Summary Plan Description
Avoiding Breaks In Service
A break in service can be avoided if:
- You work in another jurisdiction that has a retirement plan that is reciprocal with this plan.
- You work in contiguous noncovered service.
- You have an approved leave of absence.
These three situations are described below.
Reciprocal Plan Service
Reciprocal plan service helps you avoid a break in service when your work is divided between two or more plans. Credited service earned under a reciprocal plan is known as reciprocal service. Reciprocal service can be used to help satisfy five-year vesting as well as the eligibility requirements for certain retirement and preretirement death benefits.
Key Point
For the purpose of vesting, this plan recognizes reciprocal service based on this plan's credited service and vesting rules. Please see Credited Service and Vesting for details.
While reciprocal service may help you avoid a break in service or earn credit toward five-year vesting, no contributions are made to this plan. Reciprocal plans vest and determine benefit amounts according to their own plan rules.
Helpful Hint
This plan provides Quarterly Benefit Statements that list the employer contributions reported to this plan on your behalf, the investment gains or losses, your balance as of the date the statement was generated, and your vesting status. Please advise the Retirement Department at the Trust Office of any reciprocal service not listed under the Carpenters Retirement Plan section of your Quarterly Benefit Statement. If you are not vested, this information may help you vest or help you avoid a break in service. If you are already vested, this information will speed up the retirement process.
Key Point
Historically, reciprocal service allowed this plan to recognize service in reciprocal plans for the purposes of satisfying the five-year vesting requirement. Now, if you work outside this jurisdiction on a temporary basis, "money follows the carpenter" may allow you to accumulate credited service and any subsequent retirement benefit under this plan. "Money follows the carpenter" does not allow you to combine benefits previously earned under another plan with this plan. Please see Money Follows the Carpenter.
This plan has reciprocal agreements with most other retirement plans nationwide. The following is a list of the most commonly used reciprocal plans in the western states:
Reciprocal Plans
Alaska
Alaska
Carpenters Trust Fund
PO
Box 241266
Anchorage, AK
99518
(907)
561-7575
(800)
478-4431
Alaska
Northern
Alaska Carpenters
1750
S.W. Harbor Way, Suite
400
Portland, OR
97201
(800)
547-1037
Arizona
Arizona
State Carpenters Trust
Fund
PO Box
16200
Phoenix, AZ
85011
(602)
264-1804
California
Carpenters
Trust Fund of Northern
California
PO Box
2280
Oakland, CA
94621
(510)
633-0333
(888)
547-2054
California
Carpenters
Trust Fund of Southern
California
533 S.
Freemont Avenue
Los
Angeles, CA 90071
(213)
386-8590
(800)
293-1370
Cement
Masons
Plasterers,
Cement Masons and
Lathers
PO Box
34203
Seattle, WA
98124
(206)
441-7574
(800)
732-1121
Colorado
Centennial
State Carpenters Pension Trust
Fund
10620 E. Bethany
Drive
Aurora, CO
80014
(303)
745-0147
(800)
332-3807
Idaho
Idaho
Branch, Inc. A.G.C. Carpenters Retirement
Trust
PO Box
5434
Spokane, WA
99205
(509)
328-0300
(800)
716-0300
Marine
Marine
Carpenters Pension
Fund
5 Third Street,
Suite 525
San Francisco,
CA 94103
(415)
896-5742
(800)
257-1515
Millmen
Millmen’s
Trust of Washington
PO
Box 5183
Portland, OR
97208
(503)
222-3171
(800)
944-8884
Millmen
Tacoma
Millmen’s Pension
Fund
PO Box
1894
Tacoma, WA
98401
(206)
838-1970
Nevada
Northern
Nevada Carpenters
Trust
PO Box
11337
Reno, NV
89510
(702)
826-7200
Nevada
Construction
Industry and Carpenters
Joint Pension Fund of
Southern Nevada
PO Box
61320
Las Vegas, NV
89160
(775)
851-4510
Oregon
Oregon-Washington
Carpenters Trust
Fund
2929 NW
31st
Avenue
Portland, OR
97201
(800)
888-0346
Utah
Utah
Carpenters and Cement Masons Pension
Trust
PO Box
30021
Salt Lake City, UT
84130
(801)
954-8010
Washington-Idaho-Montana
Carpenters
Employers Retirement
Trust
PO Box
5434
Spokane, WA
99205
(509)
328-0300
(800)
716-0300
International
Union
United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners of
America
101 Constitution
Avenue NW
Washington,
D.C. 20001
(202)
546-6206
Helpful Hint
If you work outside the geographic area covered by this plan, you may want to take advantage of one of the following two provisions under the International Reciprocity Agreement:
- Reciprocal service.
- Money follows the carpenter.
Please contact the Retirement Department at the Trust Office if you have any questions about these provisions.
For additional information about reciprocal service, please see Article 3.2.
Helpful Hint
You may avoid a break in service if you were unable to work for one of the following four reasons:
- Reason For Leave Maximum Period Effect
- Military service As required by law Credit and benefits
- Official of international union 3 years No credit or benefits
- Disability 2 years No credit or benefits
- Maternity or paternity 1/2 year Up to 1/2 credit, no benefits
Please contact the Retirement Department at the Trust Office for assistance.
Leave of Absence
You may avoid a break in service if you are unable to work in the building and construction industry for one of the following four reasons and for a period of time not to exceed the maximum described:
- Military service for such period as required by law. You may receive credited service and benefits for qualifying military service.
- Service as an official of the international union for up to three years. You do not receive credited service or benefits for service with the international union.
- Disabling condition that prevents gainful employment in any trade for up to two years, subject to further consideration after that time if the disabling condition continues. To qualify, you must submit satisfactory proof of your disability to the Board of Trustees. You do not receive credited service or benefits for a disability leave.
- Maternity or paternity leave. You may receive up to a maximum of 501 hours of credited service in the year of the leave, if needed to prevent a break, or else in the following year contingent on returning to work after the leave. You do not receive benefits for a maternity or paternity leave.
If you need to apply for a leave of absence, please contact the Retirement Department at the Trust Office. The Retirement Department will forward your request to the Board of Trustees and then notify you of the Board’s determination.
For additional information about a military leave, please see Article 10.5. For additional information about other leaves of absence, please see Article 2.6.
Contiguous Noncovered Service
You may experience changes in your career including work in noncovered service for a contributing employer. An example of noncovered service is working in a management position for a contributing employer. For the purpose of vesting, avoiding a break in service, or maintaining activity in this plan for the purpose of qualifying for certain special benefits, you earn one year of credited service for each year you work 1,000 or more hours in contiguous noncovered service for an employer who is otherwise required to make contributions to this plan. Noncovered service is contiguous if all of the following three conditions are met:
- The noncovered service immediately precedes or follows covered service with the same employer.
- No quit, discharge or retirement occurs between such covered service and noncovered service.
- You provide proof of contiguous noncovered service as required by the plan.
No hourly contributions are made to this plan on your behalf for contiguous noncovered service.
For additional information about contiguous noncovered service, please see Article 1.8.