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Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan SPD

ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS

How Do I Become a Participant?

You become a Participant in the Plan by working for an Employer required by a Collective Bargaining Agreement or Participation Agreement to make contributions to the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Fund on your behalf.

How Do I Become Eligible for Benefits?

Once you become a Participant in the Plan, you will become eligible for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits upon meeting all of the following eligibility requirements:

  • Covered Employment Terminated: Your Covered Employment must have been terminated involuntarily due to lack of work or reduction in workforce. No benefits are paid if unemployment is due to a strike, work stoppage, lockout, voluntary quit or a discharge due to misconduct; and
  • Hour Requirement: You must meet the hour requirement by working a minimum of 1,040 hours in Covered Employment in either the four (4) Contribution Quarters prior to your Layoff Date or the 12-Month Review Period; and
  • Registered with the Union Referral Hall: You must be registered with the Union Referral Hall as Available for Work and follow the Referral Hall's daybook procedures; and
  • Application for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits: An application for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits must be filed with the Fund Office; and
  • Received Unemployment Compensation Benefits: You must provide appropriate proof of your actual receipt of unemployment compensation benefits for days you are claiming Supplemental Unemployment Benefits.

You will not be eligible for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits if you are receiving Pension Plan benefits to which IBEW Local 11 or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a party or benefits from the Social Security Administration.

How Do I Meet the Hour Requirement?

Under the Plan, you must have worked in Covered Employment for at least 1,040 hours during the most recent four (4) Contribution Quarters prior to your Layoff Date or 12-Month Review Period.

Example: If you were laid off on September 5th, the Fund Office would review the four (4) Contribution Quarters immediately preceding your layoff date to determine if you have accumulated the required number of hours in that timeframe. The first (1st) full Contribution Quarter prior to your Layoff Date begins with June and includes May and April.

4 Contribution Quarter Review:

Visual illustration of the paragraph below

During the 1st Contribution Quarter (June, May and April) you worked 110 hours in Covered Employment. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Contribution Quarters reported 250, 350 and 290 hours in Covered Employment, respectively. Based on the total hours (1,000) reported, you did not meet the minimum 1,040 hours required in the four (4) Contribution Quarters prior to your Layoff Date. The Fund Office will then evaluate the 12-Month Review Period prior to your Layoff Date to determine if you have met the minimum 1,040 hours in Covered Employment during the 12-Month Review Period.

12-Month Review:

Visual illustration of the paragraph below

Based on the review of the 12-Month Review Period, which begins with the first (1st) full month prior to your layoff (August), you worked 1,045 hours in Covered Employment; therefore, you met the hour requirement to be eligible for benefits under the Plan.

Registering with the Union Referral Hall

In order to become eligible for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits, you must first be registered with the Referral Hall and be Available for Work. You must also follow the Referral Hall's daybook procedures. Failure to do so will make you ineligible for benefits under the Plan.

Journeymen:
Must register at the IBEW Local 11 Referral Hall at 6023 Garfield Avenue, Commerce, CA 90040, by fax at (323) 726-0623, or any other method that complies with Referral Hall procedures.

Apprentices:
Must report to the Electrical Training Institute at 6023 Garfield Avenue, Commerce, CA 90040.

How Do I File an Application for Benefits?

If you have been laid off, you must complete and submit an application for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits with the Fund Office.

Journeymen:
You may obtain an application for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits from any of the following locations:

  • IBEW Local 11 Referral Hall: 6023 Garfield Avenue, Commerce, CA 90040
  • Fund Office: 100 Corson Street, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103
  • Fund Office Website: www.scibew-neca.org.

Journeymen are required to submit a copy of their layoff notice along with their application. The layoff notice must indicate that the reason for the layoff was due to a lack of work or a reduction in workforce. The Layoff Date indicated on the layoff notice will be used to determine when your benefits will begin.

Apprentices:
You may obtain an application for Supplemental Unemployment Benefits from:

  • Fund Office: 100 Corson Street, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103
  • Fund Office Website: www.scibew-neca.org

The Layoff Date provided by the Electrical Training Institute will be used to determine when your benefits will begin.

In order to receive benefits an eligible Participant must file an application for benefits no later than 60 days from the day for which benefits are claimed. Benefits payable shall be paid no more than 14 days following receipt of an approved application. If an application requires additional information the applicant shall be timely advised of the additional information required within the same 14 days. If an application is denied or a portion of benefit claimed is denied, an adverse benefit determination shall be issued within the same 14 days.

Can an Eligible Participant Lose Eligible Status?

Yes. If an otherwise eligible Participant engages in Non-Covered Electrical Employment after meeting the Hour Requirement set forth above, all eligibility for benefits under this Plan is lost until the Participant, after the last hour worked in Non Covered Electrical Employment, works at least 7,000 hours in Covered Employment and meets all other eligibility requirements of the Plan.