Cómo participar

You become a participant in the Affiliates’ Canadian Pension Plan—and start earning your pension benefit — on the first day of the month after:

If you began working on or after January 1, 1993

  • You’ve worked for a participating employer for a continuous 12-month period and earn compensation of $4,000 or more; OR
  • Your gross compensation in a calendar year is at least 35% of the Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) for the calendar year; OR
  • You have 700 hours of service (which is calculated by dividing gross compensation by the lowest hourly wage during the given period).
If you began working on or after April 1, 1992 but prior to January 1, 1993
  • You’ve worked for a participating employer for a continuous 12-month period and earn compensation of $2,000 or more; OR
  • You have 700 hours of service (which is calculated by dividing gross compensation by the lowest hourly wage during the given period).

If you began working prior to April 1, 1992, you became a participant on either the January 1 or July 1 after you worked for a continuous 12-month period and earned $2,000 OR you accumulated 700 hours of service.

 

When you’re a participant, you earn “credit” for the hours you work. That credit is used to determine the amount of your pension benefit and when you’re eligible to receive it. Refer to Earning Your Pension for more information. 


Maintaining Eligibility

You will continue to be a participant in the Affiliates’ Canadian Pension Plan as long as you are employed by a participating employer who is contributing to the Fund. Likewise, once you are vested, you will continue to be a participant even if your employment is terminated or your employer stops contributing to the Fund.


Questions about your eligibility? Refer to your SEIU Affiliates - Summary Plan Description for more information.

If I change jobs to work for another contributing employer, what happens to my pension?

Your pension plan is “portable,” which means you can continue to receive pension credit if you change jobs to work for another contributing employer. Refer to your Descripción abreviada del plan for more information.