**GAO-11-79**                      Published: Oct 18, 2010. Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2010.                  

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## Highlights

Thirty years ago Congress enacted protections to ensure that participants in multiemployer pension plans received their promised benefits. These defined benefit plans are created by collective bargaining agreements covering more than one employer. Today, these plans provide pension coverage to over 10.4 million participants in approximately 1,500 multiemployer plans insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). In this report, GAO examines (1) the current status of nation's multiemployer plans; (2) steps PBGC takes to monitor the health of these plans; (3) the structure of multiemployer plans in other countries; and (4) statutory and regulatory changes that could help plans provide participants with the benefits they are due. To address these questions, GAO analyzed government and industry data and interviewed government officials, pension experts and plan practitioners in the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, and Canada.

## Recommendations

## Matter for Congressional Consideration

## Recommendations for Executive Action

See All 5 Recommendations

## Full Report

Highlights

Full Report (65 pages)

Accessible Text 

## GAO Contacts

Barbara Bovbjerg
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## Office of Public Affairs

Sarah Kaczmarek
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## Topics

Retirement Security

Collective bargaining agreementsDemographyEmployee benefit plansEmployee retirement plansFinancial analysisFinancial managementFunds managementIncome maintenance programsInsuranceInteragency relationsInvestment planningLabor unionsMonitoringPensionsRetireesRetirementRetirement incomeDefined benefit plansFinancial conditionInformation sharing