• Becoming a Member
• A Guide for New Members
• Earning Pension Credit
• Types of Pensions
• How to Apply for Your Pension
• Job and Life Changes
• Leaving the Plan
• FAQs
• Forms & Resources
• Glossary
• Access LPF

Once you become a member of any of the Local Unions in the Central and Eastern Canada jurisdiction and are employed with a Contributing Employer, you begin to earn Pension Credit for the hours worked and submitted to the Pension Fund by your Employer, based on the contribution rate specified in the Collective Agreement.

Pension Credit can be earned for the time you worked for a Contributing Employer, both before and after the time your employer began making contributions on your behalf. Pension Credit for work before contributions begin, is referred to as Past Service Credit. Pension Credit for hours actually worked, and sent in to the Fund is referred to as Future Service Credit. Your Pension Credit is the total of Past Service Credit and Future Service Credit, and is one of the requirements for determining how much pension benefit you will receive.

You may be eligible for Past Service Credit if your first Contribution Date is before January 1, 1988. If your first contribution to the Plan is on or after this date, you are not eligible to receive Past Service Credit.

Your Contribution Date is the first day of the month in the year during which a Contributing Employer has made at least 300 hours of contributions on your behalf.

You begin earning Future Service Credit as soon as your Contributing Employer begins making contributions to the Plan on your behalf. If you worked prior to January 1, 1988, the maximum Future Service Credit that could be earned in one calendar year is one (1.00). If you worked after January 1, 1988, there is no maximum on the Future Service Credits you earn in a calendar year.

You can make Self-Payments to top up your Pension Credits to a maximum of 1200 hours if you have at least 300 hours of work in Covered Employment in a calendar year, or to a maximum of 300 hours for the year if you have less than 300 hours of work in Covered Employment and wish to avoid being terminated as a Participant. To be eligible to purchase Future Service Credit, you must remain a member in good standing with the Union, and have Vested status. If you are retiring during the year, or you are a pensioner returning to work, Self-Payment is not permitted.

To purchase pension credits, a Self-Payment must be made no later than December 31st of the following year. A Self-Payment allows you to accumulate additional Pension Credits or prevent termination of membership in the Pension Fund. The Benefit Rate for Self-Payment is the rate under the Collective Agreement you last worked during the year in which a Self-Payment is made. Self-Payments are tax deductible; you will be provided with an Income Tax Receipt from the Fund at the end of the calendar year for a self-payment. You may obtain an estimate by contacting our office or by logging into Access LPF.