January 20, 2009

Current Certified Retiree Requirements

Currently, if you retired on or after January 1, 1997, the following rules apply in determining whether you can be considered a Certified Retiree of the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund (the “Fund”):

If you retired on or after January 1, 1997, you’re considered a Certified Retiree if you:

• Are at least 60 years old;
• Retired under the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan; and
• Accumulated at least 68 quarters of earned eligibility before your retirement, calculated as follows:
  • A Qualified Year under the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan for each year before 1988 equals four quarters of eligibility for each year before 1988, provided, however, that you shall not be entitled to earned eligibility quarters for any Qualified Year you earned prior to 1988 based on employment with an employer who did not make contributions on your behalf to the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund and who appears on the following list of employers: American Broadcasting Corporation News, CBS TV Network News NY (Daily Temps), Metromedia Inc., RKO General Inc., United Stations Radio Network, WABC-AM Radio, Inc., WNYW-5 Fox TV, W.O.R. A.M. Radio, WWOR-TV Inc.; and
  • Each year of eligibility earned under the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund during 1988 and every year thereafter equals four quarters of eligibility.

Additional Certified Retiree Requirements for Employees Working Under the WGA-CBS National Agreement

The Board of Trustees of the Fund recently adopted a change to these rules solely for participants who:

1. were or are covered under the Fund on or after March 1, 2000 due to their employment as a CBS staff employee covered under the 1999-2002 WGA-CBS National Staff Agreement or any subsequent WGA-CBS National Staff Agreement (a “CBS Staff Employee”); or
2. were or are covered under the Fund on or after July 1, 2007 due to their employment as a KNX Daily Rate Employee, as defined under Article XVII.C. of the 2005-2008 WGA-CBS National Agreement or any successor of that Article in any subsequent WGA-CBS National Agreement (“KNX Daily Rate Employee”); or
3. were or are covered under the Fund on or after April 2, 1996 due to their employment as a CBS temporary employee covered under the WGA-CBS 1996-1999 National Agreement or any subsequent WGA-CBS National Agreement (a “CBS Temporary Employee”).

If an individual was a participant in the Fund due to their employment with CBS as a (i) CBS Staff Employee or KNX Daily Rate Employee on or after March 1, 2000, or (ii) KNX Daily Rate employee on or after July 1, 2007; or as a CBS Temporary Employee on or after April 2, 1996the following rules apply to determine whether such individual will be considered a Certified Retiree:

• Are at least 60 years old;
• Retired under the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan or retired from CBS as evidenced by an affidavit filed with the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund;
• Accumulated at least 68 quarters of earned eligibility before your retirement, calculated as follows:
  • A Qualified Year under the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan for each year before 1988 equals four quarters of eligibility for each year before 1988, provided, however, that you shall not be entitled to earned eligibility quarters for any Qualified Year you earned prior to 1988 based on employment with an employer who did not make contributions on your behalf to the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund and who appears on the following list of employers: American Broadcasting Corporation News, CBS TV Network News NY (Daily Temps), Metromedia Inc., RKO General Inc., United Stations Radio Network, WABC-AM Radio, Inc., WNYW-5 Fox TV, W.O.R. A.M. Radio, WWOR-TV Inc.;
  • Each year of eligibility earned under the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund during 1988 and every year thereafter (other than as a CBS Staff Employee or a KNX Daily Rate Employee) equals four quarters of eligibility; and
  • Each year of eligibility earned under the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund as a CBS Staff Employee starting on March 1, 2000 and thereafter or as a KNX Daily Rate Employee starting July 1, 2007 and thereafter equals four quarters of eligibility. The following additional rule applies to CBS Staff Employees and KNX Daily Rate Employees who, for any year on or after the relevant dates listed above, are eligible for less than a year of coverage under the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund due to employment as a CBS Staff Employee or KNX Daily Rate Employee, and whose eligibility for coverage is not based on meeting a certain level of earnings: an individual who earns $5,000 of “gross compensation” in a year from employment as a CBS Staff Employee or KNX Daily Rate Employee shall be deemed to earn a year of eligibility under the Writers’ Guild-Industry Health Fund in accordance with the preceding sentence. For this purpose, "gross compensation" shall mean the amount of compensation upon which Employer contributions are based, as set forth in the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

A CBS Staff Employee, KNX Daily Rate Employee, or CBS Temporary Employee who is eligible for Certified Retiree coverage, but is not retiring under the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan shall be required to file a fully completed application packet (on forms prepared by the Trustees of the Fund) with the Trustees at least thirty (30) days prior to the date selected by such CBS Staff Employee, KNX Daily Rate Employee or CBS Temporary Employee for such Certified Retiree coverage to commence.

If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact the Administrative Office. You may contact us by sending an e-mail to PensionBenefits@wgaplans.org or by calling us at (818) 846-1015 or (800) 227-7863 and selecting “5” on the main menu to reach the Pension Benefits Department.