21 Jun Biden Administration and Sen. Casey announce assistance for over 100,000 BCTGM workers and retirees covered by the B & C Pension Fund
BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton traveled to the BCTGM Local 464 (Hershey, Pa.) Union Hall today—along with members and retirees of BCTGM Local 6 (Philadelphia, Pa.)—for an historic update on pension reform from White House Senior Advisor and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Implementation Coordinator Gene Sperling and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA).
Sperling and Casey informed the members that the promise of pension reform has been fulfilled for 103,000 BCTGM workers and retirees. Without the historic support to protect workers’ pension benefits included in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the affected BCTGM members—who have already earned these benefits—would have faced estimated benefit reductions of roughly 45% by the end of the decade. Instead, thanks to ARP, the plan will now be projected to pay full benefits to workers and retirees through at least 2051.
On this page, President Shelton and workers and officers from Local Unions 6 and 464 meet with Casey, Sperling and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) Acting Director Ann Orr ahead of the announcement.
Also in attendance was Retired BCTGM Assistant to the President Harry Kaiser, who worked for many years on the legislation also known as “The Butch Lewis Act.”
RELATED: Statement from the White House: Over One Million Pensions Now Protected Thanks to ARP