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AUDIO
CONFERENCE
Health Benefit Plans: A vital issue, a growing concern
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| WHEN: |
Thursday, June 18, 2009
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Playback: Monday, June 22, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT |
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| WHERE: |
Your
own office or boardroom |
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| MODERATORS: |
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Noella Martin
Employer Counsel
Wickwire Holm |
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Simon Renouf
Union Counsel
Simon Renouf Professional Corporation |
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| SPEAKERS: |
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Simon Archer
Union Counsel
Koskie Minsky
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Marcel Théroux
Employer Counsel
Mercer
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ISSUES:
As the recession continues, many employers are turning to cost-cutting measures in an effort to stay afloat. Unions are under pressure to agree to such measures in order to save jobs. This audio conference will examine the scope of the employer's authority to make changes to health benefit plans, the remedies available to the union, and the cooperative measures both sides can take to cut costs without reducing benefits. Issues include:
- Does the employer have to make full disclosure of the details of current health benefit plans during bargaining?
- What changes can the employer make to benefit plans without consultation with or agreement of the union? Can employers switch insurance carriers without the union's consent?
- Can changes to the method of dispute resolution with respect to health benefit plans reduce costs without reducing benefits? Is the denial of insured benefits amenable to arbitration?
- Can the employer cancel or reduce post-retirement health plan benefits? What recourse do retired employees have in such a case? What forum has jurisdiction to adjudicate a dispute about post-retirement health plan benefits? Can the union represent retirees?
- What are a union's obligations towards retired members with respect to post-retirement benefit plan disputes? With respect to bargaining? How do unions balance obligations in this regard with responsibilities to active members?
- Can costs be contained by limiting accessibility to new drugs? Do health insurance plans cover erectile dysfunction drugs? Are other new drugs automatically covered by insured benefit plans or must they be explicitly added to a formulary?
- What measures are unions and employers negotiating with a view to improving benefits while reducing costs?
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This Audio Conference has been approved by the Law Society of B.C. for 1.5
hours of 2009 Continuing Professional Development credits, and by the Law Society
of Upper Canada for 1.5 hours towards the professional development requirement
for certification. |
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| Q
& A: |
Gather
your colleagues around a speakerphone in your own office or boardroom. Have the
opportunity to ask questions in the Question & Answer portions of the sessions.
An additional 15 minutes will be added at the end of the session for those who
wish to continue with Q & A. |
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| MATERIALS: |
Valuable,
up-to-date materials and case summaries will be available for downloading from
our website. |
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| REGISTRATION
FEE: |
$195,
plus GST (Registrations must be paid in advance of the audio conference).
Registration costs are per listening site/telephone, so you can have any number
of people listening at your location for one low price. Click here for registration information. |
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| CDs: |
Audio conference CDs, including a PDF copy of the materials from the conference, are available for $175 + GST per conference ($75 + GST for registrants). Click here to order. |
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| REGISTRATION
INFORMATION: |
When you register,
you'll be given a toll-free number to dial at the time of the
session and an access code to join the call. For additional program and registration information,
call Lancaster House at 416-977-6618 or register now. |
