Faqs

If you are an Active Participant, the current Normal Retirement Age is 63.

You need 5 years of uninterrupted Continuous Service immediately before retirement to become eligible for Normal Retirement Benefits.

You are eligible for Early Retirement Benefits at age 55 provided you have at least 10 uninterrupted years of Continuous Service immediately before retirement, and are Retired. However, your full Normal Retirement Benefit would be reduced for early payment of benefits.  In order to be considered “Retired” you must have ceased working for all contributing Employers.

The amount of the reduction depends on your age at retirement, as well as when the Continuous Service was earned:

For all uninterrupted years of Continuous Service earned through 05/31/16:

The reduction is 1% for each year that you retire before age 63 (1/12 of 1% for each month you retired before age 63).

For all uninterrupted years of Continuous Service earned 06/01/16 & later:

The reduction is determined by your age when Early Retirement Benefits begin, as follows:

You must have at least 10 uninterrupted years of Continuous Service to become eligible for Disability Benefits. However, if your disability is the result of an on-the-job injury while you were working for a Contributing Employer, and Workers Compensation benefits were paid, you need only 5 years of Continuous Service to be eligible for Disability Benefits. Please note: to be eligible for Disability Benefits, you must have become disabled within 12 months of the last contribution received in this Pension Fund on your behalf.

There must be sufficient evidence the condition satisfies the Plan definition of Disability. Your personal physician must find you Disabled (have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from working in at your regular occupation, and such condition is expected to last at least 8 months), and Pension Fund medical forms must be completed by your physician and returned as part of your application for benefits. The medical forms are reviewed by the Pension Fund physician before your application is considered by the Trustees of the Eligibility Committee. Please note that you must have a medical exam within 90 days of the date you want benefit payments to begin. If you are receiving Social Security Disability Benefits or were awarded a total and permanent disability from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it may not be necessary for your physician to complete a Pension Fund medical report.

You can come to the Pension Fund Office to apply for benefits, or application forms can be mailed to you. If you become disabled, you should apply for benefits as soon as possible since benefits are payable the first of the month following receipt of your completed application in the Pension Fund Office. There are limited circumstances under which the Trustees can approve payment of benefits retroactively.

If you receive Disability Benefits because you are prevented from working at your Trade, you are eligible to receive benefits for a maximum of 24-months (three 8-month periods). If you are receiving Disability Benefits because you are totally and permanently disabled and prevented from any type of gainful employment, and that disability in fact continues, you continue to receive benefits until you die or reach age 55. At age 55 you become eligible for Early Retirement Benefits.

If you return to work at your Trade or in Plan-related Employment, Disability Benefits stop. If you pursue other types of employment, your earnings may cause your Disability Benefits to be discontinued because such work is inconsistent with a finding of disability. If, during a one-month period, your work related earnings from other types of employment exceed $1,160, you would be considered gainfully employed and Disability Benefits would be discontinued. $1,160 is equal to 160 hours at the current Federal minimum wage. If the Federal minimum wage is adjusted, the amount you are eligible to earn and still receive Disability Benefits would be adjusted accordingly.

If you are able to return to work, you should notify the Pension Fund Office immediately. If you are receiving Disability Benefits for being disabled at your Trade, and you do not receive these benefits for 24 months, a repayment may be due the Pension Fund. Pension Fund staff will advise you of any repayment at the time Disability Benefits are discontinued.

If you are an Active Participant at the time of death, a Survivor Benefit and a Death Benefit may be payable.

The Death Benefit amount is $1.00 per hour credited, with the maximum death benefit being $50,000.

You designate a beneficiary when you complete a Pension Fund Registration form. You may also change your Death Benefit beneficiary at any time by completing a new Pension Fund Registration form. Pension Fund Registration forms can be downloaded from this website (see the Forms tab), or can be obtained from the Pension Fund Office.

A Survivor benefit is a benefit payable based on your record of service with the Pension Fund. This Survivor benefit is payable either on a monthly basis or a lump sum basis, depending upon the choice made by the beneficiary.

