Graphic Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 
National Pension Fund
NEWS
Fund Enters Critical Status Effective May 1, 2008: Board of Trustees Adopts and Implements Rehabilitation Plan

On Tuesday, August 28, 2007, the Fund's Actuary certified the GCC/IBT-NPF would enter Critical Status, as defined under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 ("PPA"), at the begining of its next Plan year starting May 1, 2008.  As required by the provisions of PPA:  1) a Notice announcing the Certification was mailed to all affected parties on SEPTEMBER 12, 2007, and  2) the Board of Trustees has adopted a Rehabilitation Plan projecting the Fund will emerge from Critical Status within a 10 year period; and 3) the Rehabilitation Plan was implemented May 1, 2008.  

If you were a Retire or Beneficiary receiving benenfits or if you had filed your Application for Retirement  - Part "A" with the Fund Office on or before September 12, 2007, you are not affected by the Rehabilitation Plan.  

For more information Click on the link to the Fund's Rehabilitation Plan
GCC/IBT-NPF
GCIU Local 20-B Retirement Benefit Plan Merges Into GCC/IBT-NPF

Effective May 1, 2008, the GCIU Local 20-B Retirement Benefit Plan has merged into the GCC/IBT-NPF.  Due to the size of the 20-B Plan, there was a need to merge into a larger fund such as the GCC/IBT-NPF, so as to capitalize on the economies of scale in the operation of the pension plan.  The $12 million 20-B Plan as approximately 550 Retirees, 330 Deferred Vested Participants and 60 Active Participants.  The nearly $1 billion GCC/IBT-NPF has approximately 20,000 retirees, 13,000 Deferrred Vested Participants and 7,000 Active participant. The merger is expected to be seemless.
Notice of New 75% Joint and Survivor Form of Benefit effective for Retirements on or after May 1, 2009

Please be advised that the Board of Trustees of the GCC/IBT-NPF, on January 27, 2009, approved a change to the Fund’s Pension Plan adding a new Form of Benefit.

The Trustees took action to amend the Pension Plan to provide, in addition to the 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit, a 75% Joint and Survivor Benefit available to all Participants who are married at the date of retirement and are eligible, and retire, on or after May 1, 2009.  Under the current 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit, a Participant receives, for as long as the Participant lives, a monthly benefit upon retirement, but after the Participant's death 50% of the Participant's benefit is then paid to the Participant's spouse for the rest of his or her life.

Under the New Form of Benefit, known as the 75% Joint and Survivor Benefit, upon the death of the Participant, the surviving spouse will receive 75% of the Participant's benefit for as long as the spouse lives.  Upon election of the 75% Joint and Survivor Benefit, the Participant's monthly benefit will be actuarially reduced based on the Participant's age and the spouse's age at the date of retirement.
Board of Trustees Elect to Defer Immediate Changes to Rehabiliatation Plan and Lengthen its Duration by Three Years Pursuant to Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (WRERA)

On July 29, 2009, the Board of Trustees of the GCC/IBT-NPF formally filed the Fund's election with the Internal Revenue Service to take advantage of the options available under WRERA.  This action provides additional time to asses the following:  1) whether Congress will pass additional legislative relief being considered; 2) the impact of any new legislation on the Fund's particular circumstances; and 3) the impact that any economic recovery might have on the Fund's investments.

For more information Click on the link to the Fund's August 2021 Pension Communicator.
Pension Protection Act of 2006 Mandates Further Changes to the GCC/IBT National Pension Fund's Retirement Plan in Order to Forestall Insolvency

The Board of Trustees has adopted an Amended Rehabilitation Plan effective May 1, 2011.  Notwithstanding implementation of the original Rehabilation Plan and a favorable 18% return on investments for the Plan Year ended April 30, 2010, the Fund, like most other pension plans, has been unable to make up ground from the near 40% combined decline in the Fund's asset base experienced during the Plan Years ending April 30, 2008 and 2009.

