Pensioner Benefits
Members Who Retired Prior to October 1, 2004
Any Member who retired prior to October 1, 2004, or who retired under the special provisions for the “window” retirement during the period October 1, 2004, through April 1, 2005, is eligible for MILA benefits in retirement if the Member:
- Retired from active service as a bargaining unit Member, is receiving a pension plan from a local Port longshore pension fund negotiated by employers and the union based upon service as a bargaining unit Member and is eligible for a pensioner welfare benefit under the rules of the local port in effect on September 30, 1996;
- Retired fromactive service as a non-bargaining unit Member who participated in the MILA National Health Plan, the former employer is still covered by the Plan under a Participation Agreement and provided retirement health benefits on September 30, 1996; and
- Effective April 1, 2014, an active employee who retires from a Port association or employer association that is covered under a Participation Agreement shall be entitled to benefits in retirement pursuant to the following rules:
- The employer association retiree must be receiving a defined benefit pension based upon his employment in the industry. If the retiree is not receiving a defined benefit pension, he must be entitled to participate in a company sponsored retirement plan.
- If the employer association retiree has attained at least age 58 when he retires, he will qualify for MILA Basic Plan benefits provided that he has at least twenty-five (25) years of service in the longshore industry and he has worked at least five (5) years with the association immediately before his retirement. At age 62, he will receive MILA Premier Plan benefits and upon
attainment of eligibility to enroll for Medicare benefits, he will receive MILA Medicare Wrap-Around Plan benefits.
- If the employer association retiree has attained at least age 62 when he retires, he will qualify for MILA Premier Plan benefits provided that he has at least twenty-five (25) years of service in the longshore industry and he has worked at least five (5) years with the association immediately before his retirement. Upon attainment of eligibility to enroll for Medicare benefits, he will receive MILA Medicare Wrap-Around Plan benefits.
- If the employer association retiree has attained at least age 65 when he retires, he will qualify for MILA Medicare Wrap-Around Plan benefits provided that he has at least ten (10) years of service in the longshore industry and he has worked at least five (5) years with the association immediately before his retirement.
- The term “in the longshore industry” includes employment in (a) any company that was a signatory to a deepsea collective bargaining agreement covering ports in the United States, except Alaska and Hawaii, or (b) any company bound by the terms of any deepsea collective bargaining agreement covering ports in the United States, except Alaska and Hawaii, with a multi-employer bargaining association by reason of being a Member of such association.
- Any employer association retiree receiving MILA retiree benefits shall no longer be eligible to receive MILA benefits if he/she goes to work for an employer in an employment classification in which health care benefits are made available.
- If the employer association stops covering active employees in MILA, the employer association retiree(s) who were receiving MILA benefits shall no longer be eligible for MILA benefits.
Your dependents, including your surviving spouse, may also be eligible for pensioner benefits. Whether your dependents are eligible for benefits provided by the MILA National Health Plan depends on the rules of your local Port that were in effect on September 30, 1996 or whether the MILA Plan has been amended to provide benefits for dependents in your Port.
