Take-a-Break Lunch Events: After a three-year hiatus, we are pleased to announce the return of our in-person Take-a-Break lunch events. We invite members to take a break and join us for a hot dog, drink, and bag of chips at one of the two upcoming events in Winnipeg. To register your attendance, please click the RSVP link for the location you wish to attend. Please advise if you have special dietary requirements.
Tuesday, June 13
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
365 Osborne – picnic table area
RSVP here if attending at 365 Osborne
Wednesday, June 14
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
RSVP here if attending downtown at Shaw Park
Event attendees will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a door prize. Meal and draw tickets will be provided at the event sign-in, and an email will go out after the events to advise of the winning tickets.
Campaign to Keep Telco Jobs in Manitoba and TEAM: Continuing with our campaign to keep telco jobs in Manitoba and TEAM, on May 15th, the TEAM-IFPTE Board of Directors traveled to the Manitoba Legislative Building to meet with the Opposition Labour Critic, Malaya Marcelino and the Opposition Environment and Economic Development Critic, Mark Wasyliw. TEAM requested the meeting to discuss the ongoing erosion of skilled, unionized jobs at Bell/MTS since Bell took over in 2017 after committing to make Manitoba the company’s Western headquarters, and the impact the job loss had on our membership and Manitoba workers and communities. MLA’s Marcelino and Wasyliw expressed interest in the situation and invited TEAM to keep in touch. To read more from the IFPTE about the May 15th meeting, please click here. TEAM is looking to secure additional meetings with representatives of the Manitoba government and other MLA’s and lawmakers throughout the year as we continue to raise awareness of our Manitoba jobs campaign.
Defined Benefit Pension Plan members gain extra protections: Last month, Bill C-228, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 was passed by the Senate, received Royal Assent, and was written into Canadian law. This new legislation adds badly needed protections against employer bankruptcy for all Canadians who participate in a single-employer defined benefit pension plan, such as ours. In the event of a bankruptcy, plan members will now be moved closer to the front of the line for funds, improving the likelihood of receiving their full pension. Although there are no indications that such a situation will befall Bell anytime soon or ever, things can change, so this new legislation is an important improvement, especially as some of us will likely be drawing from our DB pension into the 2060s and perhaps even into the 2070s.