In response to your questions from the May 6, 2020 bulletin we have addressed your concerns in the following Q & A:

Q1 – Who do I contact to make arrangements to prepay?
A1 – You contact Manion to make prepayment arrangements. NOTE:  this is only for Air Canada MAINLINE members.

Please communicate with Manion’s contact centre for prepayment rates. This must be done within 45 days of the commencement of the Leave of Absence/Lay-off. The May Block Month commences May 5th and you will have 45 days to complete pre-payment arrangements, which is June 18, 2020. The cost is based on your previous 3 months earnings plus 1.07% (the Employer’s portion) plus applicable taxes.

Manion requires your statement of Earnings provided by the Employer in order to calculate the amount of prepayment that is required from you. Manion anticipates having this information from Air Canada sometime next week and hopes to provide you with the prepayment calculations no later than May 20, 2020 and you will be updated/advised if this date is delayed.

Contact Centre
1-866-532-8999 is the contact centre number.
press 1 for Plan Members.
press 5 for Coverage and Eligibility, you will then be connected to an agent.

Q2 – I am a current Rouge Flight Attendant, can I prepay WIP?
A2 – No, this is only for Air Canada mainline members.

Q3 – I am a flow through Flight Attendant, who came from rouge and now fly at mainline can I prepay WIP?
A3 – Yes, all Air Canada Mainline members may participate.

Q4 – What would happen if I didn’t prepay WIP?
A4 – If you did not prepay your WIP you will not have coverage. But in order to activate coverage again you must work one flight and if on reserve, you must complete one full day of reserve. If you are on special assignment or union officer duties, you must complete 1 shift to activate WIP coverage.

Q5 – Do I have to Prepay?
A5 – No, that your choice as noted in the bulletin of May 6, 2020.

Q6 – In the bulletin sent on May 6th it says my coverage is only $70.00 per month, is this correct?
A6 – No, the information was an example. Your prepayment amount (if you contacted Manion for the cost) is determined once Manion receives your previous 3 months of earnings from the Employer. The calculation will be done, and the cost will be sent to you.  If you decide you wish to continue with coverage, you will need to call Manion back again and they will process the payment over the phone. See A1 above for contact information.

Q7 – I would like to know if we don’t prepay, are we allowed to rejoin when we return to active duty?
A7 – Yes, once you return to active work as noted in A4 above.

Q8 – Since we will not have coverage while off duty and if we decide not to prepay and we may not return to active duty, why are we prepaying?
A8 – If you fall ill and have chosen not to prepay your coverage and are unable to return to work at the end of your leave/layoff, there will be no entitlement to WIP Insurance until you meet the requirements noted above in A4.

Q9 – If I am off for May but return in June, what happens if I don’t pay for May?  Am I totally out of WIP?
A9 – Yes coverage will have lapsed, and in order to qualify for coverage again you will need to meet the conditions outlined in A4 above.

Q10 – If I do decide to prepay for the whole 6 months, but after the 6 months, I am still laid off, what will happen then?
A10 – There will be no coverage in place until you return work and meet the requirements noted above in A4 above.

Q11 – I am currently on CERB and would like to receive further information on how to make prepayments for WIP during this time. I would like to know how much the amount would be and where I can send this payment to and by what methods.
A11 – Please contact Manion as noted above in answer A1 for details on how to make payment arrangements.

Q12- I am interested in having funds deducted for payment for the month of May. Could you please let me know how and when I can do that?
A12 – It is not a payroll deduction; it is a prepayment. Please contact Manion as noted above in answer A1 for details.

Q13 – I wish we had been told earlier that we would have no coverage while on leave for the month of May in order to prepay. 
A13 – You will have time. The Block Month starts on May 5, 2020 and you have until June 18, 2020 to complete the prepay process.

Q14 – If we are on CEWS now and don’t prepay WIP for MAY are we totally out of WIP forever.
A14 – No you will not be out of coverage forever, please see A4 above as it relates to activating your coverage once you return to work.

On Behalf of The Board of Trust,

Stephen Morash
Administrative Consultant

NOTE:  All Policy Booklet information can be accessed on the Air Canada Component of CUPE web site www.accomponent.ca or on the mobile App.

Manion, Wilkins & Associates
Plan Administration
626-21 Four Seasons Place
Etobicoke, Ontario
M9B 0A6

Switchboard: 416-234-5044
Toll Free Line:  1-800-663-7849
Fax: 416-234-0127
Contact Centre: 1-866-532-8999

This applies to Air Canada Mainline only.

We have received many questions that surround the pre-payment of your WIP contributions.

WIP is a Wage Replacement Program for Air Canada mainline members who fall ill and continue to be ill for 14 days or more. After the 14-day elimination period from your first flight missed or reserve day you are entitled to make an application for WIP, Short-Term Disability. The WIP Policy Booklet is attached HERE.

