What happens to my current pension funds if we move to Unifor?

We know retirement security is a critical issue for GardaWorld workers. We also know that many suffered losses in the transition from your previous plan with the Teamsters to your current defined contribution plan with CLAC.

With your current defined contribution pension plan, all members are fully vested and the account balance in your plan is portable. This means that should you and your co-workers choose to move to Unifor, your account balance as at that point in time will be eligible to transfer directly to a new plan without loss.

With Unifor, your workplace will have access to a Pension and Benefits department that works with you to ensure we meet your expectations for retirement security. This access means you will not be shoehorned into a single off-the-shelf plan or program simply to suit someone else’s interests. Unifor is able to offer your workplace multiple options on pensions, including defined benefit, defined contribution and hybrid target benefit plans to democratically decided and selected by members in your workplace.

During this time, Unifor Pension and Benefits staff will work with the membership at YYC to understand the options and once a plan is selected, they will assist in implementation moving forward. Unifor is committed to ensuring you do not just have a plan but you have the full understanding of the plan and the security you have in retirement.

Drop-in Meetings

In order to get to know you better and answer any questions you may have, we are hosting further drop-in meetings next week. Unifor representatives will be present throughout, including a member from Air Canada at YYC. Feel free to drop-in at any point. If you cannot make the drop in, you can always reach out at the contact below for a confidential conversation. We will also be arranging online video presentations, so stay tuned for more information on those.

Unifor/GardaWorld Drop-in Meetings

Calgary Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel – Stratus A Room (Mezzanine Level)

Monday January 3 – 1000-2000 (10am-8pm)

Tuesday January 4 – 1000-2000 (10am-8pm)

Wednesday January 5 – 1000-2000 (10am-8pm)

Note: the Marriott requires proof of double vaccination to attend meetings in the hotel. If a worker does not meet these requirements or prefers to meet at another time, a Unifor organizer will safely arrange to meet them at another location.

Next Steps

If you have not already done so, you can sign your electronic union card below. Signing a union card is an important step towards showing support for Unifor in your workplace. All union cards are confidential. From any touchscreen device, you will be able to sign your card and pay a $5 dollar fee. The fee is a requirement of the federal labour board, not of Unifor. Once completed, you’ll be asked to verify your email address, then the completed card will be sent to your inbox!

Sign a union card here

If you have signed, you can encourage you co-workers to sign by sharing the link below. To help a co-worker sign a union card, share this link: https://join.unifor.org/gardacard

If they are not prepared to sign just yet, they can sign up to receive more information through our GardaWorld webpage below. To help a co-worker get more information share this link: https://join.unifor.org/gardaworld

We look forward to connecting soon.

Happy New Year,

Bruce Fafard, Unifor National Representative

[email protected] // 587-341-0945

Justin Gniposky, Unifor National Representative

[email protected] // 416-275-6389