September 2010
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Sincerely,
David A. Sanchez, CTA President
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The CTA Disaster Relief Fund
A devastating fire started on
September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, a residential neighborhood three miles
west of the San Francisco International Airport and four miles north
from the CTA State Headquarters in Burlingame. For CTA members affected
by this fire and other California disasters, CTA would like to remind
you that the CTA Disaster Relief Fund can provide assistance to CTA members that are displaced or suffer losses. The CTA Disaster Relief Fund is funded by CTA members to assist members in need and is administered by the FACT Foundation.
These are the grants that are available:
Standard Grant
CTA members may receive up to $1,500
for significant economic hardship related to damage to their primary
residence, displacement or disruption in required utilities.
Catastrophic Damage Grant
Recipient of the Standard Grant may be eligible for up to another $1,500 if damages exceed $50,000.
Temporary Displacement Grant
A grant of up to $500 may be
available for members who are displaced from their primary residence as
the result of a disaster, but do not meet the requirements for a
Standard Grant.
School Site Grant
Members may receive up to $500 for damages to their classroom.
You can find more information and applicants for these grants on our website at http://www.cta.org/About-CTA/CTA-Foundation/Disaster-Relief/index.aspx.
In addition, our members affected by these tragic events can obtain
resource and consumer protection information from the State of
California at 1-800-952-5210 or www.rebuildyourlife.ca.gov/.
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California Casualty Auto and Home Insurance - San Bruno Explosion Update
California Casualty,
CTA's endorsed auto and home insurance carrier, covers 104 customers in
the San Bruno area affected by the explosion Thursday evening, September
9th. California Casualty had two field claims employees and one field
marketing employee on site at the San Bruno emergency center the morning
following the blast. Their customer service unit was also working
diligently to track down all of their customers in the area to ensure
they were not harmed or to provide immediate assistance. Below is the
message they released to policyholders on September 10th.
This is an example of
the excellent customer service California Casualty provides to CTA
members throughout the State. You can learn more about California
Casualty at www.cta.org under CTA Auto and Home Insurance Program.
A Message From California Casualty's Auto & Home Insurance
To CTA Policyholders...
The
San Bruno explosion yesterday has caused death, incredible damage and
personal disruption for many families. We regret this event is
occurring, and we want to assure you that we are here for you during
this critical time.
If you have an auto, homeowner or renter policy with us and have:
1. Been forced to evacuate your home
2. Suffered smoke damage
3. Suffered other fire related damage
Please call us toll-free at 1-800-800-9410
so that we can assist you as quickly as possible. When you call, press 4
when prompted or remain on the line for an operator and you will be
transferred to a claims specialist who can assist you.
California Casualty will have representatives at various evacuation centers to offer additional assistance to families.
We are doing our very best to quickly take care of all of our customers affected by this tragedy.
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News from The Standard
The numbers speak for themselves. Almost three in 100 of today's 20 year olds will become disabled before reaching age 671. And every minute 4.8 families in the U.S. lose a loved one2.
To help protect you and your loved ones, CTA offers members Disability
and Life insurance coverage through Standard Insurance Company. If you
have any questions about the CTA-endorsed coverage available through The
Standard, contact the dedicated CTA Customer Service Department at
800.522.0406 from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or write to them at ctaservice@standard.com with any questions or concerns.
1 Social Security Administration Fact Sheet 2009
2 CIA World Fact Book; United States Entry (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/US.html); April 23, 2009.
Enrollment opportunity for new hires
If you're a newly hired CTA member, or if you are transferring to a
new district, you have a special, limited-time opportunity to get
Disability and Life insurance coverage from the only CTA-endorsed
provider, Standard Insurance Company. During your first 120 days of new
employment, you can apply for Disability Insurance and/or up to $200,000
of Life Insurance - without showing proof of good health. Don't miss
this limited-time opportunity! Call The Standard's dedicated CTA
Customer Service Department at 800.522.0406 for more information.
Family status changes
Remember that within 31 days of a Family Status Change, you can add
or increase Life Insurance coverage up to $200,000 and/or add
Disability coverage, all without providing proof of good health. Family
Status Changes include: birth/adoption, marriage/domestic partnership
and other qualifying events. For more information about this enrollment
opportunity, or to file a maternity Disability claim, visit us at Member
Benefits at www.cta.org and click through to The Standard.
Keep your records up-to-date
Call The Standard this Fall if you're moving to a new address or
need to make changes to your beneficiary designations. It's very
important to keep your records up-to-date, and it's easy to do. Simply
call The Standard's dedicated CTA Customer Service Department at
800.522.0406 or go online to Member Benefits at www.cta.org and click through to The Standard.