MURA member librarians and library TMG retirees:

This message is being forwarded to you from CURAC, the College and University Retiree Associations of Canada.

To CURAC/ARUCC member associations:

Our friends at Academics Without Borders have asked us to share the following volunteer opportunity with you.

Academics Without Borders is looking for a librarian to go to the University of Central Asia (in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) on a project to assist its library staff to fully utilize the Integrated Library Management Software “OCLC WMS Worldshare”. The staff need expert support and training from an experienced systems librarian in order to obtain full understanding and competence in the use of the software. The full listing for this volunteer opportunity can be found here: https://www.awb-usf.org/library-science-at-university-of-central-asia/. We welcome both current and retired faculty and staff members to apply.

Please direct any questions to:

Mindy Gordon
Executive Officer & Board Secretary
Academics Without Borders/Universitaires sans frontières
mgordon@awb-usf.org

Registration Open!
Registration is now open again for Caregiving Essentials. Please see the attached poster for more detail.

Further information, including registration instructions, can be found here: https://surveys.mcmaster.ca/limesurvey/index.php/92286?lang=en or by contacting crgvr@mcmaster.ca

Program Update
In 2018/19, McMaster Centre for Continuing Education, the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and THRIVE group developed and offered Caregiving Essentials twice, reaching 140 caregiver participants. For 2019-2021, we are pleased to have entered into a partnership with the Regional Geriatric Programs of Ontario to offer the course at least 4 times over the next 2 years.

Program Details
Caregiving Essentials is a free, 8-week online course for family or informal caregivers of older adults. Participants will work through online training at their own pace and when it is most convenient (30 - 60 minutes/week is recommended). There are no assignments or grades, rather, participants will be guided through informative modules and a wide variety of resources. Participants will be prompted to participate in online discussions with others in similar situations and to create a Caregiver Action Plan (CAP).

Do you want to meet new people of all ages? Are you interested in sharing your story? Do you want to participate in casual social gatherings? 

Starting this September, the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA), together with Residence Life Services at McMaster University, will begin offering intergenerational social programming on campus. This programming will give older adults and undergraduate students in residence the opportunity to socialize, build new relationships, and learn more about each other. 

For more information, please contact Allison Ward at warda2@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ext. 21428.

Please note that MIRA will reimburse participants for parking expenses for the length of the program (e.g. 2 hour passes).

 

Here’s an opportunity from McMaster Continuing Education.

Have questions about the process or the program? Contact us at conted@mcmaster.ca.

We are pleased to inform you that the Board of Governors has approved the following increases to pensions effective January 2019:

For retirees of the Salaried Pension Plan, there will be a regular pension increase of 1.89% for retirees who were receiving a pension on June 30, 2018. Those who retired between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 will receive a pro-rated increase. There will be no supplementary increase this year. Details can be found at: http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/pensions/increase/salaried.

For retirees of the Hourly Pension Plan, there will be a regular pension increase of 1.89% for retirees who were receiving a pension on June 30, 2018. Those who retired between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 will receive a pro-rated increase. Details can be found at: http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/pensions/increase/salaried.

The Class of ’69 will host their 50th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, June 1, 2019, and would enjoy seeing their former faculty at this gathering.

The McMaster Alumni Association is looking for faculty from a variety of areas of study to attend this celebration as special guests. There will be activities throughout the day and a 50th anniversary dinner in the evening. Retired faculty members from this era are welcome to participate as they are able. Please contact Laura Escalante at escalan@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ext. 21314 for more information.

- from McMaster's Department of  Human Resources

McMaster has partnered with Venngo to offer the ‘WorkPerks’ employee discount program to all employees and retirees of McMaster University.

This program gives access to special deals and discounts – or perks – from over 1,700 brand name merchants across Canada and trusted local businesses. Discounts are available for employees and retirees and their family members on everything from clothing and shoes to tickets and restaurants, using location-based services and in-store or online redemptions. Employees and retirees can access the perks using the WorkPerks website that has been set up exclusively for McMaster University, or by using an Apple or Android mobile app.

Please visit the website to learn more about the program and to create an account using your McMaster email address.

Please note that you must use an active McMaster email address to sign up for this offer. Email addresses other than those ending with  "@mcmaster.ca" cannot be used for WorkPerks. Information about McMaster retiree email accounts is available at UTS retiree email.

This past July, McMaster University implemented a new process for updating Sun Life Financial with member and dependent benefit enrolment information. Since this change some retirees have experienced issues with their claims coverage.

In the majority of cases, retirees should expect to continue to receive the same coverage and reimbursements as they have had since they retired, and should also experience no change to the process used to submit claims and receive reimbursements.

If you encounter changes to your usual coverage or denial of coverage by Sun Life, Sun Life’s decision should be compared with the provisions of your particular retiree group benefit plan. If there is a discrepancy:

1. Check with Sun Life 1-877-786-7227 for an explanation.
2. If you believe there may be an error in your enrolment information, please call the Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 22247, and ask them to check your enrolment information with Sun Life to validate you are set up in the correct plan with the correct coverage
3. If these steps do not resolve your issue, please let MURA know by email to mura@mcmaster.ca or by leaving a phone message at 905-525-9140, extension 23171. Council members will assist as far as possible in finding a resolution.
   

MURA has requested that Human Resources audit all retiree benefit records to ensure that Sun Life has the correct information for every retiree and dependent spouse.

For more information, see Retirees experiencing issues with Sun Life health & dental claims, in the Fall 2017 issue of MURAnews.

MURA is looking for a trips & special events coordinator to arrange day trips for MURA members and friends. If you like to go on day trips with other retirees, please consider taking on this role.

You would work with other members of MURA’s Trips & Special Events Committee to plan and coordinate one or more day trips per year. These might be trips to concerts, theatres or art galleries, outdoor activities, walking tours, dining out, lectures or workshops, and could include any activities that might be of interest to our members.

If you would like to volunteer or to find out more, please send us an email or leave a message at 905-525-9140 ext. 23171.