Article 22 – Benefits

The parties agree that there shall be a Joint Benefits Committee to oversee the benefits, including but not limited to those set out in Article 22 of this Collective Agreement, with the exception of pensions. The Committee shall have as its composition six (6) persons, consisting of three (3) persons representing the Employer, and three (3) persons representing the Association. The quorum shall be two (2) members from each party. The Committee shall monitor existing benefit plans; consider new benefit plans; recommend to the Collective Negotiating Committee changes in benefit plans; and seek to resolve complaints from members regarding benefit plans. The Committee shall report to the Faculty Association and the Employer.

The parties agree that the Pension Plans, in effect on the effective date of this agreement shall continue to be in effect until modified in whole or part by negotiations between the Employer and the Association. Effective September 1, 2010, the required contribution rate shall be 17% of pensionable earnings. Each employee will contribute 50% of this amount through payroll deduction and the Employer will contribute 50%. The Employer shall provide to employees, upon request, copies of the Pension Plan documents.

The Compulsory Group Life Insurance Plan in effect on the effective date of this agreement shall remain in effect until modified in whole or part by negotiation between the Employer and the Association. The Employer shall continue to pay the premiums for this Plan. The Employer shall provide to employees, upon request, copies of the Compulsory Group Life Insurance Plan documents.

The Employer agrees to make a Voluntary Group Life Insurance Plan available to all eligible employees in the bargaining unit. The employee shall continue to pay the premiums for this Plan. The Employer shall provide to employees, upon request, copies of the Voluntary Group Life Insurance Plan.

The Salary Continuation Plan in effect on the effective date of this agreement shall remain in effect until modified in whole or part by negotiation between the Employer and the Association. The Employer shall continue to pay the premiums for this Plan. The Employer shall provide to employees, upon request, copies of the Academic Long Term Disability Plan document.

Term appointees and other employees not covered by the Academic Long Term Disability Plan shall be entitled to sick leave with pay accumulated at the rate of one and one-quarter days per calendar month or fifteen days per year. This leave may be used at any time during the year, but no accumulated leave may be carried forward into the next academic year.

The Employer shall provide travel insurance to each employee who is travelling with the authorization of the University. This insurance shall provide coverage of $100,000 for accidental loss of life and up to $100,000 for disability occurring during the trip.

The Employer agrees to provide, upon application by an employee, a salary advance for the purpose of buying, for personal use, a principal residence in the place of work assigned by the employer or its environs. This salary advance shall not exceed $30,000 and shall be made for a maximum period of five years.

For employees holding a term appointment, repayment shall be completed within the period of the term. A term employee who is reappointed to an uninterrupted consecutive term may request that the repayment of the outstanding balance owed by the employee, at the time the reappointment is formalized, is readjusted in recognition of the new term.

In the event of termination of an employee's employment prior to expiry of the period of repayment of the advance, the outstanding balance owed by the employee shall be repaid immediately. The recipient of the advance who wishes to repay it earlier may do so. The advance shall be secured by a promissory note drawn in favour of the Employer. There shall only be one advance issued per employee at any one time. Failure to comply with the terms of the advance or cessation of employment at the University renders the advance repayable at the discretion of the Employer. .

22.9.1

The Employer agrees to assist new employees in defraying moving expenses to the place of work assigned by the employer.

Regardless of the mode of transport, the value of economy airfare including trip insurance, will be provided for each member of the family.

In addition, the Employer agrees to defray other moving costs listed below to a normal maximum of $10,000, provided the appropriate receipts are presented:

1. lodging expenses incurred, due to necessity, after arrival in the place of work assigned by the employer, up to a maximum of 14 days;
2. moving expenses for any property or personal effects;
3. economy airfare cost of travelling to and from the nearest appropriate immigration office for visa purposes.

22.9.2

On the recommendation of the Department Head and the Dean (or the Dean in a non-departmentalized College), amounts in addition to the maximum set out in Article 22.9.1 may be approved by the Vice-President Academic and Provost in exceptional circumstances.

22.9.3

No moving expenses of any kind shall be paid if the candidate declines to accept the offer of employment, or is denied entry into Canada by immigration authorities.

22.9.4

All claims for reimbursement of these expenses must be supported by proper receipts and other appropriate documents.

In the event of the death of an employee before retirement, the Employer shall pay salary to the end of the month in which death occurs as a death benefit to the beneficiary designated by the employee in the Compulsory Group Life Insurance Plan.

22.11.1

The Employer agrees that all employees shall have access to the University's recreational facilities for recreational use, either free of charge or at a reasonable charge, subject to the priorities of teaching, research, and intramural and intercollegiate sports, as established by the College of Kinesiology.

22.11.2

The Employer agrees to provide reasonable security arrangements that will permit such use of these facilities.

22.11.3

The extent to which employees have access to the University's recreational facilities for recreational use shall be guided by past practice and will not be significantly reduced without agreement between the Employer and the Association.

22.11.4

The Employer agrees that employees are entitled to participate in appropriate fitness and recreation programs sponsored by the College of Kinesiology.

