New retiree subsidy structure and self-payment rates effective June
1, 2007. Keep in mind retirements prior to June 1, 2007 have been
“Grandfathered” and the current rate structure will remain unchanged
for all participants with retirement dates prior to June 1, 2007.
If you are under age 62 at the time of retirement, you will pay 100% of
the COBRA rates until you reach age 62, at which time your portion of
the plan cost will be based on the following schedule.
| Year of Retirement |
Retiree Percentage Portion of plan cost you will pay |
| 2007 | 30% |
| 2008 | 35% |
| 2010 | 40% |
| 2012 | 50% |
| 2014 | 65% |
| 2016 | 80% |
| 2018 | 100% |
If you retire prior to 2012 and are eligible for Medicare, or
subsequently become eligible for Medicare, your cost will be calculated
as a percentage of plan costs based on the schedule shown below:
| Year of Retirement |
Retiree Percentage Portion of plan cost you will pay |
| 2007 | 15% |
| 2008 | 20% |
| 2010 | 25% |
For participants retiring in 2012 or later, Medicare eligibility
will not change the percentage of plan cost you pay. However, any
reduced plan cost the Fund realizes due to Medicare eligibility will be
passed on to you in the form of a lower premium.
Each year (currently June 1) the Trustees review the cost of the Plan and new self-pay rates are established. Indicated below are several scenarios which may assist you in understanding how this retiree subsidy works.
1. A participant with a spouse retires under the terms of the Solano Napa Pension Plan on July 1, 2007, his 60th birthday. His Health & Welfare rate is 100% of the cost - $936. This rate will remain until June 1, 2008, at which time it will be 100% of rate established by the Trustees for the 2008 year. On June 1, 2009, he turns 62 and his rate will be adjusted to 30% of the cost of the Plan. He will pay 30% of the cost of the Plan as established by the Trustees each year until he reaches age 65, at which time his cost will be reduced to 15%.
2. A participant retires on September 1, 2008,
his 61'' birthday. His rate will be 100% of the cost of the Plan as
established by the Trustees effective June 1, 2008. His rate will be
adjusted to 100% of the cost effective June 1, 2009. As of September 1,
2009, his rate will be adjusted to 35% of the cost of the Plan. He will
pay this percentage each year until he reaches age 65, at which time
his cost will be reduced to 20%.
3. A participant retires on March 1, 2010 at
age 58. His rate will be 100% of the cost of the Plan as of June 1,
2009. His rate will be adjusted effective June 1, 2010 and each year
thereafter until March 1, 2014, his 62nd birthday at which time his
rate will be adjusted to 40%. He will pay this percentage until March
1, 2017 at which time the percentage will be adjusted to 25%.
| Non-Medicare Retirees who Retire On or After June 1,2007 |
Retiree under age 62 | Retiree age 62 to Medicare |
| Single Two-Party, both non-Medicare Family, all non-Medicare |
$466 $936 $1,317 |
$137 $275 $387 |
Dan Broadwater,
Business Manager
| Upcoming Events
Holidays |
Inside this issue |
| MEETINGS: REGULAR MEETING 7 P.M. SECOND THURSDAY B-B-Q - 5 P.M. Only on Blood Drives RETIREES MEETING FIRST WEDNESDAY @ 12:30 P.M. E-BOARD MEETING 7 P.M. FOURTH TUESDAY EXAM BOARD MEETING 6 P.M. SECOND TUESDAY HOLIDAYS May 25 Carpenter’s Off Day* May 28 Memorial Day; July 4 Independence Day *Inside & Residential Agreements Only, excludes Genentech PLA. |
Business
Manager's Report Congratulations Condolence Local Involvement Other News: GIANTS GAME
Picnic Mare Island Museum Retiree's Corner JATC Work Picture - Changes UWLG |
| All meetings will be held at: 720 Technology Way Napa CA, 94558 |
New web site for union members in Napa & Solano counties: www.nsworkers.org find out what’s up! |
Congratulations
Dan & Shannon Huss
Birth of Madeline on April 26, 2007
“GONE FISHING” BRUCE GOURLEY"
We could not let another newsletter go by without a story on Bruce
Gourley. The story is more on the two hundred plus that came to
party
and see Bruce “shove-off” towards retirement.
The event had a nice dinner followed by a photo slide show of the young Gourley that transformed to the current statesman we all know and love. However, somewhere in the middle the history of the many ships Bruce sunk was shown to the guests and more than a few roasted Bruce to medium-rare, nothing well done—just very nicely done by our friend Rod with the UA Local 343 Plumber & Pipe Fitters.
Local Involvement:
On
Saturday April 21, 2007, members of the IBEW Local 180, Carpenters
Local 180, and UA
Local 343 members volunteered their time to kick off what is
labeled as the “HIP”
program in the City of Vacaville. Teams of
three men from each of the crafts went to 18 homes and installed
illuminated switches, smoke detectors, motion lights, handheld shower
heads, portable shower benches, hand rails and lever handle door
openers. The City purchased the material and the men did the
installation.
The volunteers went above and beyond what was
expected of them. Additional electrical work, leaky faucets and loose
hand rails were just a few items that were addressed by the men.
I want to thank A&F Electric, Long Electric,
Napa Electric,
Solano Communication and Electric and Frost Electric; Benicia
Plumbing, North Bay Plumbing and Members of Carpenters Local 180
for their professionalism and craftsmanship.
The men assembled, grabbed maps and materials and
within four hours were complete. The City Staff was ecstatic with the
results. Many involved stated that they would do it again when called
upon.
Dan Broadwater,
Business Manager
SPECIAL POINTS OF
INTEREST:Certification
Enforcement
Since January 1, 2007 you had better be a State Certified
Electrician,
enrolled as an “electrical trainee” (ET), or not be doing electrical
work.
