ETFO OTF Table Officer Diane Dewing followed the presentation of OTF President Chris Cowley and reinforced the importance of the partnership agreement that governs the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. The plan continues to be a top-earning pension plan that is supported by a $10.3 billion surplus.
The surplus has allowed the fund to discontinue conditional indexing for those who retired after 2009, and to reduce contribution rates for active members by 1.1%.
The fund surplus has been placed in an internal fund that can be accessed only with the agreement of both partners. This contingency reserve will mitigate against future funding volatility, stabilize benefits and contribution rates, and protect plan members should a plan partner wish to access their portion of the surplus.
During a question period, Diane responded to delegate complaints about the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) over-reaching its mandate. She outlined how the Ontario Teachers’ Federation and the affiliates have pushed back on the College’s “mandate creep.” She talked about the importance of members attending OCT board meetings to demonstrate the extent to which they expect the College to respect members and use of their fees.
Diane is the incoming president of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation.