Establishing Eligibility for Benefits

If you need to claim either short term disability or vision, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be in good standing and qualify for the hour bank.
2. Members who have a minimum of 280 hours automatically qualify for the bank.
3. Bought-up hours DO NOT allow you to qualify.  Hours must be paid working hours under a Local 873 contract.

You will need to re-establish your eligibility every 2 years to re-qualify for these benefits.  Once a claim is approved, your hour bank is frozen which means that the required 140 hours for health benefits will not be withdrawn until your claim ends or you return to work; whichever is sooner.

Submitting Claims and Claims Payment

If you think you are eligible, contact the union office – benefits@iaste873.com or health-rrsp@iatse873.com for claim forms.

• All claims are administered & paid by Canada Life (formerly Great-West Life)
• Claim forms must be completed by a licensed physician.
• It is your responsibility to provide all necessary medical information to Canada Life to have your claim paid or to have your claim extended past the return-to-work date. Failure to do so will result in payment being delayed or the claim being cancelled.
• Claims are paid weekly at a rate equal to the maximum EI benefit (+) a $200 top-up.
• All amounts are payable to you personally and will not be issued to your corporation or company.
• This benefit amount will increase whenever the EI maximum changes.
• You may only claim a maximum of 52 weeks every 2 years
• The weekly amount paid may be reduced if you receive any other income.  All income amounts must be provided to Canada Life.
• Your income cannot exceed more than 100% of your gross income from when you were working.
• If you claim EI benefits at the same time as Short-Term Disability, it will affect the amount you receive weekly.
• If you claim EI benefits before your Short-Term Disability, you will only serve one (1) waiting period.

Short Term Disability benefit waiting period:

• Benefits are payable on the 1st day of an Accident and 1st day of a Hospitalization claim that is accepted for payment under the Local 873 Short Term Disability plan with Canada Life.
• Sickness benefits will have a 7-day waiting period with benefits being paid as of the 8^th day of being off work.
• Members who remain eligible for coverage may claim up to a maximum of 52 weeks in a qualifying two-year period.
• Your first benefit payment for the initial period will be issued first in most cases, and then you can expect future payments to be issued at the end of each week.
• Your short‐term disability premiums for your coverage are paid by the IATSE Health & Welfare Trust so your payments are taxable back to you as income.
• A T4A form for the prior year will be issued by Canada Life prior to February 28.

For information on how to submit a claim for vision can be found under:  Vision