Medical Eligibility

The Union Contractors contribute a collectively bargained hourly amount into trust funds on behalf of every member.  These contributions are held by a Trust Fund Administrator (W.C Earhart Co.)  They are not sent to the Union, Local, elected representatives or held by the Union Contractor.  These funds are distributed according to the rules set by a committee consisting of equal numbers of Union and Contractor Representatives. 

Benefits Office: 
W.C. Earhart Co. 
(800) 846-0611

Initial Eligibility
To establish initial eligibility for coverage, an employee must work 240 or more hours, at the current contribution rate, within any two consecutive calendar months. When you have had contributions paid to the Plan for 240 or more hours by contributing employers within two consecutive calendar months those hours provide coverage for the second month following the month when the 240th hour was worked. There is a “skip month” between the month when qualifying threshold is crossed and the first month of Plan coverage. If you are credited with 240 hours in a single month, your eligibility for coverage will begin in the second month following the month when the 240th hour was worked.  
For Example:

A member who works a minimum of 240 during January and February will be eligible for welfare benefits on April 1.
A member who works a minimum of 240 during January will be eligible for welfare benefits on March 1.

Continued Eligibility

After eligibility is established, you will continue to be eligible each month that you work a minimum of 120 hours at the Plans current contribution rate. Please note: there will always be a delay of one month between the month hours worked and the eligibility month.

For Example:

• 120 hours worked in March will earn eligibility for May
  
• 120 hours worked in April will earn eligibility for June
  
• 120 hours worked in May will earn eligibility for July and so forth
  

Hours worked in excess of 150 hours per month at the Plan’s current contribution rate and up to a maximum of 360 hours will accumulate and be “banked” to supplement any month that you work less than the 120 hours.

For Example:

Cumulative Hours Banked

• 120 hours in March will earn eligibility for May.
  • Cumulative Hours Banked - 0
    
• 160 hours in April will earn eligibility for June.
  • Cumulative Hours Banked - 10
• 200 hours in May will earn eligibility for July.
  • Cumulative Hours Banked -10+50 =60
    
• 100 hours in June plus 20 hours from bank provides eligibility in August.
  • Cumulative Hours Banked - 60-20=40
• 110 hours in July plus 10 hours from bank provides eligibility in September.
  • Cumulative Hours Banked - 40-10=30

If you lose edibility with the plan for 12 consecutive months, your hour bank will be forfeited and you will need to re-establish eligibility by meeting the initial eligibility requirement of 240 or more hours, at the current contribution rate, within two consecutive calendar months.

Once determined to be eligible by our trust fund administrator, W.C. Earhart Co., members will receive a Medical Card in the mail from the medical insurance provider; Cigna HealthCare. If a member has not received their card, they should contact W.C Earhart Co., to confirm eligibility and request a card. 

BONUS CHECK 
Members will receive a “Bonus Check” in November of each year.  The total will depend on how many hours each member worked from September of the previous year through August of the current year.