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Health & Welfare - Reciprocating H&W

Reciprocity is designed for people who wish to work outside the jurisdiction of their local union fund.  Using reciprocity, benefits earned at a union fund a person traveled to (participating fund) are sent back (reciprocated) to their home fund.  Both of the union funds involved must be signatory to the Electrical Industry Pension/Health & Welfare Reciprocal Agreement. 

Your "home fund" for Health & Welfare is the union fund for the Local with whom you are a member if  you have had Health & Welfare eligibility within the past six years.  If not, your home fund is the union fund for the Local with whom you have had eligibility in the past six years as long as you meet return to work requirements.  Each home fund specifies their return to work requirements and has the final say on the acceptance of benefit contributions from other union funds.

The health & welfare hours sent back to your home fund equals your hours worked multiplied by the current health & welfare rate of your home fund.  This amount, however, cannot exceed the dollar amount contributed by your employer.  This means that when the health and welfare rate of the Local where you are currently working (participating fund)  is less than that of your home fund, the number of health and welfare hours sent to your home fund will usually be pro-rated by your home fund.  See the Reciprocity Frequently Asked Questions for an example of how health & welfare hours are pro-rated.  (A few home funds require participants to pay the difference.) 

When the health and welfare rate of the participating fund is equal to or greater than that of your home fund, then all of your hours will be sent to your home fund.

To initiate reciprocity you will need to go to a participating union hall or trust fund office with valid photo ID and sign up online using the Electronic Reciprocal Transfer System (ERTS).  Once you are enrolled in ERTS you may review signatory locals, request reciprocity, and release reciprocity with participating funds via the internet.

For further details on reciprocity, please review the Reciprocity section of the Summary Plan Description and the frequently asked questions about reciprocity.

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