Reciprocal Agreements Make Traveling Easier
Problems receiving credit for the health and welfare and
pension contributions earned when you work outside of your
home Local’s jurisdiction are well on the way to being
a thing of the past. The new International Reciprocal Agreements
endorsed by the delegates to the IU’s Convention last
September make it easier for members to receive these credits.
Before members can take advantage of the benefits of the
new Agreements, their Local benefit funds (their home funds)
and the funds in the Locals they travel to (the participating
funds) must both sign the Agreements.
The rest is easy:
- The traveling member completes
and turns in a Reciprocal Authorization and Release
Form at the Local, or to the Local’s designated representative,
at the time he/she is referred for employment.
- Under
the Pension Agreement, all contributions earned will
be reciprocated to the member’s home Local
fund.
- Under the Health & Welfare Agreement an
amount equal to the contribution earned or the
home Local’s
contribution will be reciprocated (whichever is
less). An exception occurs if both funds are signed
to Appendix 1, which requires the participating
fund to send the entire contribution earned to
the traveling member’s
home fund.
Are you eligible for full benefit reciprocity?
Check the list in the box, and if your benefit
funds are not on the list encourage your trustees
to sign. To learn more, contact
the Reciprocity Clearinghouse online at www.ipfihf.org or call one of two International Union toll-free numbers:
BAC Headquarters
1-888-880-8222
BAC Canadian Affairs, Ottawa
1-877-276-7774
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