Nearly every USA 829 contract requires your employer to make contributions into the USA 829 Pension Fund on your behalf — that’s in addition to your wages. Over time, based on how much you work and earn, you may become VESTED in the plan, which means you’ll have a guaranteed right to receive a pension benefit. (You’ll learn more about vesting in the FAQ section.)
While the USA 829 Pension Fund can be a key part of your long-term financial security, it is a separate organization from the union, run by its own board of trustees and administered by a company called Benefit Plans, Inc. (BPI).
If you ever have questions, feel free to reach out directly to BPI — or contact your Benefits & Support Services Department at USA 829. We’re always here to help!
How does money get into my pension account?
When working on most USA 829 contracts, your employer is required to make contributions into the USA 829 Pension Fund on your behalf. These employer contributions are the primary source of funding of pension benefits.
What does it mean to be vested in the pension fund?
Becoming “vested” in the pension fund means that you have a non-forfeitable right to eventually receive a monthly pension benefit from the fund.
How do you become vested in the pension fund?
To become vested in the pension fund (which means you’ve earned a non-forfeitable right to eventually receive a monthly pension benefit), you must:
Earn 5 Years of Vesting Service
before experiencing
5 Consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service
What Counts As a Year of Vesting Service?
To earn One Year of Vesting Service for work done in 2025, you need to meet any one of the following thresholds:
• $22,500 in earnings on USA 829 contracts, OR
• $2,000 in employer contributions into the pension fund, OR
• 1,000 hours of service under USA 829 contracts
Starting in 2026, the thresholds will increase. You’ll need:
• $25,000 in earnings on USA 829 contracts, OR
• $2,500 in employer contributions into the pension fund, OR
• 1,000 hours of service under USA 829 contracts
What Counts As a One-Year Break in Service?
In 2025, you will experience a One-Year Break in Service if you fall below any one of the following thresholds:
• Less than $22,500 in earnings on USA 829 contracts, OR
• Less than $2,000 in employer contributions into the pension fund, OR
• Fewer than 500 hours of service under USA 829 contracts
Starting in 2026, the break-in-service thresholds will also increase. You’ll experience a break if you fall below:
• Less than $25,000 in earnings on USA 829 contracts, OR
• Less than $2,500 in employer contributions into the pension fund, OR
• Fewer than 500 hours of service under USA 829 contracts
Once I become vested, am I guaranteed my pension?
Becoming vested in the USA 829 Pension Plan means you have a non-forfeitable right to a defined pension benefit.
How is my pension benefit calculated?
The simplest answer: the more pension credits you earn over your career, the higher your eventual monthly pension benefit will be.
The more complicated answer: to begin with, you earn pension credits based on your earnings and the contributions made on your behalf into the pension fund each year.
EARNING PENSION CREDITS
For calendar year 2025, you earn:
• 1/2 of a pension credit if you earn $22,500 on USA 829 contracts or have $2,000 in contributions made into the pension fund on your behalf
• 1 full pension credit if you earn $40,000 on USA 829 contracts or have $3,500 in contributions made into the pension fund on your behalf
In 2026, those amounts go up:
• 1/2 credit = $25,000 in earnings or $2,500 in contributions
• 1 credit = $45,000 in earnings or $4,000 in contributions
Keep in mind, these thresholds have changed over time. Some years in the past only allowed full pension credits to be earned, while others allowed fractions like 6/10 of a credit. (Yes, 6/10 is a weird fraction.)
HOW PENSION CREDITS AFFECT YOUR BENEFIT
For each year in which you earn all or part of a credit:
• Your monthly benefit increases by $14 per full credit (or $7 per 1/2 credit, or $8.40 per 6/10 credit, etc.)
You also earn an additional amount towards your monthly benefit based on the amount of employer contributions made into the fund on your behalf for a given year:
• Before 2013: 3.25% of contributions
• 2013–2024: 2.67% of contributions
• 2025 and after: 2.5% of contributions
So as an example, let’s say in 2025, you earn one full pension credit and also have $4,000 in employer contributions made into the pension fund on your behalf. Here’s how your pension benefit would increase for that year:
• $14 for earning the full pension credit, PLUS
• $100 based on 2.5% of the $4,000 in contributions made (0.025 × $4,000 = $100)
Total increase to your monthly pension benefit for 2025: $114
But remember: You will only receive a benefit from the pension fund if you become VESTED.
What happens if I experience five consecutive one-year breaks in service?
Five consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service is considered a Permanent Break in Service. In most cases, if you experience a permanent break in service before you achieve vesting status, any Years of Vesting Service and Pension Credits you’ve earned to that point will be cancelled.
When can I start collecting my pension?
The standard age to begin receiving your defined benefit pension is 65 years old. However, one can qualify for an early retirement pension at 55 years old, although taking your pension early will likely mean a decrease in the size of your benefit payments. For more information on receiving your pension benefit, reach out to the Pension Fund administrators at BPI.
Is there a point at which I have to start taking my pension?
Yes. Typically, participants who have earned a pension will have to start receiving their benefits no later than April 1st of the calendar year after the year in which they turn 73 years old.
What happens if I keep working after I begin receiving my pension benefits?
The pension plan’s rules say that once you start receiving your pension benefit, if there is any month in which you work on USA 829 contracts for 11 days or more, you will not receive a pension benefit payment for that month. This is called “Disqualifying Employment.” However, starting on April 1st of the calendar year following the year in which you turn 70 ½ years old, you will receive your pension benefit every month regardless of whether you work in covered employment or not.
Also, the pension plan’s rules say that any pension credits you earn from work done after you start receiving your pension will have less of an impact on your monthly benefit amount than they would have had they been earned before you started receiving your pension. That’s a long way of saying: You can keep working after you start receiving your pension, but the amount your pension goes up based on that work will likely be a little bit less.
How do I designate a beneficiary?
To designate a beneficiary, you must notify the Fund Office in writing using an official beneficiary designation form provided by the Fund. You can change your beneficiary at any time before you retire, but if you are married and wish to name someone other than your spouse, your spouse must provide notarized consent. If you name your spouse as your beneficiary and they pass away before receiving all payments, the remaining benefit will go to your surviving child or children — unless you’ve designated someone else.