Benefit Coverage The Company agrees to provide pension and welfare benefits as described in the Company Booklets, benefit plan documents or policies of insurance for the duration of the Agreement.
Retirement, Welfare and Fringe Benefits During the Period of Employment, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee pension and welfare benefit plans and programs, and fringe benefit plans and programs, made available by the Company to the Company’s employees generally, in accordance with the eligibility and participation provisions of such plans and as such plans or programs may be in effect from time to time.
Dependents Eligible dependents for the purposes of this Article are as follows:
Newly Hired Employees All employees hired to an insurance eligible position must make their benefit elections by their initial effective date of coverage as defined in this Article, Section 5C. Insurance eligible employees will automatically be enrolled in basic life coverage. If employees eligible for a full Employer Contribution do not choose a health plan administrator and a primary care clinic by their initial effective date, and do not waive medical coverage, they will be enrolled in a Benefit Level Two clinic (or Level One, if available) that meets established access standards in the health plan with the largest number of Benefit Level One and Two clinics in the county of the employee’s residence at the beginning of the insurance year. If an employee does not choose a health plan administrator and primary care clinic by their initial effective date, but was previously covered as a dependent immediately prior to their initial effective date, they will be defaulted to the plan administrator and primary care clinic in which they were previously enrolled.
Retirees The Parties and the Crown agree to meet for the purpose of transitioning retirees currently in board-run benefits plans into a segregated plan administered by the OECTA ELHT via an amendment to the Trust Agreement, based on the following:
i. Basic plan design is the active member plan design
ii. School boards can request alterations to the plan design to meet their specific needs (limited to survivor coverage for health and dental benefits, out of country coverage, hearing aids, physiotherapy, and private duty nursing) subject to the coverage being available by the carrier. It is not the intent of the parties to enhance the benefits coverage of the retirees. For example, life insurance is not to exceed the existing level of coverage.
iii. Boards can opt out of the ELHT plan for retirees. It is understood that such opt out is irrevocable.
iv. The plan administrator will advise each school board of the per member premium cost on an annual basis.
v. Any annual plan deficit shall be captured in the premiums charged to school boards and retirees in the subsequent benefit year.
vi. Any terminal deficit is the responsibility of all school boards who had members in the plan, based on a formula that includes the school board’s time in the plan and retiree enrolment.
vii. School boards maintain any liability resulting from any issues arising as a result of members being transferred to the ELHT benefits plan for retirees. For clarity, once the transition is completed, the school board is not liable for any subsequent decisions by the Trust.
viii. Any school board wanting to move its retirees into a plan administered by the ELHT shall sign a participation agreement. The Parties and the Crown shall meet within 30 days of ratification of central terms to discuss the amendment to the trust as described above and timelines for the transition. If by May 30, 2020 the Parties and the Crown are unable to resolve all disputes concerning the amendment to the Trust Agreement and the standard form participation agreement, the Parties and the Crown (as participant) agree to refer the matter to arbitration with a mutually agreed upon arbitrator. The arbitrator shall determine any outstanding disputes based on the terms of this Memorandum of Understanding. The Parties agree that any arbitration on outstanding disputes shall be scheduled expeditiously.
Health & Welfare Benefits Executive shall be eligible to participate in all health and welfare benefits provided generally to other employees of the Company.
Probation for Newly Hired Employees (a) The Employer may reject a probationary employee for just cause. A rejection during probation shall not be considered a dismissal for the purpose of Article 11.2
Health and Welfare Benefit Plans During the Employment Period, Executive and Executive’s immediate family shall be entitled to participate in such health and welfare benefit plans as the Employer shall maintain from time to time for the benefit of senior executive officers of the Employer and their families, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in such plan. Nothing in this Section shall limit the Employer’s right to change or modify or terminate any benefit plan or program as it sees fit from time to time in the normal course of business so long as it does so for all senior executives of the Employer.
Welfare Benefits Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for a period of six (6) months following the date of the Involuntary Termination (and an additional twelve (12) months if the Executive provides consulting services under Section 14(f) hereof), the Executive and his dependents shall be provided with group medical benefits which are substantially similar to those provided from time to time to similarly situated active employees of the Company (and their eligible dependents) (“Medical Continuation Benefits”). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such Medical Continuation Benefits shall be provided on substantially the same terms and conditions and at the same cost to the Executive as apply to similarly situated active employees of the Company. Such benefits shall be provided in a manner that complies with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(a)(5). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Sempra Energy determines in its sole discretion that the Medical Continuation Benefits cannot be provided without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act) or that the provision of Medical Continuation Benefits under this Agreement would subject Sempra Energy or any of its Affiliates to a material tax or penalty, (i) the Executive shall be provided, in lieu thereof, with a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the monthly premium that the Executive would be required to pay to continue the Executive’s and his covered dependents’ group medical benefit coverages under COBRA as then in effect (which amount shall be based on the premiums for the first month of COBRA coverage) or (ii) Sempra Energy shall have the authority to amend the Agreement to the limited extent reasonably necessary to avoid such violation of law or tax or penalty and shall use all reasonable efforts to provide the Executive with a comparable benefit that does not violate applicable law or subject Sempra Energy or any of its Affiliates to such tax or penalty.
Retired Employees An employee who retires from University service, at age 55 with five (5) years of service, age 50 with fifteen (15) years of service or at any age with thirty (30) years of service, who is eligible to maintain participation in the UPlan, may indefinitely maintain medical and dental coverage with the University at his/her own expense. Medicare coverage is primary for retirees over 65, and for totally disabled employees who qualify for Medicare, and must coordinate with the UPlan Retiree Medical plan options. If retired or totally disabled employees elect not to continue coverage in the UPlan at the time they leave employment, they may not elect to do so at a later date. (see also Section 5E.)
