Dear Local 44 Sisters and Brothers,
As mentioned yesterday, please use this link to get the Phase 2 documents for your review and use. We have combined both the summary as well as the full contractual language for your convenience. We will also be sending out virtual town hall departmental meeting invitations next week, so be sure to check your email for those. Thank you again for your participation and patience as we get everyone back to work safely.
In Solidarity,
Tobey Bays
Business Agent
We will process LWA payments in two phases:
Phase 1
Phase one began on September 7, 2020. If you indicated that you were unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19 when filing for unemployment, whether it was regular Unemployment Insurance or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, you will automatically receive LWA payments. No further action is needed.
LWA payments are being issued based on when you certified for regular Unemployment Insurance or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits for the weeks between July 26 and August 15. The payments will be added to your regular unemployment amount for any eligible weeks. Payments will be issued retroactively for weeks that you have already received unemployment benefits, beginning July 26.
How You Will Receive Payment
- If you submitted your certification for all three weeks at the same time, you will receive one payment of $900.
- If you did not submit your certification for all three weeks at the same time, you will receive two payments in one of the following ways based on when you certified:
- A $600 payment followed by a $300 payment.
- A $300 payment followed by a $600 payment.
- If you were not paid for one or two of the three weeks due to excessive earnings, being fully employed, or disqualification, you will only receive payment for the weeks paid.
Phase 2
If you did not indicate that you were unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19 when you filed for unemployment, you must provide a one-time certification.
Beginning mid-September, we will send you an email, text, or mailed notice asking you to provide information in UI OnlineSM or send in a paper form. Do this as soon as possible. You might not receive LWA payments if you respond late or if the funding for this program becomes unavailable. For faster service and prompt notifications, register in UI Online.
If we find that you are not eligible, you will receive a Notice of Determination for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program (DE 6330LWA).
After phases one and two, we will issue two additional weeks of LWA payments, recently approved by the federal government. Additionally, California is applying for a sixth week of payments for claimants based upon the availability of federal funds. More information will be provided when available.
Usually, you can only collect up to 26 weeks of regular state Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits within a 12-month benefit year. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) provides an additional 13 weeks of payments if you’ve used all of your available UI benefits.
The extension is available from March 29, 2020, until December 31, 2020. To qualify, your claim must have started on July 8, 2018, or after. Depending on when you filed your unemployment claim and if it has expired, you may need to reapply for unemployment.
- If you run out of benefits within the benefit year, we will automatically file a PEUC extension on your regular unemployment claim. A benefit year is the 12-month period from the start of your claim. You should receive a text message verifying that we filed your extension and a notice in the mail within 5-7 days. You should also monitor your UI Online account for updates and to certify for benefit payments.
- If your benefit year has expired, you must file another unemployment claim. We will send you a notice telling you to file a new claim if you are still unemployed. UI Online is still the fastest way to apply. If you have enough wages to qualify for regular unemployment, we will process your claim.
- If you don't qualify for a new claim after the benefit year expires, two things will happen.
- First, you will receive a $0 award notice in the mail saying there are not enough wages for a new claim.
- A few days later, you will receive another notice showing that we automatically filed a PEUC extension on your other unemployment claim. You will also receive a text message about the extension. It will be backdated to one of the following, whichever comes later:
- March 29, 2020
- The last certification date of your expired claim.
Continue to monitor your UI Online account for updates and to certify for benefit payments.
Payments
After your extension is filed, you will need to certify for benefit payments. Certifying is answering basic questions every two weeks that tells us you’re still unemployed and eligible to continue receiving payments. Payments will be the same as the weekly benefit amount from your regular UI claim.
If you have a PUA claim, you cannot collect PEUC at the same time. If you filed a PUA claim because you used all your UI benefits, we will stop your PUA claim as of March 29, and will transfer you automatically to a PEUC claim. If you still have false statement penalty weeks on your regular UI claim, you are not eligible for PEUC and you will continue on the PUA claim.
FED-ED Extension
If you use all your PEUC benefits, you may qualify for a FED-ED extension.
Following are a list of relief funds available to MPI participants.
Click on a logo below to find out more information about these funds.
June 26, 2020
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) news is changing rapidly, almost hour by hour. The purpose of this email is to inform you of additional steps the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan (MPIHP) has taken to help Participants and dependents deal with this current health crisis. Feel free to share any of the following with your members.
Waiver of Health Premium
Due to the COVID-19 national health emergency, beginning with payments due by June 30, 2020, the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan will grant a waiver of one (1) quarter (three consecutive months) of dependent eligibility premium payment for health benefits to each Active Health Plan Participant of the MPIHP in the group owing $25 per month for one dependent or $50 per month for two or more dependents who was enrolled on June 1, 2020. Active Health Plan Participants in the group subject to premium payments for themselves along with their dependents are not included in this waiver.
Further, there will be no refunds, and anyone who has already paid a premium for the applicable period will be issued a credit for a future premium payment period.
No-Cost COBRA for Benefit Period of September 1, 2020 through February 28, 2021
Over the past few months, Participants who meet certain conditions have been provided with additional hours to allow them to meet the minimum hours necessary to qualify for eligibility as an Active Participant through MPIHP. These included providing Participants with eligibility for the following Benefit Periods: June 1, 2020 through November 30, 2020; July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020; and August 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021.
The Board of Directors of MPIHP has enacted another measure that will provide Active Health Plan eligibility to certain Participants – no-cost COBRA coverage for certain Participants for the benefit period of September 1, 2020 through February 28, 2021 so long as certain conditions are met.
Specifically, for Active Participants in the MPIHP (excluding those currently on COBRA and those enrolled as Disabled) who are currently enrolled and whose Benefit Period ends on August 31, 2020, the MPIHP will grant up to six (6) months of special no-cost COBRA coverage for the Benefit Period commencing September 1, 2020, provided that such currently enrolled Participant has at least 100 worked and/or banked hours combined, but less than the 400 worked and/or banked hours combined required to gain eligibility for the Benefit Period commencing September 1, 2020 to and including February 28, 2021. No-cost shall mean that the standard COBRA premiums will be waived during the applicable Benefit Period; however, payment of the premiums otherwise due under the MPIHP for Active Participants will be required.
All of the Participant’s banked hours and worked hours for the Qualifying Period from December 22, 2019 to June 20, 2020 will be applied to the Benefit Period of September 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021 prior to the granting of the special no-cost COBRA coverage, and no hours will be retained in the Participant’s Bank of Hours.
Participants will be required to complete a COBRA enrollment form with MPIHP by August 31, 2020 in order to qualify for the special one-time benefit.
Sincerely,
David Asplund
Chief Executive Officer
April 28, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, California's Employment Development Department (EDD) began accepting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) applications. The California IATSE Council (CIC), in cooperation with Local 724, Teamster’s Local 399, SAG-AFTRA, and the DGA have created a PowerPoint Presentation on how to access this assistance. This 7-page presentation will walk you through the process of applying for PUA. I know some of the text is initially small, so you will need to use your system's zoom/enlargement features for the slides below.
Please take a moment to review this material.
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy.
Best,
Anthony Pawluc
Secretary-Treasurer
The following slides were provided by MPI for members considering an IAP Hardship Withdrawal. The downloadable pdf file is available here.
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