Health & Pension Benefit Reciprocity
Reciprocity is the process of transferring hours worked out-of-state or out of a Laborers’ “home area” back to the Laborers’ “home funds.”
Wisconsin has one statewide health fund, Wisconsin Laborers’ Health Fund. All hours worked anywhere in Wisconsin will be submitted on a Laborers’ behalf to the Wisconsin Laborers’ Health Fund. Any hours worked outside Wisconsin will be submitted to the out of state fund that corresponds with the work location. In most cases, those out of state hours can be transferred back to the Wisconsin Laborers’ Health Fund once a reciprocity request is submitted.
Wisconsin has 2 separate pension trust funds. The first, Building Trades United Pension Trust Fund, is funded by hours worked in the 6-County Milwaukee area: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha Counties. The second, Wisconsin Laborers’ Pension Fund, is funded by hours worked in the balance of the state. All Laborers have a “home fund”, which is the pension fund in which the majority of their contributions are submitted. If a Laborer, with the Wisconsin Laborers’ Pension Fund as their home fund, works in the Milwaukee area, those Milwaukee area hours will be submitted to the Building Trades UnitedPension Trust Fund. A reciprocity request submitted to the Building Trades Pension will ensure the hours will be transferred back to the Laborers’ home fund.
The completed form can be faxed or mailed to the temporary fund, where it will be held on file indefinitely.
