Plan shall be as determined and amended from time to time by the Trustees, but in no event shall these benefits provide for other than the following, provided such benefits can be maintained for the total cost of three percent (3%) of payroll.
(a) A benefit level of seventy percent (70%) of the disabled employee's regular monthly earnings in effect on the date of disability, reduced by certain amounts received by and payable to the employee from other sources during the period of disability.
(b) A definition of disability which permits an employee to become eligible for benefits when completely unable to engage in his/her normal occupation for the first twenty-four (24) months of disability; and thereafter, when he/she is unable to engage in any occupation or employment for which he/she is reasonably qualified or may reasonably become qualified.
(c) A seventeen (17) week qualification period from the date of disability during which no benefit is payable under the Plan.
(iv) All claims for LTD coverage shall be adjudicated and administered by a carrier selected for such purposes by the Trustees. The terms of the Trust Agreement and Plan Documents as applicable shall apply to all matters not specifically addressed in this Article. Should a conflict arise between this Article and any of the above documents, this Article shall always apply.
(v) Notwithstanding anything in this Article, the Employer and the Union recognize that eligibility for and entitlement to long term disability benefits shall be as set out in the Plan document.
(vi) An employee must make application for long term disability benefits while on an extended sick leave and prior to the completion of the qualification period and that if the employee is accepted for long term disability benefits that the employee shall commence long term disability upon completion of the qualification period.
