Former employees of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. could be eligible for pension benefits even if they haven’t worked for the company since the 1980s.
Those eligible include farmers who worked part-time as adjusters between 1981 and 1999.
Crop insurance is seeking former workers to resolve claims under a settlement agreement reached several years ago.
“It is a priority of SCIC,” said chief executive officer Shawn Jaques. “We want to get this settled.”
The agreement stemmed from a lawsuit originally filed by the Sask-atchewan Government and General Employees’ Union in 1997 involving several government agencies, including crop insurance.
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Legislation had been amended May 19, 1981, to make non-permanent employees eligible for pension benefits.
The lawsuit claimed that not all temporary, per diem and part-time workers had been informed they could participate.
A settlement with the government was eventually reached in 2007, and it took several more years to work out the details.
“What has occurred is the Public Service Commission was responsible for working through the terms of the settlement with executive government, and the treasury board crowns, which SCIC is part of, were responsible to work through their own settlements,” Jaques said.
Crop insurance recently sent out 400 letters to former employees telling them they might be eligible for the benefits. Advertisements are also alerting people to the possible lost pensions.
Eligible claimants will have worked for crop insurance between 1981 and 1999, have no documentation showing they had an option to join the Public Employees’ Pension Plan when they began non-permanent employment, and worked for crop insurance for not more than 936 hours over consecutive years.
Former employees are eligible to make a claim even if they joined the pension plan part way through their term of employment. They also cannot have made a previous claim.
Farmers who worked as casual adjusters could be eligible, but marketing agents were hired on contract and are not eligible to make claims.
Jaques said payment amounts will depend on how long claimants worked and at what salary.
“I can’t even begin to estimate the number of people or the cost,” he said.
Thirty-one people had come forward within days of the first advertisements being published.
Claims must be submitted by July 31, and Jaques said the deadline is firm.
The corporation has set up a toll free line at 855-282-9762, an email at nonppc1@scic.gov.sk.ca and a link on its website at www.saskcropinsurance.com/nonppermpension to try to find as many former workers as possible.
A claims consultant is also working on the matter full time.
