California › Construction › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
U. a. Local No. 159 Defined Benefit Plan
Sponsored by Board of Trustees of U.A. Local No. 159 Pension Trust, Dublin, CA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, U. a. Local No. 159 Defined Benefit Plan covered 715 participants and held $125M in net assets. The plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Board of Trustees of U.A. Local No. 159 Pension Trust of Dublin, California. It is a multiemployer plan, maintained under collective bargaining agreements with more than one employer.
Net assets came to $175,240 per participant, well above the $86,583 median for defined benefit plans with 500 to 999 participants and well above the $100,593 median for defined benefit plans in construction. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $3.6M for the year ($15,523 per active participant) and benefits paid were $6.8M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 12 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $677K: $946 per participant, well above the same-size median of $377. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $703K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $59.5M in 2009 to $125M in 2024 (up 111%), and participants from 791 to 715 (down 10%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $175,240 | $86,583 | $100,593 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $15,523 | $10,758 | $13,292 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $946 | $377 | $443 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.54% | 0.48% | 0.46% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $984 | $591 | $596 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (873 plans), construction (655) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 715 | $125M | $175,241 | $3.6M | — | $677K |
| 2023 | 731 | $117M | $160,223 | $4.2M | — | $617K |
| 2022 | 733 | $107M | $145,503 | $4.1M | — | $673K |
| 2021 | 743 | $125M | $167,802 | $4.5M | — | $622K |
| 2020 | 747 | $112M | $149,977 | $4.3M | — | $583K |
| 2019 | 786 | $103M | $130,922 | $4.6M | — | $602K |
| 2018 | 817 | $87.7M | $107,307 | $5.0M | — | $586K |
| 2017 | 766 | $91.0M | $118,825 | $4.0M | — | $487K |
| 2016 | 744 | $80.0M | $107,499 | $3.4M | — | $392K |
| 2015 | 739 | $75.2M | $101,731 | $3.1M | — | $500K |
| 2014 | 722 | $77.1M | $106,766 | $2.6M | — | $456K |
| 2013 | 725 | $75.9M | $104,637 | $2.7M | — | $443K |
| 2012 | 764 | $68.4M | $89,488 | $2.5M | — | $431K |
| 2011 | 738 | $64.2M | $86,934 | $1.9M | — | $393K |
| 2010 | 747 | $64.0M | $85,675 | $1.9M | — | $331K |
| 2009 | 791 | $59.5M | $75,234 | $2.9M | — | $364K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$117,122,742
- Employer contributions$3,632,416
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$3,632,416
- Total income, including investment results$15,674,923
- Benefits paid$6,797,690
- Administrative expenses$703,284
- Total expenses$7,500,974
- Net income$8,173,949
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$125,296,691
Participants
- Active participants234
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits301
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits174
- Total participants, end of year715
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hs&ba, Inc. | Contract Administrator; Copying and duplicating; Participant communication | $138,732 | $0 |
| Withumsmith+brown, PC | Accounting (including auditing) | $90,263 | $0 |
| Allan Biller & Associates | Investment advisory (plan) | $87,501 | $0 |
| Rael & Letson | Actuarial; Consulting (pension) | $85,423 | $0 |
| Ullico Investment Advisors, Inc. | Investment management | $65,665 | $0 |
| Ifm Investors Pty Ltd. | Investment management; Foreign entity | $0 | $59,797 |
| Kraw Law Group, Apc | Legal | $41,782 | $0 |
| Prudential Insurance Co. of America | Investment management | $39,499 | $0 |
| UBS Realty Investors LLC | Investment management | $31,294 | $0 |
| Amalgamated Bank | Custodial (securities) | $17,108 | $313 |
| UA Local 159 | Recordkeeping and information management | $13,368 | $0 |
| Bank of America | Custodial (other than securities) | $5,770 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$242,832
- Contract administrator fees$139,048
- Actuarial fees$85,423
- Other administrative expenses$79,936
- Recordkeeping fees$55,830
- Legal fees$41,782
- IQPA audit fees$34,433
- Trustee and custodial fees$22,921
- Other trustee fees and expenses$1,079
- Total administrative expenses$703,284
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$74.7M · 59.6%
- Common/collective trusts$18.3M · 14.6%
- Partnership/joint venture interests$9.1M · 7.3%
- Corporate debt instruments$6.1M · 4.9%
- Pooled separate accounts$6.0M · 4.8%
- U.S. Government securities$4.4M · 3.5%
- 103-12 investment entities$4.2M · 3.4%
- Receivables$1.2M · 1.0%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$1.0M · 0.8%
- Other investments$245K · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmWithumsmith+brown, PC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- Blackout period during the year—
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1BBenefits are primarily flat dollar (includes dollars per year of service)
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 238220: Plumbing, Heating, & Air-Conditioning Contractors.
Other plans of Board of Trustees of U.A. Local No. 159 Pension Trust
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| U. a. Local No. 159 Defined Contribution Plan | 907 | $75.7M |
Similar plans in California
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBEW Local 684 Pension Trust | Board of Trustees, IBEW Local 684 Pension Trust | 773 | $80.1M | $103,583 |
| Southern California Gunite Workers Pension Fund | Board of Trustees, Southern California Gunite Workers | 627 | $81.3M | $129,614 |
| San Diego County Cement Masons Pension Plan | Board of Trustees, San Diego County Cement Masons | 829 | $41.6M | $50,194 |
| U. a. Local No. 343 Defined Benefit Plan | U.A. Local No. 343 Pension Trust | 583 | $160M | $273,829 |
| Solano-Napa Counties Electrical Workers Pension Plan | Bot of Solano-Napa Counties Electric Workers PT | 843 | $161M | $191,503 |
| Hawaii Glaziers Pension Trust Fund | Board of Trustees of Hawaii Glaziers Pension Trust Fund | 523 | $54.0M | $103,330 |
Defined benefit plans in construction closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is U. a. Local No. 159 Defined Benefit Plan?
715 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 234 were active employees, with net assets of $125,296,691. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 873 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Board of Trustees of U.A. Local No. 159 Pension Trust contribute per participant?
The filing reports $3,632,416 in employer contributions for the year, which is $15,523 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,758 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $676,515 in compensation to service provider organisations, $946 per participant or 0.54% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $377 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $703,284. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Board of Trustees of U.A. Local No. 159 Pension Trust. Recordkeeping or administration: Hs&ba, Inc. and UA Local 159. Investment advisory or management: Allan Biller & Associates, Ullico Investment Advisors, Inc. and Ifm Investors Pty Ltd.. Trustee or custodian: Amalgamated Bank and Bank of America. The financial statements were audited by Withumsmith+brown, PC. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 16 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 94-2859426, plan 001, received 16 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.