Working Outside Northern California

You’re being sent to another location for work; how does that impact your Carpenter Benefits? What do you need to do?

Step 1 - Check in at the Local Union.

When traveling to a different Carpenter jurisdiction, you should visit the Local Union in that area to ‘check-in’.

Step 2 - Decide how to manage your benefits.

Your wages and benefits depend on the location of where you work. When you work in Nevada, you will earn Nevada jurisdiction wages and benefits. Dollar contributions and plan rules for all your benefits may be very different from what you receive in Nor Cal.

In general, you have two choices: Either you send your benefit hours and dollars back to Northern California (known as Reciprocity), or begin accruing new benefits at your temporary location. Many jurisdictions in the US and Canada are “Cooperating Funds” meaning they have signed the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Master Reciprocal Agreement and follow a set of rules, including participating in Reciprocity.

Step 3 - Take action!

If you decide to send your benefit hours and dollars back to Northern California, fill out paperwork and make sure you’ve applied for Reciprocity and/or enrolled for benefits at your temporary location immediately.

What is Reciprocity? Reciprocity is a concept that allows you to maintain Northern California as a “Home Fund” while working outside Nor Cal’s 46 counties, and apply earnings and hours toward your accumulated Northern California benefits. When you work temporarily for a contributing employer in a Cooperating Fund, you may transfer your earned benefits back to Northern California (or wherever your Home Fund may be.)

Why would I use reciprocity? Reciprocity can impact many of your benefits; for example:

Pension Vesting and earned credits toward Pension Milestones
Maintaining Health and Welfare benefits
Simplicity in managing benefits

How do I apply for Reciprocity? Submit a UBC Reciprocity Request Form to the Fund Office immediately when you start work outside the 46-county Northern California jurisdiction. You can find the form at carpenterfunds.com.

Can I use Reciprocity for some of my benefits but not all? Yes, you may choose which benefits to apply toward Reciprocity. For example, if you leave Nor Cal to work in Washington state for some time, you may want to apply your hours toward Health and Welfare benefits in Washington, while sending your Pension and Annuity benefits back to Northern California.

When is Reciprocity not allowed? You should only apply for Reciprocity if you are temporarily working in another jurisdiction. If you change your permanent residence and work permanently outside the 46-county Northern California area, you should change your Home Fund.

How Do I Make Sure My Funds are Transferred? It can take up to 90 days for hours and dollars to be transferred. Keep your check stubs or statement of earnings provided by your employers, check your Benefits Portal or Quarterly Statement to make sure your benefits are being transferred. If you find a discrepancy, you can request a written request for review within one year of when hours are first reported.

Pension Reciprocity - When you request Reciprocity, Pension benefits earned working in another jurisdiction are transferred back to your Home Fund, and Pension credits earned become Northern California credits. If you earn 30 Combined Eligibility credits without a Permanent Break in Service you can qualify for a Northern California Service Pension.

Note: Pension rules vary by jurisdiction, so Pension benefits earned in another jurisdiction will be determined according to that Plan’s rules and regulations.

Health and Welfare Reciprocity – Using Reciprocity, you can maintain Health and Welfare coverage through the Northern California Carpenters Indemnity Plan or Kaiser. When working in another jurisdiction, Health and Welfare contributions from employers are converted to Nor Cal hours.

To maintain your Health and Welfare coverage it’s crucial that you apply for Reciprocity immediately. Eligibility for benefits is determined based on contributions that have been received by the Fund Office from Contributing Employers. Please note: If health claims or expenses have been paid on your behalf by the Outside Fund, contributions may not be transferred.

Annuity Reciprocity - Reciprocity with your Annuity is simple. Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement where you work, your employer may contribute money for every hour you work toward your Annuity. Through Reciprocity, that money is simply transferred to your Home Fund and added to your Individual Account.

Reciprocity Summary

What Happens if I don’t use Reciprocity? If you do not request your benefits to be transferred through Reciprocity, any benefits you earn while working outside the Nor Cal 46-county area will remain in that jurisdiction. For example, if you leave Northern California to work in Phoenix and do not request Reciprocity:

Pension – You will maintain two separate Pension accounts. If your combined work history in both jurisdictions qualify, you could receive two Pensions in Retirement.
Health and Welfare - You must fulfill hours requirements to be eligible for Health and Welfare benefits in Arizona.
Annuity – Like your Pension, you will maintain a separate Individual Account with your Away Fund.

Special Pension Rules. There is another form of Pension that is often referred to as “Reciprocal”, but is more properly called “a Pro-Rata Pension” or “Reciprocal Pro-Rata Pension”. When you’re ready to Retire and apply for your Northern California Pension:

Your work history from all Cooperating Funds is combined to determine eligibility for a Regular, Disability, or Early Pension.
Work history from any Cooperating Fund may be combined to avoid a Permanent Break in Service.
If eligible, you can receive multiple Pension payments in Retirement.

If you are required at times to work temporarily in another area, you should not be deprived of benefits, and should be given an opportunity to become eligible for benefits under your Home Fund. This article is intended to provide a simple overview of how Reciprocity can work for Nor Cal Carpenters. Detailed information can be found in the Summary Plan Documents, available at www.carpenterfunds.com.