Our Lifestyle and Wellness Spending Account (LWSA) that we negotiated as part of the last bargaining round just got bumped to $375 per eligible member. The instructions are nearly unchanged so make sure you apply and get the money you are entitled to!
>> Click here for instructions on how to claim your $375!
Unfortunately, faculty members have only accessed 30% of the one-time contribution of $152,119 to the fund—and we want to make sure that we use the whole fund up. Rest assured, your canny 2022-2025 Bargaining Team made certain that any excess funds did not return to the Employer’s coffers, but we want to make the most efficient use of this money—and that’s putting it in our members’ pockets.
If you already made a claim and were reimbursed for $250 or less (the original maximum allowed), you can make another claim (or multiple claims) so that the total amount reimbursed is $375. If you have not yet made a claim, you are eligible for the full $375 too. You can even get reimbursed for claims submitted after Jan 1, 2024 that you have already received some money for (for example, a stand-up paddle board worth $450), but you will need to submit it again as a new claim. That is, the old claim won’t be readjudicated automatically.
Because this fund was tied to a one-time contribution from the government mandate in year one of the three-year contract, only faculty employed on Sept 1, 2023—that’s last year, not this year—are eligible. This includes term and post-retirement faculty, however, so be sure to email me at ac.ytlucafnusomac@gniniagrab if you have a question about your eligibility.
The criteria for the fund are extremely broad and generous: unlike most LWSAs, it includes athletic clothing, artistic and cultural activities, stress management activities, vitamins, and supplements–as well as more traditional activities like club memberships, fitness classes, and sports equipment.
Yes, we know the application process is slightly onerous, but this is your money and part of your total compensation package as Camosun Faculty. Make sure to claim it!
Michael Stewart
Contract Negotiations Chair, CCFA Executive, Victoria/Lekwungen/W̱SÁNEĆ
Michael Stewart teaches literature, composition, and creative writing in the English Department at Camosun College. He is the former Opinions Editor for rabble.ca, a PhD quitter, and union thug.
[…] If you are eligible, your Lifestyle & Wellness Savings Account has been upgraded! […]