What is UHIP and why do I need it?

UHIP is an insurance plan that provides medical coverage for international employees who are not eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), or for those who are in the 3 month waiting period for OHIP.

If you’re an international employee are you are required to enrol yourself and your immediate family in UHIP.

Where can I learn more about UHIP?

Visit https://www.trentu.ca/currentstudents/international/health-insurance to learn more about what coverage you have with UHIP, and how to submit your claims.

Is there a reimbursement?

Recognizing that CUPE members coming from abroad pay much more for UHIP, international members who demonstrate the need for financial assistance may apply for assistance with UHIP premium costs, up to a maximum per member of $200.00 per year.

Whoʼs eligible?

All full-time Graduate Teaching Assistants (working appointments totalling 120 hrs for the year) without OHIP coverage may submit applications for reimbursement.

How do I apply for reimbursement?

To apply for UHIP reimbursement fill out the UHIP form located here.

You will need to provide a description of your financial situation that demonstrates need for the reimbursement. Remember to keep any documents you have that will support your application.

Members can submit applications three times per year:

• Fall: November 15
• Winter: March 15
• Summer: July 15

The Gender Affirmation Fund is an annual fund of $5000 created specifically to celebrate and support our transgender membership. This fund will reset at the start of each Fall semester.

The details of this fund will be finalized at a special Joint Committee meeting within the next 2 to 3 months. 

This page will be updated once details are finalized.

The CUPE 3908 Comfort fund celebrates and recognizes important moments in the lives of our members through a $50 gift card from the local. These moments may include but are not limited to: a birth, a marriage, an illness, a passing of a loved one.

Please make all submissions no later than two months after the date of the event.

To submit a request, please click here and fill out our online form: https://goo.gl/forms/qPCaqzr1unH6N7MA3

For most of our members it is quite clear if they are a Unit 1 member or a Unit 2 member. All Unit 2 members are also students at Trent University. For our Unit 2 members who are working a Unit 1 position, it may not be so clear.

There are two situations where a Unit 2 member can hold a Unit 1 position:

1. A Student may be appointed to a Unit 1 position (as per Article 5.09 of the Unit 1 Collective Agreement).
2. A Student may apply for a Unit 1 position via the normal posting procedures outlined in the Unit 1 CA. This simple means that a member has been hired via competition, and not through an appointment.
   

In situation 2, where a student is the successful candidate through competition, for the duration of their contract, they will be subject to all rights, responsibilities, and privileges under the Unit 1 CA. Please note that a course instructor approval form is required.

This means that our Unit 2 Members who hold Unit 1 Course Instructor positions are eligible to earn Right of First Refusal (RFR) for their courses. To learn more about RFR, please visit the Unit 1 page, read the RFR infographic, or view the RFR slideshow. 

We encourage all Unit 2 members who are subject to the Unit 1 CA to familiarize themselves with the Unit 1 CA.