"A" members in good standing receive pension, death benefits and eligibility for elected office

The following has been prepared to assist our members with decisions regarding per capita dues payments and their rights as well as to clarify IBEW Pension Benefit Fund (PBF) requirements for future benefit payments.

The IBEW has a long tradition of assisting members at the local and international level with benefits. As a result of convention action, the IBEW created and maintains pension and death benefits for all "A" members. Although this applies primarily to members working in the construction branch of the brotherhood, this program is and has always been available to all IBEW members who elect "A" membership status, and they are encouraged to participate.

Advantages of maintaining IBEW "A" membership and continuous good standing include:

Pension and death benefits that are only payable to members who remain in good standing. Any member who retires prior to age 62 from a local union plan or local company plan, other than by disability, is required to maintain continuous good standing by paying dues to his or her local union until becoming eligible, approved and placed into active payment status to begin collecting PBF benefit. For disability pension, dues payment must continue until being placed onto PBF pension payment status. Dues payments made after the date of disability would be refunded after the PBF pension has been approved. Retirees maintaining continuous good standing after being placed onto pension are not required to continue dues payments.

Eligibility for a Normal PBF Pension

Per the IBEW Constitution (Article XI, Sec. 1), an "A" member of the IBEW in continuous good standing with five or more years immediately preceding his retirement application, who has attained the age of 65, shall receive pension benefits computed on the basis of $4.50 per month for each full year of such continuous "A" membership.

Eligibility for Optional Early Retirement Pension

An "A" member of the IBEW in continuous good standing with 20 or more years immediately preceding his application, who has attained the age of 62, may elect to receive reduced pension benefits as long as he lives, computed on the basis of $4.50 per month for each full year of such continuous "A" membership, reduced by 6 2/3 percent for each year or part thereof the said "A" member was under the age of 65 at the date of his retirement.

Eligibility for Disability Pension

An "A" member of the IBEW who is totally disabled and has continuous good standing of 20 or more years immediately preceding his application shall receive disability pension benefits, if such application is approved after December 31, 2006, computed on the basis of $4.50 per month for each full year of such continuous "A" membership. The applicant must maintain his membership in continuous good standing until the application is approved by the I.E.C.

Eligibility for Local Union Participation

In addition to the above PBF pension benefits, the Constitution provides additional rights to active members of the IBEW. These include attending union meetings, voting on local union issues, holding office and participating in the IBEW International Convention.

IBEW Constitutional Requirements for
Continuous Good Standing

The following is reprinted from the IBEW Constitution for your consideration:

• Article XXI, Sec. 3. Any member indebted to his L.U. for three months' dues, or having any past due indebtedness to the I.B.E.W. for dues or assessments, shall stand suspended, and the L.U. may refuse to accept dues from any member who is indebted to it. Such member cannot be reinstated until all indebtedness has been paid, unless waived by the L.U. However, dues cannot be waived.
  
  
• Article XXI, Sec. 6. Members who are suspended forfeit all rights and previous standing in the I.B.E.W., including any pension or death benefits payable from the Pension Benefit Fund.

Article XI provides the rules and benefits for IBEW Pension Benefit Fund payments which members, or their beneficiary, who maintain their good standing are eligible to receive. The IBEW currently has over 100,000 members collecting a PBF pension benefit and for fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, paid over $122 million in pension benefits to retired IBEW members. In the same time period over $17.6 million in death benefits were paid to IBEW members' beneficiaries.

Many local unions provide reminders to members who are delinquent in paying dues and this office encourages local unions to assist members with this service to help in timely payment of dues. However there is no requirement for local unions to provide notice and ultimately the responsibility for timely dues payment is up to the member.

Eligibility to run for Delegate to the International Convention

Per Article II, Sec. 10 of the IBEW Constitution, no member shall be nominated as a delegate or alternate unless in continuous good standing in his L.U. at least 24 months immediately prior to nomination, provided his L.U. has been in existence that long.

*** The two-year membership requirement shall not be applicable to members of L.U.s affiliated with System Councils, who are employed by a single employer and who transfer between L.U.s within a System Council, provided however that such member must have been a member in continuous good standing for two years in at least one of the L.U.'s affiliated with the System Council involved.

Eligibility to Run for International Office

No one shall be eligible as an officer except a member having five years continuous good standing in the IBEW immediately prior to nomination. (Article III, Sec. 2)

Eligibility to Run for Local Union Office

No member shall be eligible for any office unless he has been a member in continuous good standing at least two years in the L.U. immediately prior to nomination, provided his L.U. has been in existence for that length of time. (Article XVI, Sec. 10)

*** The two-year membership requirement shall not be applicable to members of L.U.s affiliated with System Councils, who are employed by a single employer and who transfer between L.U.s within a System Council, provided, however that such member must have been a member in continuous good standing for two years in at least one of the L.U.s affiliated with the System Council involved.

"BA" members shall not participate in the funds or benefits established and maintained under Article XI. (Article XIII, Sec. 10)