In education, teaching personnel in the public sectors and private elementary and high schools are usually covered by the Act respecting the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan (RREGOP). Some employees may, however, also be covered by plans that are now closed but still in force for some teachers, such as the Teachers Pension Plan (TPP) or the Pension Plan of Certain Teachers (PPCT).
Given the type of collective agreements at universities, the provisions on pensions for lecturers, Teluq tutors and teaching assistants are agreed upon in the framework of negotiations between the unions and university management. The University group debates and provides support directly for provisions of the pension plans covering the various categories of employees in universities, while the CFARR (FNEEQ Insurance and Pensions Committee) is responsible for dealing with any matters that affect the plans for unions in the CEGEP and private-school groups.
When it comes to collective bargaining, although the RREGOP is a statute that can only be amended by a vote of Québec’s National Assembly, improvements and changes are agreed upon during rounds of collective bargaining in the public sector. Pensions are considered to be a matter for the central bargaining table, and as the union body negotiating for CEGEP teaching staff, the CEGEP group is responsible for addressing these issues and the conclusion of the discussions on these matters between the Conseil du trésor and union representatives. So at the FNEEQ, mandates for collective bargaining on pension plan provisions are more a matter for the CEGEP group, which entrusts them to its Bargaining and Mobilization Committee. Note that the concerted approach to work within the CSN means that FNEEQ representatives sit on the CSN’s co-ordinating committee for negotiations in the public and parapublic sectors, where they consult and work with the other three CSN federations that represent members in the public sector.
Clicking on the CARRA tab takes you to the web site for the Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d’assurance (CARRA – pensions and insurance administrative board), whose job it is to administer the pension plans entrusted to it by the Québec government or by law. On the CARRA’s site there are forms, information and clarifications about all the plans still in force for teachers in CEGEPs and private institutions.
Dealing mainly with the RREGOP and the pension plans in force in CEGEPs and private schools, the CFARR presents information about these plans and provides references that may be useful for the teachers in these institutions.
Resources for specific pension information
For specific information about pensions, there are two web sites worth knowing about. First of all, the Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et des assurances (CARRA – pensions and insurance administrative board)) has a very complete and user-friendly site. Resources include an administrative guide that covers all the topics relating to pension issues. Secondly, the most accurate and complete source of information on pensions is the Act respecting Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan. Both these sites are updated continuously.
For informations in french on the following topics prepared by the CFARR, click here to reach the web page :
- Pension eligibility
- On-line estimators for calculating pensions and the cost of buying back years of service or pension credits
- Calculation of indexation of the RREGOP pension
- Actuarial reduction and buy-back
- Pension benefits payable to the spouse in the event of death
