Plan Background print

The UFCW Union Pension Plan is a jointly trusteed pension plan. This means that the Plan is jointly managed by Trustees appointed by the employers, by UFCW Local 247 and by UFCW Local 1518. There is a Trust Agreement setting out the Trustees’ duties and responsibilities. They include ensuring that:

• proper records are maintained
• the terms of the Plan are administered consistently and in accordance with the law,
• and the Plan funds are invested for the benefit of members and in accordance with the laws regulating pension plan investments.

One of the unique features of the Plan is that it has five separate divisions. The pension funds are combined for investment purposes, but a separate accounting for each division is maintained to ensure that the assets of one division are not used to support the benefits of another division. Each division has its own Retirement Committee made up of both employer and union appointees. The divisions include:

• Overwaitea
• Canada Safeway
• Tober Enterprises
• Miscellaneous
• Terminated Employers

The Retirement Committees make recommendations to the Trustees on such issues as:

• the development of benefit schedules for the divisions
• creation of an investment policy applicable to the division
• subsequent changes to the divisions’ investment policies, and
• the development of communication and education programs for division members