Throughout your career in the Plumbing Industry, the Plumbers Local Union No. 1 and signatory employers make every effort to provide you with the tools you need to do your job safely and efficiently. The Plumbers Local Union No. 1 401(k) Savings Plan (“Plan”) is another tool developed by the Union with signatory employers to provide additional income to you and your family when you retire. The Plan can help to supplement the retirement income that you may receive from other sources—such as the United Association National Pension Fund, Social Security and your own personal savings.
Please refer to the Summary Plan Description (SPD) as a tool to help you make your retirement decisions. This document can be viewed under Plan Features and Documents or by clicking on the link above.
You may log in to your account at: www.empower.com/ua1. Visit this site to review plan features, understand the investments, initiate transactions and connect with retirement planning tools and resources.
For your security, you will need to create a new user ID and password. To log in to your account, visit www.empower.com/ua1 or call 833-569-2433.
Once you are eligible for the Plan, one-percent (1%) of your gross pay is automatically contributed to the Plan as 401(k) Elective Contributions. You may elect to increase or decrease elections monthly. This must be done in writing by completing an “Employee Deferral Election Form B” and returning it to your employer. Your employer should provide this form to you. This form can also be obtained by calling the Third Party Administrator or visiting the Third Party Administrator’s’ website. The Third Party Administrator’s contact information is listed on page 2 of the SPD.
This is a “401(k) Elective Contribution,” which means you may choose to put dollars into the 401(k) Elective Contribution Account through before-tax payroll deductions. 401(k) Elective Contributions are your own contributions, and you can choose to increase them up to applicable limits established by the Internal Revenue Code or stop them entirely if you want to. You do not have to make 401(k) Elective Contributions to be entitled to the Employer contribution. The Employer contribution is automatic.
For 2025, the IRS maximum for pre-tax contributions is $23,500. If you are (or will be) age 50 or older in 2025, you can contribute an additional $7,500 to the Plan. For those aged 60-63, you can contribute a total $11,500 in addition to the IRS Maximum.
Complete an “Employee Deferral Election Form B” and return it to your employer. Your employer should provide this form to you. This form can also be obtained by calling the Fund Office at (718) 223-4313.
If you wish to change your current investment elections:
- -visit www.empower.com/ua1
- call 833-569-2433
Representatives are available weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET to answer your questions or to take your investment elections over the phone.
The balance of your 401(k) Saving Plan at retirement will depend on how well you handle the responsibility of managing your finances. Please review your investment elections and take the necessary steps to diversify your account appropriately. As you know, no action is required on your part. However, if you prefer a different allocation, you can elect investments from among the various investment options offered by the Plan.
A “beneficiary” is the person or persons who would receive the money remaining in your Plan account if you die. Naming a beneficiary is an important—but often neglected—part of sound financial planning. You should have a beneficiary designation form on file with the Fund.
- You may designate by completing a beneficiary designation form provided by Empower. If you are married for at least one year, you must designate your Spouse as your sole beneficiary unless your Spouse consents in writing to the election of another beneficiary. You may change your beneficiary at any time by the above methods filing with the Fund a written change of beneficiary, with the consent of your Spouse, where necessary.
- A designation of beneficiary will become effective only upon its receipt by Empower
- The last effective designation received prior to your death will supersede all prior designations.A designation of beneficiary will not be effective if the designated beneficiary dies before you.
You must complete the actual form provided by the Plumbers Local Union No.1 Employee 401(k) Savings Plan. No other form of designation may be used. Completion of forms for the Welfare Fund, ASB Fund, Vacation & Holiday Fund, United Association National Pension Fund, or the United Association Burial Expense Benefit does not meet this requirement.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have not provided a designation of a beneficiary form to the Plumbers Local Union No. 1 Employee 401(k) Savings Plan, you should do so without delay.
If you have not designated a beneficiary, or if your beneficiary is not living at the time of your death, your account will be paid as described in the SPD.
You may elect to contribute as much of your pay as you’d like, up to the limits of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The IRC limits the amount you may contribute in a calendar year.
- For 2025, the IRS maximum for pre-tax contributions is $23,500. If you are (or will be) age 50 or older in 2022, you can contribute an additional $7,500 to the Plan and if between the ages of 60-63, you can contribute an additional $11,500.
To allow members to take full advantage of the opportunity to save for retirement, each employee in Covered Employment will be deemed to have elected an amount no less than one percent (1%), and may elect up to seventy-five percent (75%) of gross hourly wages to a maximum of $23,500.
Within the SPD, you will find a chapter called “Life Events That May Affect Your Benefit” Refer to this chapter for information about what to do if:
you get married or divorced;
you stop working;
you become disabled; or
you or your spouse dies.
You (or in the case of your death, your beneficiary) may receive a distribution from your account when you:
Retire at age 55 or later
Are disabled
Terminate Employment in the Plumbing Industry
Reach the age of 59 ½
Experience Financial “Hardship”
To receive the distribution of your Individual Account visit www.empower.com/ua1 to log into your account and make the request online, or
- Representatives are available to answer your questions or to take your distribution request.
Due to the many important documents that could be mailed to this new address, the Plumbers Local Union No.1 Trust Funds requires that the member in writing must confirm a request for change of address.
Do I need to inform Local 1, the United Association, and United Association National Pension Fund of my new address? Yes, below find the related contact information.
Plumbers Local Union No.1
› Address
50-02 Fifth St, 2nd Floor
Long Island City, New York 11101
› Phone
1 - 718 – 738 - 7500
United Association Journal
Complete the UA Journal change of address form.
Mail your filled out form to:
› Address
United Association
P.O. Box 37800
Washington, DC 20013
United Association National Pension Fund
› Address
103 Oronoco Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
› Phone
1 - 800 – 638 - 7442