Membership in the LPF is a valuable part of your LiUNA benefits. Becoming a member of a secure defined benefit pension plan like the LPF will provide you a retirement income for the rest of your life.
Importance of Membership
Canadians generally receive retirement income from three sources – government administered pension programs, employer-sponsored retirement savings plans and personal savings.
There has been increasing responsibility on individuals to save for their retirement. However, the high rate of personal income taxes together with tax sheltering constraints by the federal government, have reduced the amount individuals are able to put aside for retirement. Becoming a member of a pension plan is encouraged so that you will have an additional source of income at retirement.
Enrollment in the Plan
You are automatically enrolled in the Plan when you start working for an employer that signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement with your Local Union and who has been accepted by the Trustees of the Plan.
Your employer sends pension contributions to the LPF on a monthly basis. These contributions are based on the hours you have worked in each month and the hourly rate set out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Your employer is responsible in providing the LPF with your personal information. However, sometimes the LPF does not receive this information. It is also your responsibility to make sure that we have your personal information on file.
To ensure we have your information on file, please print and complete the Pension Plan Enrollment Card and mail it to our office. You can also contact the LPF Office.
When do I Become a Member?
You become a Member of the Plan when your Employer remits 1,200 hours to the LPF on your behalf or if you work for that employer for two consecutive years where your earnings exceeded 35% of the Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) in each year.
After accumulating 1,200 hours of pension contributions you automatically become entitled to a benefit when you either retire, terminate membership with the Plan, become disabled or die.