All major B.C. forest products employers with USW employees participate in the IWA Forest Industry LTD Plan. Established in 1988, this plan is jointly funded (on a 50%-50% basis) by the employers and the employees. Until mid 2010 both employer and employee contributed 40 cents per hour for every hour worked by covered employees. Industry-USW negotiations in 2010 resulted in an increase in contribution rates so that the rates went to 60 cents per hour by both employer and employee for every hour worked for covered employees. For most Coastal operations, in 2020, the contribution rates were reduced to 38 cents per hour by both employer and employee.
The LTD Plan provides monthly benefit payment , rehabilitation services and collateral benefits (Dental, ,Extended Health, ,and MSP) to members who have been off work due to disability for more than 26 weeks. The disability payments continue until the member is either no longer disabled or has been rehabilitated and is “job ready” for other work or has reached age 60.
Adjudication of LTD claims and the evaluation of medical evidence is done by a separate organization , FIDAS (Forest Industry Disability Adjudication Service).
The LTD Plan is governed by 8 trustees, appointed equally by Management and the Union. The three founding employer associations (FIR, CONIFER, IFLRA) and the Union (now the USW) are the settlors of the trust and are responsible for appointing the trustees, who oversee and govern the Plan.
The Trustees perform their governance duties through the Full Board meetings but there is also an Appeals Committee of the Board which regularly reviews and decides on member appeals.
The Plan has fulltime staff and offices at 2100-3777 Kingsway Street in Burnaby. There is a Chief Exectutive Officer, Mark Guiton; an LTD Claims and Rehabilitation Manager (Steve Matovic), and Rehabilitation Officers, some located in regional centres at Prince George, Penticton, Nanaimo and Comox.
The LTD Plan Annual Report is available at www.iwafibp.ca/booklets-&-annual-reports