Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds

What Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds does

Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds (dba Electrical Welfare Trust Fund, or EWTF) is a collectively bargained, jointly trusteed labor-management employee welfare benefit plan governed by a Board of Trustees with equal representation from IBEW Local 26 and the Washington D.C. Chapter of NECA. The fund is regulated under ERISA and operates as a self-insured health and welfare benefit plan headquartered in Lanham, Maryland. Eligible participants are active electrical workers covered under collective bargaining agreements, their dependents, retirees, surviving spouses, and certain non-bargaining unit office workers of signatory employers. The plan serves the Washington D.C. metro area.

EWTF provides three core programs: a Health Care Plan (medical through UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus, dental through United Concordia Elite Plus PPO, vision through VSP, prescription drugs through CVS Caremark, plus behavioral/mental health, hearing, and telemedicine via specialist point solutions), a defined-benefit Pension Plan providing retirement income to eligible participants, and an Individual Account Plan (defined contribution) offering mutual fund and Collective Investment Trust investment options managed under ERISA fiduciary standards, including the Fidelity Contrafund Commingled Pool. Additional insurance benefits include weekly accident and sickness income benefits, supplemental occupational accident benefits (with Nationwide Insurance insuring certain supplemental workers' compensation components), death benefits, and accidental dismemberment coverage. The Hours Bank system accumulates excess hours above the 135-hour monthly minimum to maintain coverage in low-hour months, providing continuity for workers with variable schedules.

The plan is funded exclusively through collectively bargained employer contributions paid into the Fund based on hours worked by covered employees, supplemented by investment income on plan assets, with all funds used exclusively to provide benefits and pay administration. Pricing and contribution rates are not set by the trust but are negotiated in collective bargaining agreements; member cost-sharing (deductibles, copays, coinsurance) is defined in the Summary Plan Description. Coverage is automatic for active Local 26 members meeting hour thresholds, eliminating traditional sales motion. The plan retains PPACA grandfathered status and was in existence on March 23, 2010. The organization has 11-50 employees and operates from a single administrative location, supported by Trustees located at NECA signatory contractor offices across Lanham, Crofton, Dulles, and Hanover.

Name

Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds

Legal name

Electrical Welfare Trust Fund

Website

https://ewtf.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds (Electrical Welfare Trust Fund) is a self-insured, jointly trusteed ERISA labor-management welfare benefit plan providing health, pension, and individual account retirement benefits to IBEW Local 26 electrical workers and their dependents in the Washington D.C. metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multiemployer Health and Welfare Benefits

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Pension Funds (525110), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services (FSAAANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF), Pension Master Trusts, Superannuation & Provident Funds (FSAAAGAB), Self-Funded (ERISA) Employer Plans (HLAEAAAC)

Keywords

• Multiemployer benefit trust
• Health and welfare benefits
• Union pension plans
• Group health insurance
• Defined contribution retirement

Headquarters

HQ city

Lanham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Collectively Bargained Employer Contributions: The primary and sole revenue stream for the plan. Participating employers contribute to the Fund under the provisions of collective bargaining agreements between signatory employers and IBEW Local 26. Contributions are made based on hours worked by covered employees (typically 135 hours/month for electrical workers). All contributions are used exclusively to provide benefits to eligible employees and dependents and to pay administration expenses.
2. Investment Income on Plan Assets: Income earned from the investment of employer contributions held in trust. The Board of Trustees periodically reviews the funding status of the Plan. Investment returns supplement employer contributions to fund benefits and administrative costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds (Electrical Welfare Trust Fund) operates a collectively bargained, jointly trusteed labor-management health and welfare benefit plan for IBEW Local 26 electrical workers. It delivers a self-insured Health Care Plan (medical, dental, vision, prescription, behavioral/mental health, hearing), a Pension Plan (defined benefit retirement income), and an Individual Account Plan (defined contribution retirement savings) funded by employer contributions based on hours worked.

