What are Taft-Hartley pension funds?
Taft-Hartley pension funds provide retirement benefits to retirees and their eligible dependents. Each fund is a trust that consists of: (1) contributions employers make according to their collective bargaining agreements, and (2) the gains or losses from investment of those contributions by the fund’s trustees. The union and the employers appoint an equal number of trustees, who are also responsible for deciding what retirement plan benefits the fund can afford to provide. Q: Do other Kroger associates currently pay for part of their healthcare? A: Yes, management and office hourly associates pay a portion of the cost of health care provided by the Company plan, as do many associates represented by UFCW local unions. Q: How do health care costs affect the Company’s ability to compete? A: Wal-Mart asks its employees to pay $216 per month for family coverage. This reduces Wal-Mart’s expenses for providing health care and lowers its operating costs. In most cases, Kroger funds 100% of he
