USW 5795 BENEFIT FUND

The Benefit Fund is an insurance and support program run by the union for its members. The fund is an extra safety net, separate from the main benefits provided by the company. Members contribute a small amount from each paycheck to this fund, and in return, they can receive financial help when they're sick or in the event of a death in the family.

Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

Who Can Join?

The fund is for members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local Unions 5795 (01 & 02) and 6731.

• All full-time employees of these local unions can join.

• To join, you must sign a payroll deduction card.

• New members must wait 60 days after signing up before they can claim any benefits.

How is it Funded?

• Members contribute $6.00 per pay period through a payroll deduction.

• If the total amount in the fund drops to $100,000 or less, the contribution automatically increases to $12.00 per pay period until the fund's balance reaches $175,000.

• The money is managed by a committee and kept in a separate bank account specifically for these benefits.

What are the Main Benefits?

1. Weekly Sickness Pay:
   
   

   • If you are sick and can't work, you can receive $140.00 per week (or $20.00 per day).

*Each week after week one you receive $134 per week (less deductions)

1. • This benefit is paid for a maximum of 39 weeks.

   • You must be sick for at least five days to qualify, but once you do, the payment is retroactive to the first day of your illness.

   • To receive this benefit, you need to have a form filled out by your doctor.

2. Life Insurance:
   
   

   • If a member passes away, their designated beneficiary receives $3,500.

   • If a member's spouse or dependent child dies, the member receives $1,500. (Dependent children are under 19, or under 26 if they are full-time students).

   • If a married couple are both members of the fund and one passes away, only the $3,500 member life insurance is paid out, not the spousal benefit.

Important Things to Know:

• Eligibility: To receive benefits, you must be an active, paying member of the fund. If you stop paying, you are dropped from the fund after 40 days.

• Leaving the Union: If you leave the bargaining unit (for example, to take a supervisor job), you are no longer eligible for benefits. If you return to the bargaining unit later, you have to rejoin as a new member.

• Work Stoppages: During a legal strike, lockout, or plant shutdown, all benefits (except for the member life insurance) are frozen after 10 weeks.

• Layoffs and Vacation: You cannot receive weekly sickness benefits while you are on layoff or vacation. However, if you were a member before being laid off, you become eligible for benefits again as soon as you return to work and your first payroll deduction is made.

• Claims Deadline: You must claim your benefits within one year from the date your doctor's note was submitted. Checks that are not cashed within a year become void.

In short, the Benefit Fund is a member-funded program that provides short-term financial assistance during illness and a modest life insurance payout to help members and their families during difficult times.