Local 3903 - Proudly Representing GA's, TA's & Contract Faculty at York University

Benefits and Funds Overview

If you are new to CUPE 3903 or need a reminder of the way benefits and funds work, this is the place to start.

CUPE 3903 has a variety of benefits and funds that are available to members. All of these entitlements arise from past rounds of bargaining. No one gives them to us!
 

BENEFITS PLAN
-  Administered through Sun Life
-  Covering Vision Care, Dental Care, Prescription Drugs and Paramedical Services (six services including naturopaths and chiropractors)
-  Available to you and your dependents (spouses, common- law and same-sex partners, and children; parents are not covered)
-  New members must enroll (Members who have had a contract within the past four months are already enrolled PROVIDING you enrolled when you started that contract. If you've never enrolled then you are not now and won't be until you do enroll) - click the link below for enrolment information
 Full information is available by clicking here
 

EXTENDED HEALTH BENEFITS FUND 
Further assistance, to cover healthcare related costs, is available through the Extended Health Benefit Fund, which is administered by CUPE 3903. This is for things not covered by the benefits plan or it can help you cover costs if you go over what it covers. You do not have to enroll for anything to access these funds but do have to apply according to the deadlines. This fund is available to members only (it does not cover any dependents) and you can apply for emergency funding if you need it.
 Full information is available here
 

OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE
Other types of assistance—financial and not—are available to members: Some are funds administered by CUPE 3903, some by the Employer and others are monies fall into categories of legislated employee rights (things like maternity leave)
 
 Click here for information on the kinds of LEAVES (caregiving, maternity, sick leave etc) available. Leaves exist so that you can remove yourself from work should the need arise. Most of them are paid leaves.
 
 Click here for FUNDS. A fund is a pool of money that the union has negotiated with the employer that the employer make available. The Extended Health Benefit Fund (above) is one such fund. There is also funding to offset the costs of travelling to conferences, a summer bursary (Unit 1), program completion funding and more. 
- Some funds are unit specific, some are open to all members
- There are funds with rolling (ongoing) deadlines, others thrice annually, others annually. Some are related to our lives as workers, others as academics (although it is tough to draw explicit lines), and others still as people with different kinds of needs
- Three of the most popular funds are 
     CHILDCARE subsidies: click here for information
     TRANSFUND: click here 
     WAYS AND MEANS fund (max of $1,000 granted one time only for members with demonstrated need / acute lack of finances): click here 
 
 Click here for PENSION related information