Prepayments are to ensure your WIP coverage is in place once you return to active work following any leave of absence. WIP Benefits are not payable while you are on the leave.

ACTIVE WORK, ACTIVELY AT WORK means the performance of the regular duties of your own occupation in accordance with the regular work schedule. New employees are not considered actively at work until they have performed their regular duties for one flight or shift if on special assignment or union officer duties, or one day of reserve duty.

It does not include periods during which you are undergoing training mandated by the Ministry of Transport or the employer, or while on vacation, IMMS, or any other non-pre-paid form of leave.

The Board of Trustees have made a decision to give a Contribution Holiday for the April Block Month ONLY, therefore pre-payment is not required by any members as outlined below.

1. Any member who is in receipt of Short Term WIP or Long Term WIP does not have to prepay for the Block Month of April.

2. Any member who is in receipt of Workers compensation does not have to prepay for the Block Month of April.

3. Any Active workingmembers do not have to prepay for the Block Month of April.

4. CEWSmembers do not have to prepay for the Block Month of April.

5. CERB members do not have to prepay for the Block Month of April.

For the Block Month of May,

1. Any member who is in receipt of WIP, Short Term WIP or Long Term WIP does not have to prepay for the Block Month of May.

2. Any member who is in receipt of Workers compensation does not have to prepay for the Block Month of May.

3. Any Active working members do not have to prepay for the Block Month of May, it will be payroll deducted as normal.

4. CEWS, if you are on CEWS, Air Canada has been advised NOT to deduct WIP contributions from the payroll for the Block month of May.

CEWS members can choose to prepay for the Block Month of May and the months that follow if they have not returned to active work following the May Block Month to ensure coverage will be in place once you return to Active Work. No coverage is provided during the leave. 

5. CERB members can choose to prepay for the Block Month of May and the months that follow if they have not returned to active work following the May Block Month to ensure coverage will be in place once you return to Active Work. No coverage is provided during the leave.

What does this mean for CEWS members? 
The decision to not deduct WIP from CEWS members for the Block Month of May is because we have no idea what the end result of the mitigation process will be. Let me explain. For the Block Month of May, if you choose to prepay and after the mitigation process has been completed you find that for the month of June you continue to be inactive, not recalled to work, you will now have a decision to make. I will use Lay-Off status as an example as it is part of the mitigation process. If you choose to prepay for May and find that for the month of June you have been laid off you will need to choose if you continue with the prepayment of WIP in order to continue coverage following the termination of such leave or lay-off. Remember, there is no coverage provided during the leave.

Lay-off, your prepayment may be continued for a maximum duration of up to six (6) months. Should you become disabled during the six-month period, you will not be eligible for benefit consideration unless you are recalled from lay-off status. NOTE: no benefits are payable during any leave or lay-off. To be clear, if your prepayment amount was $70.00 per month and you now find yourself, for the Block Month of June, in a lay-off position, you will need to choose whether or not to continue with the $70.00 prepayment until the leave is over in order to keep benefits in place. Let’s say that the lay-off is more than 6 months and you prepaid $70.00 for the month of May and you chose to prepay the maximum prepayment allowable for a lay-off, which is 6 months, your total cost would be $490.00. If you did not get recalled within the 6-month period, you will have reached the 6-month limitation. You will not be able to continue with the prepayments and no coverage will be in place until you have actually returned to full time active work.

Members who are currently on the CEWS program that are quite certain that they will return to active work in June, based on their seniority, should consider pre-payment for continuation of coverage for the May Block Month. If no prepayment is made and you are scheduled to return to active duties in June, and you unable to do your first flight due to illness or accident coverage will not be in place. Coverage will only return when you are back at work. See Active Work, Actively at Work above.

The same process applies to Leave of absence granted (such as personal, educational, maternity, child care, bereavement, or jury duty) other than inability to meet medical standards (IMMS), your coverage may be continued for a maximum duration of up to 24 months.
If you have elected to keep your coverage in force and you become totally disabled during the 24-month period, the elimination period will commence on the date you are scheduled to return to work.

Prepayment process
We are not able to get earnings from the Employer to calculate your prepayment costs until the April Block Month of is completed. We should have the information available for you by May 20, 2020 which will give you sufficient time to make a prepayment should you choose to do so. You have 45 days from the commencement of the leave, which is the first 1^st day of the May Block Month, (May 5^th) to make payment arrangements.

If you have additional questions please email Stephen Morash at s.morash@accomponent.ca.

On Behalf of The Board of Trust,

Stephen Morash
Administrative Consultant

NOTE:  All Policy Booklet information can be accessed on the Air Canada Component of CUPE web site www.accomponent.ca or on the mobile App.

Manion, Wilkins & Associates
Plan Administration
626-21 Four Seasons Place
Etobicoke, Ontario
M9B 0A6

Switchboard: 416-234-5044
Toll Free Line:  1-800-663-7849
Fax: 416-234-0127
Contact Centre: 1-866-532-8999