Results 1 to 6 of 6

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    9

    Default Disability and My Union Pension

    I am a life long member and member in good standing of the Carpenter Union. I had a stroke and havebeen enduring the long process of SSI disability. Along the way, my union allowed me to draw temporary didability for one year (which is now lapsed). The board of trusties has approved me being able to draw my pension for being disabled as long as I am awarded benefits through SSI Disability. I have letters from two doctors stateing that I cannot return to construction nor should I drive a motor vehicle. If I am disabled from the "Trade" and unable to return, can I still get my pension, even tho a SSI decision is months away? My union representative says that my pension is tied to the Federal government in a way that nothing can be done. Is this true?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Disability and My Union Pension

    Your union benefits are defined by your union contract, which unfortunately we do not have. Check the contract.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    23

    Default Re: Disability and My Union Pension

    Your union benefits are outlined in summary plan discription that your union ( and managment if it is a taft hartley plan) publishes. You should have recieved a copy of the summary plan discription when you joined the union or when you became elegable for those benefits, whichever happenned last.
    The way your pension benefits are paid in the event of a dissability are outlined therein.
    It is very common for pension dissability benefits to be tied to the granting of a full social security dissability pension. The reason taft hartley plans do this is so they can get away from having to administer a mechanism for the granting of dissability pensions and the litigation liabilities therefrom.
    Hope this helps,
    Eric

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Seattle Wa
    Posts
    65

    Default Re: Disability and My Union Pension

    Also by law you should be vested in the plan after five years.
    JoeC

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    23

    Default Re: Disability and My Union Pension

    Quote Quoting JoeC
    View Post
    Also by law you should be vested in the plan after five years.
    JoeC
    Joe,
    The five year vesting is called "cliff" vesting.

    It is legal for a pension plan to vest on the basis of a graduated scale as long as the employee is fully vested in 7 years. The name of that type of vesting escapes me at the moment, though I'm sure i'll remember it as soon as I log off. It goes something like this
    2 years 20%
    3 years40%
    4 years 60%
    5 years 70%
    6 years 80%
    7 years 100%

    Eric

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Il.(near StL,Mo.)
    Posts
    5,252

    Default Re: Disability and My Union Pension

    You're replying to a thread 5 mos. old. I think mrknowitall answered the OP's question back in April.

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Similar Threads

  1. Harassment: Short-Term Disability Denial, FMLA and Age or Disability Discrimination
    By pigsinablanket in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-05-2011, 02:26 PM
  2. Collective Bargaining: Can I Draw Disability Benefits from My Union
    By timothyc_2007 in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 11-20-2010, 03:02 PM
  3. Unemployment Benefits: Pension Law
    By rodwood in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-02-2010, 11:32 AM
  4. Collective Bargaining: Recovering Pension Money Paid In if Pension Doesn't Vest
    By Road Kill in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 05-05-2009, 09:27 PM
  5. Collective Bargaining: No Union Company Possibly Going Union
    By independent in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 03-01-2009, 04:18 PM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources