New and Noteworthy - TEAM IFPTE Local 161

TEAM MEMO

To:    TEAM-IFPTE Local 161 Members
From:    TEAM Office
Date:    September 22, 2020
Re:      New and Noteworthy

Reminder TEAM Scholarships: There is still time to submit an application for a TEAM Scholarship. The deadline is this Friday, September 25th, end of day. TEAM will award scholarships to members and members’ children as follows:
- Four $500 scholarships to TEAM members to help defray the cost of a work or career related academic or vocational course or seminar, and
- Four $1,000 scholarships to dependent children, including stepchildren, of TEAM members enrolled in first year post-secondary education at university, community college, trade school or an apprenticeship program.

Details of the scholarships, eligibility criteria, and application forms are available here.

IFPTE WSN Conference Call on Unconscious Bias: TEAM and the IFPTE’s Women’s Solidarity Network invite you to attend a presentation on Unconscious Bias, as part of the WSN’s 5^th Women & Unions International Conference Call Series. Learn about the subtle ways bias permeates into our daily lives. Featured speaker, Joelle Allen, Chief Inclusion Strategist from Interaction Traction will examine what unconscious bias is and how it operates. She will also highlight what it commonly looks like in the workplace, providing suggestions on what to do in various circumstances. The call will be held on Wednesday, September 30^th from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. TEAM will release participating members from their work duties and reimburse the Company for the time to attend. If you are interested in attending, please click here.

Increased DB Pension Contributions: Some members may have noticed an increased “MTS DB Contributions” amount on their pay stubs recently. This contribution increase is a function of our DB Pension Plan and occurs annually for plan members who reach the Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) amount, which for 2020 is $58,700. Once the YMPE for the year is reached, employees cease paying into CPP, and our DB plan contributions increase from 5.1% to 7% of eligible earnings under the Plan for the remainder of the calendar year.

TEAM Bargaining Unit Downsizing:The EVRTIP announced in early March remains on hold. The Company has no update at this time about if, or when, they will proceed with the job reductions.

Contact Information Update Request: If you have moved within the past 12 months, and/or would like to receive TEAM emails to your personal email address, please click here and provide your new mailing address and/or personal email address to the TEAM Office.

New and Noteworthy September 22nd 2020