Carleton administration is ready to run a deficit to cover depleted healthcare funds for over 2,000 teaching, research and student assistants unionized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4600.
But whether benefit claims—including dental, vision, physiotherapy, chiropractic, emergency loans, and childcare for undergraduate or graduate assistants at Carleton—have actually been suspended remains a mystery.
CUPE 4600 and the university have provided contradicting statements regarding the suspension and non-suspension, respectively, with a lack of documentation to prove either side.
The university gave CUPE 4600 notice Friday that the budgeted $170,000 under the 2019-20 Employee Assistance Fund (EAF) for healthcare coverage has been completely exhausted, confirm internal emails obtained by the Charlatan.
This complete depletion of funds means healthcare coverage has effectively been frozen, according to an emergency memo sent by CUPE 4600 to union members late Friday.
While Carleton confirmed the depletion, “at no time, however, did the university indicate that benefits would not be paid,” said public affairs manager Beth Gorham.
According to previous coverage by the Charlatan, this is the second time this has happened in 2019. The university paid an emergency contribution of $78,000 to reactivate depleted benefits after healthcare coverage was suspended for over a week in February.
“Going by that past precedent when this happened before, we told our members about the suspension,” said CUPE 4600 president Meg Lonergran in an interview.
“We were never told about this deficit thing, and it’s unclear who would even be responsible when and if funds are restored.”
The administration made healthcare funds available on Sept. 1, but told the union that the EAF was already depleted nearly 15 days later, along with any healthcare surplus from last year, show obtained internal emails.
Carleton offered to immediately provide a sum of $100,000 to reactivate healthcare coverage in a meeting with the union on Sept. 30, according to a memo sent to union members.
If accepted, the $100,000 would have been deducted from the maximum one per cent increase of assistants’ wages tied to inflation, previously agreed upon under collective agreements between both parties.
CUPE 4600 rejected the university’s offer after a unanimous vote at October’s general membership assembly.
But Carleton did not confirm or deny that offer. “We don’t want to bargain in public,” said Gorham.
“Carleton has made proposals for an interim solution and looks forward to reaching a solution during negotiations.”
Closed discussions for collective bargaining between the university and CUPE 4600 are ongoing.
“Twice in one year is way too much!” reads a statement made Sunday by Angelo Mingarelli, president of the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA).
“We are appalled to learn that Carleton University has again suspended benefits.”
CUASA represents over 900 faculty members, librarians and instructors at Carleton.
CUPE 4600 is now preparing for its next steps with the university for “a longer term fix to the problem,” said Lonergran. “We don’t want this to happen again.”
Teaching and research assistants have been asked by CUPE 4600 to retain receipts for reimbursement of any healthcare coverage they might pay out of pocket during negotiations. “It may be possible to file outstanding claims,” the union told members.
Employees who are Carleton students may have access to insurance coverage through student associations. In certain cases, assistants also already have private health insurance that may cover their costs.
An emergency meeting for the 2,000 members affected will be announced by the union shortly.
This article has been updated as of Sunday, Oct. 20 at 5 p.m.
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File photo.