22.12.1

The Employer agrees to make available an accountable professional expense account of $2,125 per annum effective July 1, 2014 and $2,200 per annum effective July 1, 2015. The account shall be used to help defray expenses associated with their teaching, research, and related professional activities; in the case of Department Heads or Assistant Deans who have additional money in the professional expense account pursuant to Article 18.8.2, the account may also be used to cover legitimate expenses connected with departmental or College activities. The account may also be used to obtain financial counseling for retirement.

22.12.2

The Employer shall provide $225,000 annually for reimbursement of professional fees to employees who are required as a condition of employment to have a certification or license in order to perform their duties. The terms for allocation and guidelines for reimbursement of certifications and/or licensing fees will be determined and agreed to through the Joint Committee for the Management of the Agreement. Employees in the College of Medicine, who are practicing physicians, are not eligible for this benefit.

22.12.3

Each employee may claim against the employee's professional expense account while employed at the University. Any amount remaining in the account at the end of each year shall be carried forward into that employee's account for the following year, as long as the individual remains an employee of the University.

Effective July 1, 2015, yearly allocations to an accountable professional expense account will be reduced so as to not exceed a maximum total accumulation of six times the amount stipulated in Article 22.12.1. Current accumulations beyond the maximum will not be reduced.

22.12.4

The Employer shall provide the Association by September 30 of each year with a report of total number of claims and total cost of professional expenses.

22.12.5 Dependent Travel Expense Fund.

Effective July 1, 2024, the Employer shall make available $30,000 per academic year for reimbursement of expenses related to the care of a legal dependent or dependents incurred by employees authorized to travel for university business. Eligible expenses are those incurred as a fulfillment of the employee’s legal obligation to provide care for the dependent(s) rather than the employee’s preference. Employees may be reimbursed up to a total maximum of $2,000 per academic year. Claims against the fund mut be submitted by July 31 after the academic year (July 1 to June 30) in which the expenses were incurred. Following receipt of all claims, available funds are allocated as a proportion of the total amount eligible for reimbursement. The terms for allocation and guidelines for reimbursement will be determined and agreed to through the Joint Committee for the Management of the Agreement.

The Employer agrees to make available an accountable sabbatical expense account of $[ ]5,000 for each employee who has been granted a sabbatical leave. This allowance shall be used for  expenses incurred during the sabbatical leave that meet the following criteria:

1. are allowable expenditures according to University guidelines; and
2. are incurred to assist with completion of the sabbatical leave project.

Sabbatical  expense claims must be submitted for reimbursement not later than three months after the conclusion of the sabbatical leave.

The Employer agrees to make a family dental plan available to all eligible employees in the bargaining unit. The parties agree that the family dental plan, in effect on the effective date of this agreement shall continue to be in effect until modified in whole or part by negotiations between the Employer and the Association. The Employer shall continue to pay the costs for this Plan. The Employer shall provide to employees, upon request, copies of the Dental Plan document.

Employees shall be entitled to have tuition fees waived for one credit course per academic term taken at the University of Saskatchewan.

22.15.1 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Tuition Waiver

Employees shall be entitled to have tuition fees waived for up to one half class (three credit units) per academic term taken at the University of Saskatchewan that is an Indigenous language course or a course identified as having significant components addressing racism, oppression, unconscious bias, and/or cultural awareness. This entitlement may be exercised in addition to that in Article 22.15.

The Employer agrees to make a family extended health and vision care plan available to all eligible employees in the bargaining unit. The parties agree that the family extended health and vision care plan, in effect on the effective date of this agreement shall continue to be in effect until modified in whole or part by negotiations between the Employer and the Association. The Employer shall continue to pay the costs for this Plan. The Employer shall provide to employees, upon request, copies of the Extended Health and Vision Care Plan document.

Effective January 1, 2001, employees shall be entitled to receive a portion of their salary in the form of a research grant in accordance with University practice for sabbatical leave grants provided they can demonstrate that such funds are required for research that extends beyond their normal duties. Each College shall have a research committee to assess the quality of proposals for research grants and the funding requested, among other things. Research grants shall not be unreasonably withheld. The grant may include funds for travel, certain living expenses while away from Saskatoon, national and international conferences, research materials, books and journals, telephone, fax, copying, and for such other items as are related to the research costs.

Note: The tax status of expenditures under the research grant is a matter to be settled between the individual and the Canada Revenue Agency.

Commencing with the 2024-25 academic year, the Employer agrees to provide $375,000 per year to a Scholarship Fund for tuition reimbursement available to immediate family members (spouses, partners and children) of employees with payments effective in May of each academic year. The terms of reference for the Fund will be subject to agreement by the parties. The Fund will be administered by Student and Enrolment Services at the University of Saskatchewan.

The Employer agrees to provide an EFAP as described in the Joint Stakeholder Agreement dated March 29, 2007 and as amended from time to time by the EAP Board. The Stakeholder Agreement may be modified from time to time with the approval of the EAP Board following consultation with all parties to the agreement. The Association will provide a representative to the EAP Board as per the Stakeholder Agreement.

The employer agrees to provide each eligible member with $500 annually in a flexible spending program. The program provides additional health and wellness benefits. If there is a credit remaining at the end of the plan year, it can be carried forward to the next plan year but only to the extent that it represents one year’s allocation.