Documents obtained by Local 804 Members United reveal that Local 804 officials were talking with the company about pension cuts as early as January 2005—nearly two years before the membership was blindsided by pension cuts.

According to the documents, our Pension Fund Trustees had actuaries running projections that included cutting benefits to as low as $2,500 per month for 25 years of service. Other projections looked at cutting our pensions to $3,300 and $3,200 for 25 years of service.

The membership was never informed of these discussions. In fact, we were told that our pensions were secure and we had nothing to worry about.

Later in 2005, our union trustees on the Health Fund voted to divert millions of dollars in contributions from our Health Fund to our Pension Fund. Again, the membership was never informed.

Pension Fund Trustees have a legal obligation to consider all scenarios and act in the best interest of the pension fund. We don’t fault them for having actuaries run these projections. But we do fault them for keeping the membership in the dark.

Local 804 Members United obtained these documents by exercising our rights to information under the Pension Protection Act. Our Pension Fund stonewalled for eight months but finally turned over critical actuarial reports and other documents in October.

Local 804 Members United will continue to make pension information available to the membership.

Click here to read an actuarial report from January 2005 where pension cuts are projected.

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