Product overview

Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds (Electrical Welfare Trust Fund) operates a collectively bargained, jointly trusteed labor-management health and welfare benefit plan. The organization provides a comprehensive benefits portfolio consisting of three core programs: a Health Care Plan (offering medical, dental, vision, prescription, and hearing benefits through provider networks including UnitedHealthcare, United Concordia, VSP, and CVS Caremark), a Pension Plan (defined benefit retirement income), and an Individual Account Plan (defined contribution retirement savings with investment options including mutual funds and CITs). Additional insurance products include Supplemental Occupational Accident Benefits, Death Benefits, Weekly Accident and Sickness Benefits, and Accidental Dismemberment and Loss of Sight Benefits. Members access benefits through the My Benefits Center online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health Care Plan
• Pension Plan
• Individual Account Plan
• Supplemental Occupational Accident Benefits
• Death Benefit
• Weekly Accident and Sickness Benefit
• Accidental Dismemberment and Loss of Sight Benefits
• My Benefits Center Member Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• $50,000 death benefit for active workers; $12,000 for retirees; up to $700/week for first 13 weeks of disability; up to $420/week for next 13 weeks (with Board approval)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UnitedHealthcare (UHC) / Choice Plus NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary medical network provider. The plan uses the UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus Network offering a wide choice of providers and deep discounts on provider services. UHC also handles utilization review through the UHC CARE Program and provides member claims processing through UMR Inc. Medical benefits are paid as a self-insured benefit by EWTF with UHC as the network and administrator.
• United Concordia Dental (UCD) / Elite Plus PPO NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationDental benefits provider through United Concordia's Elite Plus PPO Network. Handles provider network management, claims processing, and member dental portals for plan participants.
• Vision Service Plan (VSP)coreTechnology or IntegrationVision benefits provider. Members access VSP's provider network for eye exams, glasses, and contacts. Contact: 1-800-877-7195 or www.vsp.com.
• CVS CaremarkcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrescription drug benefits provider. Manages prescription drug network, mail service pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, and vaccination programs. Contact: 1-800-386-0329 or www.caremark.com.
• UMR Inc. (United Medical Resources)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party administrator handling claims processing and appeals for medical/hospital benefits. Claims address: PO Box 30541, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0541. Pre-service appeal address: UHC Appeals – UMR, Inc., PO Box 400046, San Antonio, TX 78229, Fax: 1-888-615-6584.
• Business Health Services (BHS)coreTechnology or IntegrationEmployee Assistance Program (EAP) provider offering confidential counseling services (up to 8 free visits), mental health and substance misuse benefits, and behavioral/mental health plan management. Contact: 1-800-765-3277 or portal.bhsonline.com.
• Nationwide Insurance CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationInsurer for Supplemental Workers' Compensation Benefits covering occupational accidents involving death, dismemberment, severe burns, loss of hearing/sight/speech, and bereavement/trauma counseling. Maximum accidental death benefit: $100,000. Provider address: One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215. All other supplemental occupational accident benefits are self-insured by EWTF.
• Slevin & Hart, P.C.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel to the Board of Trustees. Provides legal advice on plan administration, fiduciary matters, compliance, and ERISA-related issues.
• SegalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsultants to the Fund. Provides actuarial, benefits consulting, and plan advisory services to the Board of Trustees.
• Sarfino & Rhoades, LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAuditor for the Fund. Conducts annual financial audits and provides accounting oversight services.
• Fidelity Investments (Contrafund Commingled Pool)coreTechnology or IntegrationInvestment manager for the Individual Account Plan. Fidelity Contrafund Commingled Pool (Class 1 Units, a CIT) replaced the Fidelity Contrafund K Shares mutual fund in January 2020 to provide lower expense ratios for plan participants. Fidelity NetBenefits platform provides participant access to investment information.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF): IBEW national defined-benefit pension fund covering all participating IBEW locals. Comparable at the pension-product tier (Local 26 EWTF runs its own local defined-benefit pension as well as an Individual Account Plan), although NEBF is broader in scope and not a direct competitor because EWTF's pension sits at the local level.
• Operating Engineers Local 3 Trust Funds: Heavy-equipment-operators multiemployer welfare and pension trust covering the Western US (California, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii). Comparable in that it is a self-insured, jointly-trusteed labor-management plan for a construction trades workforce, but broader in scale and offers an apples-to-apples benchmark for plan administration efficiency in the construction union space.
• Sheet Metal Workers National Benefit Funds: National-level jointly-trusteed health and welfare plus pension fund for the sheet metal workers trade. Not a direct competitor (different trade union), but a useful adjacent benchmark for multiemployer construction welfare and pension governance, contribution mechanics, and EB treatment.

Others

• National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) / IBEW Labor Relations arm: The national labor-relations counterpart that frames every CBA under which Local 26 EWTF collects contributions. Not a peer in the sense of competing for participants, but the upstream counterparty whose National Labor Agreement and Inside/Residential Chapter agreements set the contribution framework on which EWTF depends.

Direct peers

• IBEW Local 47 / Southern California NECA Joint Trust Funds: Direct IBEW-NECA joint trust fund peer serving Local 47 electrical workers in Southern California. Operates the same jointly-trusteed, collectively-bargained multiemployer health, pension, and individual account plan model under the same IBEW/NECA labor-management governance structure.
• Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry (IBEW Local 3): IBEW Local 3 (New York City)'s JIB administers jointly-trusteed health, pension, training, and vacation funds for one of the largest IBEW locals in the US. Directly comparable as a multiemployer IBEW welfare and pension trust with a self-insured health plan and DC-area analog being Local 3's flagship southern-tier operations.
• IBEW Local 134 / Chicago & Northeastern Illinois Electrical Workers Joint Trust Funds: IBEW-NECA joint benefit fund for Local 134 electricians in metropolitan Chicago. Large mid-size multiemployer trust with health-welfare, pension, and defined contribution tiers - direct functional analogue anchored in a different major metro.
• IBEW Local 569 / San Diego County Chapter NECA Electrical Workers Trust Funds: IBEW-NECA joint trust serving Local 569 electrical workers in San Diego and Imperial counties. Operates a self-insured, collectively-bargained multiemployer health and welfare plus pension plan comparable in scale and structure to Local 26 EWTF.
• IBEW Local 11 / Los Angeles County Electrical Workers Joint Trust Funds: IBEW-NECA joint welfare and pension trust for Local 11 electricians in the LA basin. Closest geographic and structural analogue - same benefit mix (medical/dental/vision/health-and-welfare plus defined benefit and defined contribution pension tiers) under identical NECA-aligned labor-management co-trusteeship.
• NECA-IBEW Family Medical Care Plan (Michigan): Michigan-based IBEW-NECA jointly-trusteed health and welfare plan with self-insured medical, dental, vision and prescription benefits. Closest out-of-DC-area functional analogue combining the same provider-network model (UHC, CVS Caremark, dental PPO) and the same jointly-trusteed governance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ibew26trustfund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Local 26 IBEW-NECA Joint Trust Funds