Benefits
Chair	Mary Alice Guttman	maryalice.guttman@utoronto.ca
Members	Tom Alloway, Ruth Pike, Scott Rogers, Peter Russell, Eva Spevak, Jack Stevenson

The general function of the Benefits Committee is to monitor, review and attempt to improve on all aspects of medical and non-medical benefits, with the exception of pensions, as they affect academic and librarian retirees of the University of Toronto and surviving beneficiaries.

In addition to the medical and dental plans available to retirees through the University, there is a wide variety of other benefits, from a variety of sources, which may be of interest to retirees. They include, but are not limited to:

• Academic benefits in the University, such as library access, computer and internet services, software discounts, research and publication grants, work space, and teaching and academic supervision opportunities as well as compensation for the same;
• Services and subventions from University, governmental and community sources regarding health, welfare and housing;
• Affinity relationships, under the aegis of policies adopted by RALUT regarding them, with organizations offering goods or services to retirees and their surviving beneficiaries.

In particular the Committee's duties are:

1. To be informed about benefits available to retirees and their surviving beneficiaries from the University, as well as government and community sources.

2. To monitor changes and developments, within and outside the University, which affect or might affect benefits to retirees, and to conduct such research as may be necessary to fulfill its duties.

3. To facilitate, though means such as the Reporter and the RALUT web site, the understanding of available benefits, services, advice and policies among academic and librarian retirees.

4. To offer, on request and as appropriate, the good offices of RALUT to its members and their surviving beneficiaries, if and when they encounter difficulties with respect to their benefits.

5. To identify and to promote "best practices" in benefits, and to work with the University to foster a mutually beneficial continuing relationship between the University and its academic and librarian retirees and surviving beneficiaries.

6. To liaise, under direction from the RALUT Board of Directors, with UTFA, especially through the retiree representatives on UTFA Council, regarding benefits negotiations with the University.

7. To report regularly on its activities and to make recommendations regarding benefits to the RALUT Board of Directors.

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