About

Since being founded in 2007, Labor First’s core business focus has been to service the healthcare needs for the members and families of organized labor.  In recent years, managing and operating a union benefit plan has never been more difficult. Today’s economy combined with constantly rising healthcare costs has stretched member contributions to the limit. Funding concerns are forcing Trustees and Administrators to find ways of doing more with fewer resources. Many benefit plans are faced with the balancing act between their financial obligations and their desire to recognize the retired members who helped built their local union.

Since Healthcare Reform’s launch, there has been much talk about the perceived negative impact it would cause and the disruption associated with compliance. However, Reform has also created many exciting opportunities for union benefit plans to take advantage of to insure they are maximizing their contribution dollars. Our success in this space is attributed to unique experience in various Taft-Hartley and multi-employer benefit fund market cycles, an understanding of the diverse range of union needs, and an ability to deliver customized solutions that positively impact the funds balance sheet and provide quality insurance (protection for today and the future) for members, retirees and their families.

Labor First has developed a better way to approach your strategy around funding healthcare to members post-retirement. Labor First’s “Retiree Solutions” program is designed to meet the objectives and needs of both union Trustees and their retirees by providing a benefits package of “ERISA-exempt” group plans that can be customized to match the plans current benefit offering. Our approach is tailored to meet both the goals of fund Trustees and the expectations of your retired members.  By accessing the Labor First’s Retiree Solutions program, your local union health fund no longer needs to be a “plan sponsor” of an ERISA plan but can continue to provide as strong quality insurance products  to  retirees while continuing to subsidize/fund a portion, or 100%, of the costs. The local union can also make the plans and retiree advocacy service available on a strictly voluntary basis. This is especially important to those unions who do not fund any portion of their retiree benefit coverage. This unique solution is designed to help assist providing your retirees with the benefits and pricing they need to maintain their way of life while giving them access to the service and support they deserve.