Up until February, we had no problems filling Certified Electrician
calls with both inside books two, three and organized electricians
having their cards and are ready to work.
However, with so much work, many are traveling into California to work
and applying as ET’s to work while waiting for the State Certification
test. Some contractors are not accepting ET’s as they must
work under
the supervision of a journeymen. Additionally, many residential
contractors do not take ET’s. See page 3
GIANTS GAME
Third annual take the bus and see the Giants vs. Dodgers on Sunday July
15th is SOLD OUT!
UNION PICNIC IS
COMING UP
Please do not wait until the last minute to help out and
make this a great event - contact the union office if you wish to help.
Interested in playing in Vacaville on the local
softball team? Email Stan at stann@ibewlu180.org
MARE ISLAND
MUSEUM
Housed in Building #46, built in 1885, at 50,000 sq. ft. it is open
the first and third weekends of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Current exhibits include Women at Mare Island
USE YOUR VISA OR MASTERCARD FOR DUES!
YES, CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS WITH THE MASTERCARD OR VISA LOGO, IN PERSON
OR OVER THE PHONE FOR DUES, SORRY NOT FOR T-SHIRTS
IF YOU HAVE MOVED
Please notify the office so we can keep your information up to
date. However, if we do not have a good address - then you should
not be getting this newsletter… Please remind your co-worker.
Retiree's Corner
The meetings for the Retirees’ Club are held on the first Wednesday of
the month at the Training Center / Union Hall at 12:30 P.M.
The next meeting will NOT be March 7 as many are on a trip.
Therefore,
join them on March 14 all retirees and spouses are welcome. Widows of
retired members are encouraged to get involved and welcome our newest
member, Bruce Gourley!
FUTURE TRIPS:
Las Vegas/Laughlin April 16-21, 2007
Hawaii seven night cruise Oct 8 - 15, 2007 starting as low as $1610
person.
Please contact Ken Breckenridge more information on these trips at
(707) 643-4139
Work Picture
Solano Community College Vallejo Campus - starting this Summer -
manpower unknown
Napa Valley Community College - starting this Summer - manpower unknown
Kaiser Vacaville & Vallejo - limited hiring this Summer
Kaiser Data Center - winding down, completion due March
Genentech - winding down, completion “soon”
Valero Refinery nearly manned - unknown future needs
State Fund Campus - delayed; late Spring?
All above job calls will be "Drug Tested". Contra Costa,
Cupertino,
Redwood City, Rosendin and Kaiser Const. Services will not accept
“Electrical Trainees” on their projects.
Currently, many of our contractors, local and traveling, are in the
need for skilled foremen in order to expand.
Changes in Work Picture
Future
wind turbine projects for the Rio Vista / Montezuma Hills have come to
a halt. This time bigger birds are having problems - aircraft and
the
radar that controls them from Travis AFB. The newspaper, “The
Reporter”, noted “the blades of the turbines may lead to smaller planes
appearing to drop off the radar while others may appear when they
aren't actually there”. The county and Travis have their work cut
out
for them to see if they can over come the problems with the existing
700, before looking at adding additional units. Do not plan on
seeing
any dirt turned on this projects for six months or more.
Dixon Downs in Dixon was put out to pasture on April 17th when the special election rejected the horse racetrack and village project. The project was ten to fifteen years of development on 240 acres. No need to beat a dead horse on the number of jobs this PLA would have provided for local workers. It is unknown what the property owner will do with the land.
South Town in Vacaville will open model homes in May! This is a master planned community under a PLA on Nut Tree Road in Southeast Vacaville. Residential electricians should note that contractors require State Certified Journeyman - no Electrical Trainees will be accepted. There are not many residential electricians on the books at this time so if you know people interested in working on this project - direct them to the hall. Remember, membership is not required for the referral system. This project has enough work out in front that the apprenticeship may open up classes this summer or fall. Check the apprenticeship’s web site for details at www.jatclu180.org.
United Workers for Local
Government - UWLG
Time for information.
On a national level organized labor is very divided on the issues of
politics and organizing. It has divided organized labor and has
efforts spent on internal issues rather than workers.
The local level is different. Locally, many directly feel the impact local government has on workers everyday lives and the quality of life for a city. Locally, you can read in the newspaper the affects of citizens becoming involved in local government.
Does this have an affect on you?
Is it important to have local people working locally and not adding to
the masses commuting?
Is it important to have your local tax dollars supporting local jobs,
training and business?
Is it important to have the highest level of craftsmanship on projects,
expertise and service by government officials and staff?
If it is important, then rank and file members must get involved. Officers of local unions and elected officials can not get the job done without you. There are many ways to become a part of your community and your government. The first step is to attend union meetings, read newsletters and discuss the issues with your co-workers. The next step is making your ideas or concerns known.
Communicate with your officers and elected officials. Email or phone calls work fine. Many are available for in person meetings. It is amazing how few members of the public contact their local officials to make their thoughts known.
If you wish to write letters to the editor and are
unsure on how to get
the point across—ask us for assistance. We are here to help.
UNION BUILT MEANS BETTER BUILT
You want a “ no-worry” electrical system installed in
your home safe, reliable and guaranteed. Then you need an
electrical system installed by a union electrical contractor.
That’s right– UNION! A competent union electrical contractor who
employs qualified IBEW union electricians.
Each IBEW journeyman learns the trade through a 3 to 5 year Apprenticeship program. This extensive training combines on–the-job practical experience with classroom theory and testing. And the training doesn’t stop there. Continuing education constantly up-dates the union electrician’s skills through programs sponsored by the IBEW and NECA.
Dan Broadwater, Business Manager
|
Information on this site has been approved by the Business Manager |
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