Participation
Q: Who can participate in IPF Canada?
A: You can participate in the IPF Canada if you work for an employer who has been accepted as a contributing employer by the Trustees to contribute to the Plan and you are working in Covered Employment as:
- an employee working in a job classification covered by a local collective bargaining agreement, or
- an employee of a local union or local union fund which participates in the Plan.
You become a participant, when you work sufficient hours in covered employment after the date your employer begins making contributions to the IPF on your behalf. This date is known as the Contribution Date.
You become a participant in the IPF after you have met one of the following requirements:
- If your contribution date is on January 1, 1988 or later, you become a participant in the Plan, on the first of the calendar year following completion of:
- (a) 1,200 hours of future service credit, or
- (b) 350 hours of covered employment over two consecutive calendar years if you are affected by the pension law of Alberta.
You may earn the 1,200 hours required in (a) above, over a period of years. If, however, you have two consecutive years in which you don't have contributions made on your behalf, all your previously earned hours of future service credit won't be counted towards becoming a participant in the Plan.
- If your contribution date is before January 1, 1988, you become a participant in the Plan on January 1, 1988 if you have earned at least 1,200 hours of future service credit in the six consecutive calendar years immediately preceding January 1, 1988.
- If your contribution date is between January 1, 1982 and December 31, 1987, and you have earned less than 1,200 hours of future service credit by January 1, 1988, you become a participant in the Plan on the earlier of: (a) the first calendar year following the calendar year in which you have earned 1,200 hours of future service credit provided this is within the six calendar years from the calendar year of your contribution date, or (b) the first of the calendar year after earning 1,200 hours of future service credit or, if you are affected by the pension law of Alberta, completion of 350 hours of covered employment over two consecutive calendar years.