Printable PDF Version of SPD/Plan Document

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PLAN

The Plan is known as the California Winery Workers' Pension Plan. It is a defined benefit pension plan, which provides monthly benefits at retirement to covered employees in the winemaking industry and in allied industries, and to their surviving spouses. This booklet has information about the Plan as of July 1, 2009.

The Plan is administered by a Joint Board of Trustees consisting of sixteen Trustees: eight Employee Trustees, four appointed by each of the participating unions, Local Unions Nos. 45D and 186D of the United Food & Commercial Workers Int. Union, Distillery, Winery & Allied Workers Division; and eight Employer Trustees appointed by the Winery Employers' Association. The names and addresses of the present members of the Board of Trustees are as follows:

The Plan and the Trust Fund are maintained and administered under the Third Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated December 31, 1988, by and between the Winery Employers' Association and Local Unions Nos. 45D and 186D of the United Food & Commercial Workers' Int. Union, Distillery, Winery & Allied Workers' Division, commonly known as Winery Workers' Locals Nos. 45D and 186D. The address and telephone numbers of the Association and the Local Unions are as follows:

The Board of Trustees is assisted in the administration of the Fund by Benefit Administration Corporation. The address of the Plan is California Winery Workers' Pension Plan, c/o Benefit Administration Corporation, 955 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721. The telephone number of Benefit Administration Corporation is (559)225-3030.

When the obligation of all participating employers to contribute to this Plan ceased permanently, the Plan was deemed terminated, and accrued benefits of all participants became non-forfeitable, to the extent funded. Since this occurred, the Board of Trustees has and will continue to administer the Plan in accordance with Section 4041A of ERISA. In no event shall any assets of the Plan revert to any employer.

A complete list of the employers formerly maintaining the Plan may be obtained by a participant or beneficiary upon a written request to Benefit Administration Corporation, or may be examined by a participant or beneficiary at the Benefit Administration Corporation office during normal business hours upon reasonable notice. A participant or beneficiary may also request information as to whether a particular employer or employee organization is a plan sponsor, and if so, the sponsor's address. Copies of the Third Amended Agreement and Declaration of Trust and any amendments or successor agreement, and other essential plan documents, may also be obtained or examined through Benefit Administration Corporation. Copies of the collective bargaining agreements may be obtained through the Local Unions or on written request to Benefit Administration Corporation, or may be examined during normal business hours, by a participant or beneficiary, either at a Local Union, or at Benefit Administration Corporation, upon reasonable notice. There may be a charge for copying any document listed above.

The Internal Revenue Service has assigned Employer Identification No. 94-6082915 to the Trust Fund. The Plan itself is Plan No. 001. The Plan Year is currently the calendar year.

Raphael Shannon is legal counsel to the Fund and is its agent for service of process. Her address and telephone number are:

Raphael Shannon, Esq.
McCarthy, Johnson & Miller L. C.
595 Market St., Suite 2200
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 882-2992.

Service of process may also be made upon any of the members of the Board of Trustees or upon the Administration Office.

Assets of the Plan are held in trust under a written custodial agreement with Union Bank of California, and invested in a diversified portfolio under the discretionary investment control of qualified investment managers selected by the Board of Trustees. The Board has designated Cramer, Rosenthal & McGlynn, Dodge & Cox, Fred Alger, GMO, Intech, iShares Russell 1000 Value Index ETF, PIMCO, Platte River, RREEF America REIT, and Wedge Capital as the investment managers. The Board has also retained R.V. Kuhns & Associates as its investment consultant.