CUPE members and staff are being told by employers that the comprehensive benefit plan cannot be maintained at the present cost and the employer is determined that his premiums not increase.

Employers use many tactics to try to reduce benefit costs. It can be difficult to argue against many of the employers’ demands to erode benefit plans because they essentially all accomplish the same thing – reduce benefit costs to employers at more or less cost to members of the plan.

Usually locals are at a disadvantage when employers present cost cutting proposals because we don’t have the same access to plan statistics and plan provider experts. Where the local finds itself in a numbers game with the employer, it may be appropriate to examine an alternative like pooling so that the same or better coverage can be provided to a larger group of employees at less cost.

Download the fact sheet and learn some of the ways employers try to whittle away at benefit costs.