How to Calculate your Contribution Rate When Traveling

The United Association National Pension Fund (UANPF) performs money follows-the-man reciprocity as a fund signatory to the United Association Pension Fund Reciprocal Agreement.

To aid traveling participants whose situations are not covered by money-follows-the-man reciprocity, the UANPF is also signed to the optional pro rata/partial pension addendum to the money-follows-the-man reciprocal agreement.

The UANPF wants to ensure our participants have the information they need to be fully informed about the impact of travelling to a Local Union jurisdiction outside of your home Local. This includes being able to calculate how we determine the pro-rata share of contributions retained by the National Pension Fund when you travel and at what contribution rate those hours are credited.

While the example below is only a guide, our UANPF staff is always able to assist if you have any questions. This link contains contact information for our Reciprocity Group that can assist you with all questions related to travel work and reciprocity.

Detailed below you will find a sample pro-rata calculation that the United Association National Pension Fund (UANPF) performs as part of the UA Reciprocal Agreement.

Provided here are the calculations for a sample participant whose home Local is Local Union 464 and is working out of Local Union 648 under the building trades group.

Home Local Union - Local 464 National Pension Fund Rate:
$0.16
Local 464 Local Defined Benefit Rate:
$5.75
Local 464 Defined Contributions Rate:
$1.70
Total Local 464 Total Rate Available (TRA):

$7.61

To determine the percentage that the UANPF will retain, once you have calculated the total rate available (see above) you then divide the Home Local National Pension Fund Rate ($.016) by the total rate available ($7.61) to determine the UANPF’s pro-rata percentage of the contributions ($.16/$7.61=.0210 or 2.10%).

This calculation tells us the UANPF will retain 2.10% of the contributions received on behalf of a Local 464 Member traveling to another Local jurisdiction.

Next, we need to calculate the Total Rate Available (TRA) for the Work Local.

(Work Local Union) - Local 648 National Pension Fund Rate:
$2.45
Local 648 Local Defined Benefit Rate:
$6.20

Total Local 648 Total Rate Available:

$8.65

We determined above that the TRA for work Local 464 is $8.65. At this point we multiply the work Local’s total rate available ($8.65) by the home local NPF % ($8.65 x .0210 = $.18).

Therefore, the UANPF will retain $.18/hr. for Local 464 members working out of Local 648. The remaining contributions will be reciprocated to the participants home fund.

Please keep in mind that if the rates change in either a home or work Local, all calculations would then change accordingly.

The above examples are offered for illustration purposes and do not apply to every participant. Weighted Average contribution rates, non-standard benefit levels, the timing of rate increases, rate reductions and separations will all affect your overall benefit calculation. Please refer to the Summary Plan Description for a more complete explanation of the effects of these and other benefit calculation matters.

If you are looking for an overview of UANPF Reciprocity Agreements and how work done by UA members travelling in the U.S. and Canada affect your pension contributions, please click here.
If you are looking for a list of the Locals signed to the UA Reciprocity Agreement and other special agreements you can click here.