If you are married, your spouse is the automatic beneficiary of this benefit payment. If you are not married, you designate a beneficiary when you complete a Pension Fund Registration form. If you are not married, you may also change your Survivor Benefit beneficiary at any time by completing a new Pension Fund Registration form. Pension Fund Registration forms can be downloaded from this website (see the Forms tab), or can be obtained from the Pension Fund Office.

The benefit payable to your beneficiary is determined by your pension credit, as well as how your beneficiary elects to receive the benefit payment.

Your beneficiary can elect to receive benefits as soon as possible after your death, or your beneficiary can delay the benefit payment until a future date. However, the benefit must be paid no later than the date you would have attained age 63.

Your beneficiary can elect to receive either a monthly payment or a lump sum payment.

There are different benefit options available under the Plan, some of which protect a beneficiary after death. Therefore, any Survivor Benefit or Death Benefit payable after your death will be determined by the option you choose at the time of retirement.

Contact the Fund Office for an estimate of your pension benefits not more than 90 days, and no later than 30 days before you want benefit payments to begin. Complete an application no later than the last day of the month before you want your benefit to become effective.

When applying for benefits bring identification, your birth certificate and if you are married, bring your wife’s birth certificate and your marriage license. If you are divorced, it may be necessary to provide a copy of your divorce decree.

You may come into the Pension Fund Office to apply for benefits, or you can request that application forms be mailed to you.

You will receive your first benefit payment the first of the month following approval of your application by the Eligibility Committee, which is usually 3 to 4 weeks after your application and documentation are received by the Pension Fund Office. Once we receive your paperwork, all applications are reviewed and acted on by the Trustees of the Eligibility Committee. Pension Fund staff cannot approve or deny an application for benefits. Generally, the Eligibility Committee meets the third Tuesday of each month. When your application and all supporting documents are in the Pension Fund Office by the first Tuesday of any month, the application is considered by the Eligibility Committee at that month’s meeting. Applications received too late for the monthly meeting will be submitted for Trustee review at the next scheduled meeting.

You may appeal the denial of any request not approved by the Eligibility Committee. Written procedures for the appeal will be provided along with a letter advising of the Trustees’ decision. You can also contact Pension Fund staff to assist you in appealing the decision.

Yes, you may return to work after retirement. If you return to work in Plan-related Employment, a limited amount of work is permitted after retirement benefits begin before benefits are suspended. If you are not working in Plan-related Employment, your work will not affect your eligibility for benefits from this Pension Fund. Be sure to contact Pension Fund staff before you return to work, so that the rules can be explained to you in detail.

If you are receiving Early Retirement or Early Deferred Vested Benefits, before returning to work in Plan-related Employment you must show a true intent to retire, as explained here.

You can work 320 hours plus 39 hours per month thereafter each calendar year in Plan-related Employment and still receive your pension benefits.

The detailed rules regarding working after retirement are explained here:

During periods of Full Employment the suspension of benefit rules may be modified. Please refer to page 96 of the 2014 Summary Plan Description for an explanation of the modification.

Monthly benefits are paid by direct deposit to your personal bank account, unless direct deposit of your benefit causes a hardship. In such an event, a check will be mailed.

If you are on direct deposit, benefits are payable on the first business day of each month. For example a May benefit payment is payable May 1st. If the first of the month falls on a weekend or a holiday, the benefit is not available until the first business day following the weekend or holiday.

If you do not receive your pension check five business days after it has been mailed, contact the Pension Fund Office. We can put a stop payment on the original check and send a replacement check in about 2 days.

If you move, please be sure to notify the Pension Fund Office of your new address. You can do this by visiting, calling, writing, or emailing (see Contact Us on this website) the Pension Fund Office. When writing, please be sure to include your Social Security Number.

All benefits paid by the Pension Fund are subject to income tax.

You will be sent a form 1099R no later than January 31st of each year. This form reports the total benefit amount you received in the prior calendar year.

You receive one year of Continuous Service for any Plan Year during which you perform 300 or more hours of work under a Collective Bargaining Agreement requiring contributions to this Pension Fund on your behalf. (A Plan Year starts on June 1st and ends the following May 31st. For example, the 2018 Plan Year starts on June 1, 2017 and ends May 31, 2018.)

