Pension
If you are a member of the Union or one of the Ontario Locals, you become a member of the Plan when you first work for an Employer who pays contributions to the Plan on your behalf.
If you are not a member of the Union or one of the Ontario Locals, you may apply to join the Plan on the first day of the calendar year immediately following 2 consecutive calendar years in which you have either:
- worked at least 700 hours or
- earned at least 35% of the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings under the Canada Pension Plan
in employment for which an Employer has made contributions to the Plan on your behalf.
To join, you must submit a completed beneficiary form to the Administrator.
Benefits Plan
To join the Local 721 Rodmen benefit plan, you must met the eligibility requirements below and complete an
Enrolment/Change Form and return it to the Administrator.
Your coverage starts on the first day of the second month after you have a total of 100 bank hours in your hour-bank account (a total of 600 hours if you are a probationary member). See Bank hours for more information.
Example: If you begin working for a contributing employer in March and by the end of May, you have 175 hours reported from your employers. Since you meet the requirement of working 100 hours for a contributing employer, you will become eligible for benefits under the Plan. The month of June is a waiting period. Your coverage will start on July 1, the first of the month following the waiting period.
If you become a member of a plan covered by a reciprocal agreement within 12 months of the last date contributions were made on your behalf directly to this Plan, you will continue to be a member of this Plan. The contributions made on your behalf to the other plan will be transferred to this Plan. If you need more information regarding this feature of the Plan, please ask the Administrator.
Active Member Eligibility.
You may be eligible for Active Member benefits under the Plan if you:
- reside in Canada,
- covered under your provincial government health plan
- are a union member in good standing with Local 721, or are a Probationary Member,
- work for a contributing employer, and
- work the required number of hours for initial eligibility or continuing eligibility, described later in this section.
A contributing employer is any employer that is obligated or permitted to contribute to the Fund.
Retired Member Eligibility.
When you retire, your benefit coverage will continue from your bank hours account until it falls below 100 hours. Then within 30 days you may be eligible to make pay-direct contributions as a Retired member if you meet all of the following requirements:
- You must be a member in good standing of Local 721 on the date you retire;
- You must have been in good standing with Local 721 for at least 10 uninterrupted years immediately preceding your date of retirement;*
- You were either working or were available for work under the jurisdiction of Local 721 or the Union, during the 12 months immediately preceding your date of retirement;**
- You were covered for benefits as an Active member without interruption during the 12 months immediately preceding your date of retirement (this includes Active member pay-direct coverage under Option 1 and Option 2, but not Option 3);
- You must be receiving or be in the process of successfully applying for a monthly retirement benefit from the Ironworkers’ Local 721 (Rodmen) Pension Plan;
- You must, on an uninterrupted basis from your date of retirement, remain a member in good standing of Local 721 or the Union;
- You must make the required monthly contributions to the Administrator’s office on an uninterrupted basis.
*If you do not meet Number 2 above (10 year union membership), you may be able to continue your benefits for up to 12 months by electing an Active member option.
**If you do not meet Number 3 above because of disability, you may be deemed to meet this requirement if you can prove that you were unable to work the required hours due to temporary disability,but were still considered to be working at the "calling of the Union".