FAQ
Health Benefits
Union Representation
Pension Benefits
Health Benefits
How can I get Health Benefit Information?
Firstly you can always start by reviewing information on this website under the tab for benefits. You can get summaries of Health Benefits, Dental and Optical. There are also forms that can be downloaded to update your application information, and you can also use the request tab to request a card or optical voucher. There is also Contact info for the Dickinson Group our third party administrators of the plan, as well as Empire/Anthem, the Network of Doctors the plan uses.If I have a question about a Claim who do I contact?
Union Representation
If I am having an issue on the Job who can i speak to?
If you have a job related issue you can get in touch with your Shop Steward at the work site. The Shop Steward is the Union representative that is on site at your place of employment and handles grievances and other matters on behalf of employees. You may also at any time contact the Union and discuss the matter with a representative. Remember your Weingarten Rights allow you to request to have a Shop Steward present at any meeting with management where discipline can be imposed.
Pension Benefits
How much am I allowed to contribute?
You are allowed to make Salary Reduction Contributions of up to 15% of your earnings to the plan. A Salary Reduction Contribution is a Pre-Tax deduction from your pay.
How much will my Employer contribute?
Employer contributions are defined in the collective bargaining agreement that covers your employment. Some collective bargaining agreements require employers to make mandatory contributions, others require the employer to match certain portions or all of an employee's Salary reduction contribution. Refer to your collective bargaining agreement to see how much the employer is required to contribute.
When am I "vested" in the benefit?
A participant has a nonforfeitable or vested right to any Salary Reduction Contribution he has made on behalf of himself.
A participant acquired 100% nonforfeitable or vested right to that portion of his Account contributed by the Employer on his behalf, when the participant has completed 5 years of Vesting Service.
To earn a year of vesting service a participant must work at least 1000 hours in a calendar year.
Organizing
Can I be fired for Joining a Union?
The National Labor Relations Act forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining or assisting a labor organization for collective bargaining purposes, or from working together to improve terms and conditions of employment, or refraining from any such activity.
Examples of employer conduct that violates the law:
Threatening employees with loss of jobs or benefits if they join or vote for a union or engage in protected concerted activity.
Threatening to close the plant if employees select a union to represent them.
Questioning employees about their union sympathies or activities in circumstances that tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under the Act.
Promising benefits to employees to discourage their union support.
Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they engaged in union or protected concerted activity.
Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they filed unfair labor practice charges or participated in an investigation conducted by NLRB.
How can we get a Union at our site?
If 30% of the employees at a work site sign authorization cards to be represented by the Union, a petition can be filed at the National Labor Relations Board seeking an election. Once an election is scheduled the employees in the bargaining unit will vote by secret ballot and if a majority of employees who vote in the election vote for union representation, the Union will then be certified to represent the group. By Federal Law, Management must sit down and bargain in good faith with the Union.