After extensive review and deliberation, the Board of Trustees has now determined that it would be unreasonable to conclude that the Fund will emerge from Critical Status.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 now requires the Board of Trustees to amend the Fund's existing Rehabilitation Plan by taking reasonable measurs in order to forestall the insolvency of the Fund.  Therefore, the Trustees have adopted an Amended Rehabilitation Plan that provides for contribution increases and benefit adjustments that will preserve participation in the Fund, and which is designed to forestall insolvency

Retirees, beneficiaries and eligible Participants who file their Application for Retirement - Part "A" by April 30, 2011 requesting a retirement effective date of May 1, 2011 will not be affected by any of the changes called for in the Amended Rehabilitation Plan.

For more details view the January 2011 Pension Communicator, the August 2011 Pension Communicator, the Amended Rehabilitation Plan and the Questions & Answers Regarding the Amended Rehabilitation Plan.
Board of Trustees Conclude evaluation of Multiemployer Pension Relief Act (MPRA) -- No action expected

As noted in last years Pension Communicator, the Board of Trustees of the GCC/IBT-NPF has concluded its evaluation of the relief mechanisms available under MPRA and has concluded that hte Fund does not meet the criteria necessary to qualify for relief under the law.  Therefore, there will be no changes to the benefit structure at this time.

For more information Click on the link to the Fund's August 2015 Pension Communicator.
Fund's Actuary Reports in their Annual Insolvency Date Projection that the GCC/IBT National Pension Fund will become insolvent in the Plan Year ending April 30, 2022

The August 2016 Pension Communicator notifies stakeholders that the Fund’s Actuary projects the Fund will become insolvent sometime during the Plan Year ending April 30, 2022. Along with the mailing of the Pension Communicator, the Fund is sending every eligible Member/Participant a letter from the Fund that sets forth a projection of their current benefits accruals under the Fund’s existing Retirement Plan rules as well as a projection of what their benefit is projected to be under the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporations (PBGC) guarantee levels.  These projections have been prepared for retirees, deferred vested participants and active participants.

For more information Click on the link to the Fund's August 2016 Pension Communicator
Fund's Actuary Reports in their Annual Insolvency Date Projection that the GCC/IBT National Pension Fund is now projected to become insolvent in the Plan Year May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023

While last year’s favorable investment return (projected at 11.3%) has moved the projected insolvency date out one Plan Year later than announced last year, all stakeholders should accept this news with caution. While this is positive news, it should be tempered with the realization that if the Fund was to encounter unfavorable investment results in the current or future years, the date of insolvency could be accelerated because of the fragile financial condition of the Fund.

For more information Click on the link to the Fund's August 2017 Pension Communicator
Historic pension legislation signed into law by President Biden

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (“ARA”) which contains the Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 (“EPPRA”). 

EPPRA provides sweeping and broad-based relief to multiemployer pension plans like the GCC/IBT National Pension Fund that face insolvency. Under EPPRA, eligible pension plans can apply for financial assistance from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ("PBGC") which is intended to be sufficient for qualifying pension plans to pay all benefits for 30 years. Section 4262 of EPPRAbenefits for 30 years. Section 4262 of EPPRA requires the PBGC to issue regulations or guidance within 120 days setting forth requirements for special financial assistance applications under this section. The GCC/IBT National Pension Fund welcomes this new legislation and preparation of the Fund's application will commence as we await guidance from the PBGC. The Fund will provide stakeholders with more info as it becomes available.
For more information Click on the link to the Fund's August 2021 Pension Communicator
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ("PBGC") Approves GCC/IBT National Pension Fund Application for Special Financial Assistance (SFA) -- NPF Received $1.288 billion on May 24, 2022

The Board of Trustees of the GCC/IBT National Pension Fund's ("NPF") is pleased to announce that on April 27, 2022, the PBGC approved the NPF's Application for Special Financial Assistance ("SFA") under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”). The NPF received the funds from the government in May thereby eliminating the threat of insolvency. Regulations that went into effect August 8, 2022 allowed the NPF to file a supplemented application for an additional SFA allocation which is expected to be received in the coming months.

ARPA is providing sweeping financial relief to multiemployer pension plans like the NPF to ensure that these pension funds can continue to pay full benefits to plan participants who earned these benefits well into the future.