ERP Benefits

The ERP compensates eligible members who work covered employment as an Inside Wire or Teledata (or Apprentice) and who contribute to the plan. Class 26 employees, Residential employees, Retirees, and Dependents are NOT eligible for ERP benefits.

Establishing Eligibility

Before a journeyman can qualify for ERP benefits, he/she must first establish eligibility by earning a minimum 12 credits (this does not apply to apprentices). Members who were participants in the Health Plan on the effective date of the ERP (May 1, 2006) were grandfathered into the plan with the 12-credit minimum.

Once a member satisfies minimum service once, the member is never required to re-establish eligibility, except in the case of a break in service.

Breaks in Service

If you don’t accrue a new credit for 24 consecutive months, you are considered to have a break in service. Any and all credits are forfeited, and you have to re-establish initial eligibility.

The following exceptions are not considered breaks in service:

• Service in any branch of the United States Armed Forces
• Unemployment due to accident, disease, injury, or illness
• Employment outside the geographic area by an employer who is subject to IBEW-NECA national reciprocity agreement and who is required to contribute to a Health & Welfare Fund pursuant to a Collectively-Bargained Agreement.

Following a break in service, a member must re-establish eligibility by earning 12 credits before they may draw a benefit.

Eligibility

To be eligible for ERP benefits, you must be:

• Involuntarily terminated for reasons other than cause (i.e., a “clean layoff”) from your most recent contributing employer, and
• Not working in another jurisdiction, and
• On the Local 8 available-to-work list at least one day during the week for which you are applying, and
• Receiving state unemployment benefits or show conclusive evidence of eligibility, and
• Have established initial eligibility and have a positive ERP credit balance

If you have rolled the book, you are not eligible for ERP benefits unless you were working out of the Local 8 jurisdiction for an employer who is subject to reciprocity.

If you are not employed out of Local 8’s jurisdiction when you roll, you are not eligible for ERP benefits, and will not be eligible until you accept a work referral and are laid off from that referral through no fault of your own.

To be eligible for benefits after having rolled the Local 8 book, but before you have accepted a new referral, you must meet the following 3 requirements:

1. You were employed out of the jurisdiction when you rolled the Local 8 book
2. You can provide proof (such as pay stubs) that you were employed by a qualifying employer in another geographic area out of the jurisdiction when you rolled, and
3. You are currently on the Local 8 available-to-work book.

You are not eligible for ERP benefits if:

• You were terminated for cause or you voluntarily quit
• You are currently working in the electrical industry outside of the jurisdiction
• You are working for a non-signatory contractor
• You have retired
• You are receiving disability benefits

Credits are earned monthly based on hours worked that month:

• More than 1 hour but less than 24 hours worked per month = 1 credit earned
• More than 24 hours worked per month = 2 credits earned

Weeks of unemployment benefit are paid in exchange for credits, where one credit pays one week of benefit. Each member has an account to track credits accrued and spent.

Members can accrue a maximum of 52 credits in their account.

While in theory a member can also accrue credits by sending reciprocity payments while working outside of Local 8’s jurisdiction, in practice the “health and welfare” dollars are divided in this manner:

1. Paying for Health Insurance
2. Satisfying the VEBA/SFBF
3. Earning credits for the ERP

There are very few locals nationwide whose contribution is sufficient to cover past item #2.

However, if the member is receiving payment sufficient to satisfy #1 and #2, contributions above the amount needed for H&W and VEBA are converted to credits using a formula:

$ amount above H&W and VEBA contribution per hour

× # of reciprocity hours

÷ $1.00/hour ERP contribution

= Hours worked

For example:

$0.20 over H&W and VEBA contribution per hour

× 160 reciprocity hours

÷ $1.00/hour ERP contribution

= 26 hours worked, equaling 2 credits for the month

You must submit a completed ERP application for every week you think you may be eligible, as applications will not be held until you are eligible. You can collect for a week of benefit as long as you have worked no more than one day in a work week (Monday – Sunday). If you get laid off in the middle of a work week, you do not need to fill anything out to “get your benefit started”.

Applications are accepted Wednesday thru 7:59 AM (Local Time) on Tuesday . No application will be accepted after 7:59 AM (Local Time) on Tuesday. You can submit via mail, fax, email, and online with your username and password. We also have a blue drop box outside of the TEWF Building for 24/7 form submittal. See below Calendar schedule for date submission information.

Calls go to Book II – This is a suspended week of benefit with the exception: Only Apprentices, Travelers, Teledata and members with a delayed start are eligible to apply.

Calls go UNFILLED – This is a suspended week of benefit with the exception: ONLY Apprentices, Teledata and members with a delayed start are eligible to apply.

Suspended week cannot be used as a waiting week.

Applications must be received by Monday end of business day (5 PM) for previous work week. We will not retroactive payment for late applications.

Benefit payment is by direct deposit only. Deposits will show up in your bank on Friday for previous week of benefit. Example: For week ending Sunday, December 27th deposit for that week of benefit will be on Friday, January 1st.

You can mail, fax, submit on-line, email or walk in ERP Applications to the Fund Office.

If submitting on-line, choose login from the menu and select to Login as a PARTICIPANT. Once logged in and your personal information appears in the General Information Field, select ERP from the menu options. You will then be given the option to select ERP Application to apply online. Once you have filled out the on-line application click submit and you should receive a confirmation number. Please print your confirmation number as this will be your proof of submission if a problem arises. If you do not receive a confirmation number, then your application did not process.

If you do not have a username and password, please contact the Fund Office at 419-666-4450.

The week ending date is always a Sunday Date.

Before logging into the site, you are given other options to apply for ERP. From the menu select BENEFITS then select ERP Benefits. There will be a dark colored box on this page titled DOCUMENTS. There you will find the option to print the ERP application to mail, fax, drop off in the blue box outside the building after hours or submit in person to the Fund office. You will also find the option of a Fillable ERP/SUB FUND APPLICATION. This option will allow you to type in your application and save it to your device so that you may easily email the application to erp@electricalfunds.org.

It is your responsibility to make sure your application is in the office by the required date regardless of computer or any other issues.