Dental-Medical Plan available to more Clerk IIs & Junior Clerks!

Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518, and a Trustee of the UFCW Health & Welfare Trust, has announced that the details have been finalized to make it easier for Clerk IIs and Junior Clerks to qualify for the Dental Plan and Extended Health Plan. The new coverage means that a greater number of Junior Clerks and Demonstrators (Save-On/Overwaitea), and Clerk IIs and Starbucks employees (Safeway) will qualify for benefits.

As of January 1, 2008, dental benefits and an extended health plan will be available to Junior Clerks and Clerk IIs who meet the following criteria:

• Minimum 6 months continuous employment;
• 22 or more hours worked averaged over the previous 13 weeks employment.

The expanded Plans came about when after reviewing costs of the Plans, the UFCW Health & Welfare Trustees agreed last week that it was feasible to extend the Dental and Health Care Benefits.

"We are really pleased with being able to establish these benefits for a far greater number of members," says Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518, and a Trustee of the UFCW Health & Welfare Trust. "This is good news for the union's members who have stuck around and continued working for these employers. While giving them greater access to benefits and important medical services, it also covers their eligible dependents too."

"We put a lot of work into negotiating this plan with the employer Trustees and had to overcome some resistance from them too," says Limpright, "and at the end of the day, the financial position on the UFCW Health & Welfare Trust and logic of our arguments won the day--we fought for and won this on behalf of the members. This is an important step, and we intend to keep building on this as we work towards the goal of equality and opportunity in these workplaces for all union members!"

"The expanded Dental Plan and Extended Health Benefit access will take effect on January 1, 2008, and once we've got the details in writing from the Trust, we'll be mailing information out that describes the details of the Plan to members who qualify," he added. "We'll also make information on the Plan available to everyone through the website, union bulletin boards, and other communication tools we have. We want to make sure the members know about these benefits, and make good use of them."