Article 5 – Reciprocal Pensions

5.1 Purpose

5.1.1
Reciprocal or Reciprocity Pensions are provided under this Retirement Plan for Employees who would otherwise lack sufficient service credit to be eligible for any pension because their years of employment were divided between this Plan and a Reciprocal Plan, or if eligible, whose pensions would be less than the full amount because of such division of employment.

5.1.2
The Plan will provide a pro-rata Reciprocal Pension pursuant to Article 5.2 as follows:

1. For hours worked prior to January 1, 1991; or
   
   
2. For hours worked after January 1, 1991, when the Reciprocal Plan has not been amended to allow for a transfer of contributions (money-follows-the-man) to the Plan as a Reciprocal Plan; or
   
   
3. For hours worked after January 1, 1991, when the Employee has not made a timely request pursuant to Article 5.3.2 for transfer of contributions.

5.1.3
The Plan will provide a pension pursuant to the provisions of this Plan, when contributions for hours worked on or after January 1, 1991 are transferred to the Plan as the Home Fund. The Plan will transfer contributions to an Employee’s Home Fund pursuant to Article 5.3, and a pension will be provided pursuant to the provisions of the Home Fund’s Plan if the hours are worked on or after January 1, 1991, and the Employee makes a timely request for transfer of contributions pursuant to Article 5.3.2.

5.1.4
Reciprocity shall not apply to Employees retired prior to October 28, 1969.

5.2 Pro-Rata Pensions

5.2.1
Reciprocal Service shall be provided pursuant to this Article 5.2 for hours worked described under Article 5.1.2. Reciprocal Service will count toward establishing vesting and eligibility for Normal Retirement, Regular Early Retirement (for Employees with ten (10) years of Credited Service), Disability Retirement and pre-retirement death benefits under Articles 8.2 and 8.3. Reciprocal Service will not count toward establishing eligibility for five year vesting under Article 3.2.1(b), for Normal Retirement under the fifth anniversary rule for participation under Article 4.1, for Regular Early Retirement (for Employees with less than ten (10) years of Credited Service), or for the Special Early Retirement Benefit under Article 6.2.2, or the Rule of 80 Early Retirement under Article 6.2.3.

5.2.2 Eligibility.
Except as otherwise provided in 5.2.1 above, an Employee shall be eligible for a Reciprocal Pension under this Plan if he satisfies all of the following requirements:

1. He would be eligible for any type of pension under this Plan (other than a Reciprocal Pension) if his Combined Service Credit were treated as Credited Service under this Plan; and
   
   
2. In addition to any other requirements necessary to be eligible under (a), he has under this Plan at least one (1) year of Future Service Credit based on actual employment after January 1, 1960, for which contributions have been made.

5.2.3 Breaks In Service.
Hours earned under any Reciprocal Plan will be used to prevent a Break in Service and a possible loss of Credited Service.

5.2.4 Election of Pensions.
If an Employee is eligible for more than one type of pension under this Plan, he shall be entitled to elect the type of pension he is to receive.

5.2.5 Reciprocal Pension Amount.
The amount of the Reciprocal Pension under this Article 5.2 shall be that amount to which the Employee is entitled based on the Credited Service, both past and future, he has earned under this Plan.

5.2.6 Payment of Reciprocal Pensions.
The payment of a Reciprocal Pension under this Article 5.2 shall be subject to all of the conditions contained in this Plan applicable to other types of pensions including, but not limited to, retirement as herein defined and timely application. Reciprocal Pension payments subject to this Article 5.2 shall be limited to monthly pension or survivor death benefit payments; subject to the right of the Trustees to require the payments to be semi-annual, if the monthly payments are below a minimal amount established by the Trustees from time to time.

5.2.7 No Transfer of Money.
For hours worked prior to January 1, 1991, there will be no transfer of Employer Contributions between Reciprocal Plans.

5.2.8 Non-Duplication of Credits.
An Employee shall not receive double credit for the same period of employment. No more than one year of Combined Service Credit shall be given for all employment in any given year.

5.2.9 Combining Payments.
Reciprocal Pensions will be issued separately by this Plan but if the Trustees so desire, they may make arrangements with the Trustees of another Reciprocal Plan to combine the payments on one check to the retiree.

5.3 Money-Follows-the-Man Pension

5.3.1 Transfer of Contributions.
At the timely request of an Employee pursuant to Article 5.3.2, Employer Contributions made to the Retirement Plan for hours worked on and after January 1, 1991, shall be transferred to the Home Fund, provided the Home Fund is a Reciprocal Plan which has adopted money-follows-the-man, and further provided the Employee elects to transfer contributions made to the Carpenters Health and Security Trust of Western Washington under its applicable money-follows-the-man rules. If the Retirement Plan is the Home Fund of the Employee and the Employee makes timely request, the Retirement Plan will accept contributions from the Reciprocal Plan for hours worked on and after January 1, 1991, provided the Employee elects to transfer health and security contributions to the Carpenters Health and Security Trust of Western Washington under applicable money-follows-the-man rules.

5.3.2 Written Request For Transfer.
The request for transfer of Employer Contributions from the Retirement Plan to the Home Fund must be made by the Employee in writing on a form approved by the Board of Trustees. The request must be received by the Trust within 60 days from commencement of Covered Service, provided that the Board of Trustees, in its discretion, may grant an extension of the 60-day period.

5.3.3 Rights Governed By Home Fund.
Upon transfer of contributions, an Employee’s eligibility to participate and eligibility for benefits with respect to such transferred contributions shall be determined by the provisions of the Home Fund’s Plan. The Retirement Plan shall have no liability for benefits with respect to Employer Contributions which have been transferred to a Reciprocal Plan.

5.3.4 Breaks In Service.
Hours earned under any Reciprocal Plan will be used to prevent a Break in Service.

5.3.5 Home Fund.
For purposes of Article 5.3, the term “Home Fund” shall have the same meaning as in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America International Reciprocal Agreement for Carpenters Pension Funds.