Count on your pension -- Make your vote count

Every teacher in Manitoba will have an opportunity to vote to support the implementation of the Tim Sale report. Retired teachers will also vote.

Why should I care?
You are a member of the Teachers’ Retirement Allowances Fund (TRAF). No matter what stage you are in your career, every teacher hopes to retire one day.

What will the cost be for me if I vote yes?
There is no added costs for active teachers if they vote yes.

Won't my pension contribution level go up if I vote yes?
No. Contributions will not rise because of the implemention of the Sale Report.

Why should I vote YES?
By voting yes, MTS hopes it will persuade government to make immediate changes to improve the cost of living adjustment (COLA) as recommended in the Tim Sale report.

What’s a COLA?
COLA is the annual increase in amount of pension that retired teachers receive. It is based on the consumer price index.

What’s the problem with the COLA now?
Each year a COLA is paid based on what the pension plan can afford. For several years the COLA has been below inflation.

Why a plebiscite?
The Society believes that there is support from the majority of members of TRAF to make changes to the pension plan that would result in an increased COLA now. The government wants an indication of that support.

What does a YES vote mean to me?
MTS urges government to implement the Sale Report recommendations. This would mean an immediate and significant improvement in COLA. This year alone, the COLA paid to retired teachers would double from 0.7% to 1.4%. Once paid, the COLA becomes part of the basic benefit for subsequent years, so that money compounds every year.

What does a NO Vote mean to me?
Reject the Sale Report and there will be no change to the current or projected COLA.  The projected COLA would be somewhere between 0.5% and 1.0% for the foreseeable future.

More questions?
Call 831-3088 or 1-866-931-8641

Email: voteyesforcola@mbteach.org