Identifying The Plan

Plan Name:

The Service Fitters’ Industry Educational Fund

Name, Address And Telephone Number Of The Board Of Trustees, The Plan Administrator:

Board of Trustees

The Service Fitters’ Industry Educational Fund
27-08 40th Ave, 2nd Floor
Long Island City, New York 11101-3725
(212) 465-8888

FundOffice@steamny.com

You may address any communications to the Board of Trustees to:

William J. Turnbull, Executive Administrator

The Service Fitters’ Industry Educational Fund
27-08 40th Ave, 2nd Floor 
Long Island City, New York 11101-3725

Employer Identification Number Of Plan:

11-2892696

Type Of Plan:

Apprenticeship and training

Plan Number:

501

Type Of Administration:

Trustee Administration

Plan Year Ends:

June 30

Agent For Service Of Process:

William J. Turnbull, Executive Administrator

The Service Fitters’ Industry Educational Fund
27-08 40th Ave, 2nd Floor
Long Island City, New York 11101-3725

Name And Address Of Trustees:

Union Trustees 
Robert J. Bartels, Jr. 
Sean Dolan 
Brian Kearney, Jr. 
Charlie Pellegrino

Metal Trades Branch of Local Union 638
27-08 40th Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101 
(718) 392-3420

Employer Trustees
Jerome Morreale
Scott Berger
Anthony Saporito 
Dan Steffen

Training Programs

Service Fitter Training

The Service Fitter Training Program consists of three years of trade related classroom and laboratory training totaling a minimum of 208 hours per year. It is designed to insure that the technician learns the basic skills of the trade, including the use and care of tools and equipment, the ability to install and service heating, ventilating, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, and any other work that is part of the Service Fitting Industry.

In order to qualify for technician training the applicant must take an aptitude test administered by the Service Fitter Training Program and be interviewed and approved by an employer trustee and union trustee committee or a committee designated by the trustees to interview candidates for enrollment. The number of positions available is limited and varies from time to time.

Service Fitter classes are formed in September and January of each year. In order to be eligible the applicant must be employed and sponsored by an employer who is covered by the collective bargaining agreement and makes payment to the Educational Fund. The applicant may apply for enrollment by completing an application form, which can be obtained from and returned to the Service Fitter Training Center, 48-03 32nd Place, Long Island City, NY 11101-2517 (telephone number 718- 885-8825).


Advanced Training

The Service Fitter Training Center also conducts an Advanced Training program that provides service technicians the continuing opportunity to develop and expand their ability to provide superior quality service. Details regarding the courses and programs are available from the Service Fitter Education Center.

You are eligible to apply for advanced training if you are working at the Service Fitting trade for employers who are obligated to contribute to the Service Fitters’ Educational Fund. You may apply by contacting the Director of Training, Thomas Goodwin, at the Service Fitter Training Center. Service Fitters’ are assigned to advanced training in the order in which they apply.

The Educational Fund reserves the right to terminate the participation of any Service Technician in any Educational Fund program for any reason the Educational Fund deems appropriate.

Contributions To The Plan

The total costs and expenses associated with the Educational Fund are paid from the trust fund to which the employers contribute. The amount of the contribution to the Plan is determined under the collective bargaining agreement between the Union and the Service Contractors Division of the MCA.

Funding Medium

Educational Fund assets are held in trust and invested in a manner selected by the Trustees.

Administration

The Educational Fund is operated and controlled by a joint Board of Trustees, consisting of representatives of the Union and the MCA. The Trustees are responsible for interpreting the Educational Fund Trust and Rules, amending its provisions when they consider amendments appropriate, and establishing whatever rules regarding the Educational Fund’s operation they may think are needed.

The Trustees have appointed a Fund Administrator, William J. Turnbull, and Assistant Fund Administrator's, James Ippolito, James White, and a Director of Training, Steve Cuadra, to be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Educational Fund. If you have any questions about the Plan, Mr. Turnbull, Mr. Ippolito, Mr. White, or Mr. Cuadra will be glad to assist you.

Claims Procedure

All claims relating to a denial of benefits under the Educational Fund must be in writing and directed to the Fund Administrator. In the event your claim for benefits is denied, the Fund Administrator will furnish you with a written statement of the reasons for such denial, the Educational Fund provisions upon which the denial is based, and a statement of any requirements which you must meet in order to have your claim approved. You may obtain a review of such a denial if you make written request for a review to the Trustees no later than 61 days after you receive notice of the denial of your claim. As part of that request, you may submit to the Trustees any information you feel is relevant, and you or your representative will be given reasonable opportunity to review relevant documents and submit written comments. The Trustees will make their final decision at the first meeting which is at least 30 days after the receipt of your request for review. Under special circumstances, the Trustees may have to defer their decision for one additional meeting, but you will be informed promptly if this is necessary in your case.

Your Erisa Rights

As a participant in Service Fitters’ Industry Educational Fund, you are entitled to certain rights and protections under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).  ERISA provides that all plan participants shall be entitled to:

Receive Information About Your Plan and Benefits

Examine, without charge, at the plan administrator’s office and at other specified locations such as the union office, all documents governing the plan, including insurance contracts and collective bargaining agreements, and a copy of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) filed by the plan with the U.S. Department of Labor and available at the Public Disclosure Room of the Employee Benefits Security Administration.

Obtain, upon written request to the Executive Plan Administrator, copies of documents governing the operation of the plan, including insurance contracts and collective bargaining agreements, and copies of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) and updated summary plan description.  The administrator may make a reasonable charge for the copies.

Receive a summary of the plan’s annual financial report.  The Executive Plan Administrator is required by law to furnish each participant with a copy of this summary annual report.

Prudent Action by Plan Fiduciaries

In addition to creating rights for plan participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible for the operation of the employee benefit plan.  The people who operate your plan, called “fiduciaries” of the plan, have a duty to do so prudently and in the interest of you and other plan participants and beneficiaries.  No one, including your employer, your union, or any other person, may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining a benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA.

Enforce Your Rights

If your claims for a benefit is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you have a right to know why this was done, to obtain copies of documents relating to the decision without charge, and to appeal any denial, all within certain time schedules.

Under ERISA, there are steps you can take to enforce the above rights.  For instance, if you request a copy of plan documents or the latest annual report from the plan and do not receive them within 30 days, you may file suit in a Federal court.  In such a case, the court may require the plan administrator to provide materials and pay you up to $110 a day until you receive the materials, unless the materials were not sent because of reasons beyond the control of the administrator.  If you have a claim for benefits that is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may file suit in a state or Federal court.   In addition, if you disagree with the plan’s decision or lack thereof concerning the qualified status of a domestic relations order or a medical child support order, you may file suit in Federal court.

If it should happen that plan fiduciaries misuse the plan’s money, or if you are discriminated against for asserting your rights, you may seek assistance form the U.S. Department of Labor, or you may file suit in a Federal court.  The court will decide who should pay court costs and legal fees.  If you are successful the court may order the person you have sued to pay these costs and fees.  If you lose, the court may order you to pay the costs and fees if, for example, it finds your claim is frivolous.

Assistance with Your Questions

If you have questions about your plan, you should contact the Executive Plan Administrator.  If you have any questions about this statement or about your rights under ERISA, or if you need assistance in obtaining documents from the Executive Plan Administrator, you should contact the nearest office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in your telephone directory or the Division of Technical Assistance and Inquiries, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.  You may also obtain certain publications about your rights and responsibilities under ERISA by calling the publications hotline of the Employee Benefits Security Administration.