Whether you use them or not, your health ‘benefits’ as of January 1st are costing you more.

At a Labour Relations meeting in late December with Optimum Consultants and Actuaries, BTS was advised that unionized employees are subject to a 13.9% increase in cost for their health care benefits.

By contrast, Bell employees will not see an increase in the cost of their health benefits; in fact, they will continue to pay nothing for their benefits. That’s right–no deductions on their paycheques for benefits.

A full-time BTS employee has over $1,400 per year deducted from their paycheque for health care benefits. That’s on top of the portion that BTS contributes–over $4,500–for full-timers.

If the money you pay for your benefits were instead deposited into a Tax-Free Savings Account with moderate interest, in ten years’ time you would have over $20,000!

$20,000 isn’t chump change. It’s college tuition. It’s caregiving for parents. A home renovation.

Common sense says this is wrong. We all know that BTS and Bell are one company. Our employer needs to treat us all equally.

But instead of daydreaming about the money we don’t have, let’s plan for the day when we’re equal to our Bell counterparts. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

A full-time BTS employee has over $1,400 per year deducted from their paycheque for health care benefits. That’s on top of the portion that BTS contributes–over $4,500–for full-timers.

If the money you pay for your benefits was instead deposited into a Tax-Free Savings Account with moderate interest, in ten years time you would have over $20,000!

$20,000 isn’t chump change. It’s a college tuition. It’s caregiving for parents. A home renovation.

But instead of daydreaming about the money we don’t have, let’s plan for the day when we’re equal to our Bell counterparts. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.