You become fully vested in the Plan when you earn 5 years of Continuous Service.

Your pension will not be affected unless you work less than 300 hours in each of three consecutive Plan Years. If this happens, Continuous Service is interrupted and you may lose Active status under the Plan. Note: There are circumstances that may protect your Active status. You should contact the Pension Fund Office to obtain information if it appears your service has been interrupted.

You cannot lose the credit you earned if you are vested in the Plan. If you are not vested, that is, have less than 5 years of Continuous Service, and you earn no years of service for 5 years, you will forfeit the credit earned.

You will not lose credit for such hours, if you can provide evidence, such as your paycheck stubs, that you performed covered work for a contributing Employer.

If you work outside of this Pension Fund’s jurisdiction, your pension contributions will probably be paid into another pension fund. To help you avoid losing benefits when working outside the jurisdiction of this Pension Fund, the Trustees honor a large number of reciprocity agreements with other funds. Each one of these other funds has different rules on becoming a Participant and transferring of hours. Prior to leaving this Pension Fund’s jurisdiction, contact the Pension Fund to see how your benefit may be affected. You may need to fill out a transfer form to avoid the loss of hours worked out of this jurisdiction.

If you are vested in the Plan, you will retain a right to a future Deferred Vested Retirement Benefit. If you are not vested in the Plan, you will forfeit all hours credited when five Plan years have gone by without earning a year of Continuous Service in one of the five Plan Years.

No. Participants cannot make personal direct contributions into the Pension Fund.

No. Since this is a defined benefit plan, the Pension Fund may use assets only for benefits provided under the Plan and for administration expenses. Your Pension Fund record is maintained as years of service and hours credited. These records determine the amount of your benefit at the time you meet eligibility requirements for any benefits.

Your pension credits or benefits can be divided as a result of a divorce. However, before the Pension Fund can pay a portion of your benefits to another individual, we must receive a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. This is a court order, which requires the Pension Fund to pay a portion of your benefits to either an ex-spouse, or the clerk of courts for child support.

Generally Plan benefits cannot be attached by creditors. However, your pension benefits may be subject to any Tax Levies issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

No. There are no provisions under the Plan which would allow you to take a loan against your pension account or benefits.

You can change your beneficiary at any time by completing a new Pension Fund Registration form. Download the form from this website (under Forms), contact the Pension Fund Office and a new form can be mailed to you for completion, or you can stop by the Pension Fund Office to pick up a new form.

If benefits are payable, it will be paid to the first of those who survive you in the following order: your spouse; your surviving children and descendants of your deceased children; your parents; your brothers and sisters.

Your beneficiaries should contact the Pension Fund Office as soon as possible following your death and forward a copy of your Death Certificate when it becomes available. If any benefits are payable as a result of your death, application forms will be forwarded to the beneficiary as soon as possible.

Unlike a calendar year, which runs from January 1 through December 31, a Plan Year runs from June 1 through May 31. For example, the 2018 Plan Year reflects hours worked from June 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018.

There are a number of reasons why actual hours might be different than credited hours. For instance, if you employer’s hourly pension contribution rate was higher or lower than the required minimum rate, your hours credited will be adjusted higher or lower than your actual hours worked to compensate for the different rate paid. Also, if you were credited with less than 300 actual hours in a Plan Year, benefit hours credited will be zero. If you have a question regarding any differences between actual hours and credited hours in your history, you can either email us with your questions (go to Contact Us on this website) or you can speak with Fund staff at our office.

If you started your union career as an apprentice, the hours you worked during your first year might not appear on your history. This is because most employers are not required by union contract to pay pension contributions for new apprentices until one year from the date of hire, or until 750 hours are worked, whichever comes later. This does not mean employers are prohibited from making pension contributions for these apprentices, and in some cases, employers are required by contract to contribute to the Pension Fund on behalf of apprentices. If your employers did not pay contributions for your first year of employment as an apprentice, your hours worked still count towards participation in the Pension Plan and towards the five years of Continuous Service you need to become vested in the Pension Plan.