Phone/video appointments for Aspen Planers - Flavelle Sawmill members

In response to the recently announced Aspen Planers - Flavelle Sawmill closure, pension specialists from the Plan Office will be available for one-on-one phone and video consultations with affected members October 7 – 9. 

To book your 30-minute consultation, visit calendly.com/planoffice/flavelle. You’ll be prompted to book a phone call or video appointment through Zoom, whichever you prefer. Follow the instructions and be sure to include your current phone number and email address. Once you’ve signed-up for an appointment, you’ll receive a confirmation email and calendar invite.

Videos: Understanding your Long Term Disability Plan and Rehabilitation Services and what to do if you become disabled

Watch these short explainer videos to understand what it means to be a member of the IWA—Forest Industry Long Term Disability Plan, to guide you through your disability and to understand your Rehabilitation Services.

LTD Annual Report 2019

We are pleased to present the LTD plan annual report for the year ending December 31, 2019.

Pension Plan Annual Report 2019

We are pleased to present the pension plan annual report for the year ending December 31, 2019.

Plan Office closed to members

Plan Office closed to members: all services available via mail, phone or online. 

In these extraordinary times, the safety of Plan Office staff and the protection of members and their plans are of utmost concern. Following the BC Ministry of Health’s recommended precautions, our Burnaby office is currently limited to essential services only. We are doing our best to minimize service disruptions, and we will continue to update this space should any of the following change in this rapidly evolving environment.  

Burnaby Office

• We are no longer accepting member drop-ins or appointments at our Burnaby office.
• Couriers are asked to leave packages at the front door.

Members receiving payment from the pension or LTD plan

• Direct deposit payments will continue as usual.
• Cheques will be mailed for the time being, but members are strongly encouraged to sign-up for direct deposit to ensure continued payment in the event of a complete office shutdown. To sign-up for direct deposit, complete and fax or email a direct deposit form to the Plan Office. This form is available on our website at iwafibp.ca/forms. All personal information must be emailed securely. If you are not sure how to do this, please contact us first before sending in any forms or other personal information. 

Members undergoing rehabilitation

• Rehabilitation counselors are currently only available via phone and email. In person visits are postponed until further notice.

Communication with the Plan Office

• For faster service, we recommend faxing (604.433.0518) or emailing pension@iwafibp.ca or ltdrehab@iwafipb.ca for pension and ltd/rehab related inquiries. Be careful when emailing us: all personal information must be emailed securely. If you are not sure how to do this, please contact us first before sending in any forms or other personal information. 
• Limited staff will be in the office to receive mail if you cannot email or fax us, but this will result in processing delays.

Processing delays

• For the safety of Plan Office staff, we have reduced the number of personnel in the office. This will affect the time it takes to process applications, including new pension applications, break in service applications, rehabilitation applications. Please allow for more processing time than usual.
• All applications and concerns will be addressed in a first-come-first-serve sequence.

Employers

• Continue to submit contributions via EmployerConnect.
• Use EmployerConnect to securely message the Plan Office, or email contributions@iwafibp.ca.

Plan funding

• At a time like this, you might be wondering about the health and funding status of the pension and LTD plans. We would like to reassure members that we are well equipped to protect members’ benefits for the future. Market performance in any one year is always unpredictable and can be volatile, and while the plans are not immune to market fluctuations, the plans' long-term horizons means we are able to weather short-term volatility.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all navigate this difficult time together. Stay safe.

Video: your pension plan explained

Watch this short explainer video to learn what it means to be an IWA—Forest Industry Pension Plan member, as well as who the Plan Office is. 

After Work Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2020 issue

The spring/summer issue of AFTER WORK is now available for download, and will be mailed to all members this June. AFTER WORK is a newsletter is for members and participating employers of the IWA–Forest Industry Pension & LTD Plans. It includes important plan updates, and news and tips from the Plan Office.

AFTER WORK Spring/Summer 2020

Unpaid COVID-19 related leave

The BC government has updated the Employment Standards Act (ESA) to allow employees to take unpaid leave relating to COVID-19. Full details can be found on the BC government’s website.

Like other unpaid leaves of absence (maternity, compassionate care, bereavement etc.) members must continue to pay contributions in order to remain covered by the pension and/or LTD plans during their absence. If members continue to make employee contributions, their employers are also required to continue to pay employer contributions.

We have replaced our maternity/parental leave waivers and other leave consent waivers with a new form called contributions during an unpaid leave. This leave form includes the new COVID-19 provision. This form is available on the Plan Office website at iwafibp.ca/employer-forms. Members and their employers must complete this form to notify the Plan Office of their contribution decision during any unpaid leave of absence as outlined in the ESA. 

Please contact contributions@iwafibp.ca if you have any questions. 

Elimination of MSP premiums and end of MSP group plan coverage effective December 31, 2019

Starting January 1, 2020, if you are receiving LTD benefits you will have to deal directly with MSP when it comes to keeping your account up to date or if you have any changes. Please see the attached MSP notice for details:

MSP - End of group plan coverage notice

Government retirement bridging benefit

The BC government recently announced a retirement bridging program to financially help forest industry workers in the BC interior affected by mill closures and curtailments. 

Eligible workers can now apply for the government retirement bridging program through the government website, or in person at a Service BC office. 

This bridging program IS NOT related in any way to the IWA–Forest Industry Pension Plan. If you have any questions about the bridging program, please visit this government website or your local Service BC office, or call 1.844.901.0970.