Health and Welfare benefits (Weekly Indemnity pay during short term disability and life insurance) have been provided under the Coast Master Agreement since 1961. Since January 1 ,2010,covered employees receive these benefits from a new plan, the USW-Coastal Forest Industry Health and Welfare Plan, the result of a merger between the two previous H&W Plans.

The Plan is jointly trusteed with 4 management trustees appointed by FIR Labour Relations Ltd. and 4 union trustees appointed by the USW. The Trustees have overall responsibility for the Plan but have an administrative services contract with Pacific Blue Cross who perform all the routine functions of collection of contributions, adjudication, and processing of claims including following up on medical files, etc. and reporting to the Board of Trustees.

The Weekly Indemnity portion of this Plan allows an employee, who has a non-occupational injury or sickness, to collect a weekly benefit of $750 (effective Jan 1st, 2023), commencing on the first day of his disability (if due to an accident) or the sixth day of a disability (if due to illness) until he is no longer disabled or until the maximum benefit period of 26 weeks is reached.

The Group Life portion of this Plan provides a group life insurance benefit to qualified employees in the amount specified in their collective agreement. Accidental Death and Dismemberment provides additional insurance coverage in the same amount as the group life coverage for deaths which occur due to accidents and benefits for such things as loss of arms, legs, eyesight, etc.

Most employers pay a common monthly rate for their employees’ coverage. However, to encourage effective disability management, the Plan surcharges those operations with significantly higher than average claims experience (on a 3 year rolling average basis) and provides an experience rated rebate of premiums to operations which have significantly lower average claims experience.