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Defined Benefit Pension Summary Plan Description

14. Will my eligibility for a pension be affected if I work in Non-Covered Electrical Employment before I retire?

Non-Covered Electrical Employment means any type of work, whether electrical or not, which is performed as an employee, supervisor, sole proprietor, officer, director, partner, or corporate owner for an entity in the same trade, craft or industry covered by the Plan in the jurisdiction of any union whose members are Participants in this Plan or any other local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Employment which is not subject to collective bargaining for an Employer who is signatory to a collective bargaining agreement with the union is not Non-Covered Electrical Employment.

If you work in Non-Covered Electrical Employment on or after October 1, 1987, and after the date you first became a Participant in this Plan, your pension benefits accrued on or after October 1, 1987, will be suspended until you reach Normal Retirement age (age 65), unless you:

  1. Return to covered employment; and
  2. Earn at least five (5) years of Credited Service without returning to Non-Covered Electrical Employment. Five (5) years of Credited Service requires 7,500 Covered Hours.

Any electrical training program or retail-based electrical instruction other than IBEW-NECA sponsored electrical training, is Non-Covered Electrical Employment. If you work in this type of Non-Covered Electrical Employment, your pension benefits accrued on or after March 1, 2005 will be suspended until you reach age 65.

Non-Covered Electrical Employment depends on the type of work you do and for whom you work. To protect your benefit rights, always contact the Administrative Office before starting work. The Administrative Office will obtain a determination from the Board of Trustees to assure the work does not constitute Non-Covered Electrical Employment.

The following are some examples of Non-Covered Electrical Employment:

Example 1: Work as a truck driver for a non-signatory electrical contractor
Example 2: Work as an accountant with an electrical contractor who is not signatory to the IBEW even if the Employer has a signed collective bargaining agreement with a Union other than the IBEW
Example 3: Work as a manager with a General Contractor where the Contractor performs electrical work with its own employees and where the Contractor is not signatory with an IBEW Local Union
Example 4: Work as a supervisor with a General Contractor where the job entails supervising employees of a Non-Union Electrical Sub-Contractor working on the job for the General Contractor
Example 5: Work in California with a nationwide construction firm which also performs electrical contracting work in New York and is not signatory to an IBEW collective bargaining agreement in that state, even if the firm does no electrical contracting whatsoever in California

These restrictions do not apply to Pre-Retirement Death Benefits.

Please refer to Articles 1.16, 3.2, 4.4 (if an active Participant), 4.5 (if an inactive Participant), 9.7(b)(2)(xiv) and 9.7(h) in the Plan Document for additional details.