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Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #60
Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #60 operates its defined-benefit pension plan from Metairie, Louisiana, serving the retirement needs of union plumbers and...
Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #60
Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #60 operates its defined-benefit pension plan from Metairie, Louisiana, serving the retirement needs of union plumbers and pipefitters across the region. The plan falls under the umbrella of the United Association (UA) and the AFL-CIO, drawing contributions from signatory contractors working in Southeastern Louisiana's industrial and commercial construction sectors. Business Manager Ronald R. Rosser acts as trustee, with President John J. Sabathe handling field representation and union operations. The plan's structure is typical for a multiemployer Taft-Hartley fund: employer contributions are pooled and invested by trustees for the collective benefit of the membership. The pension's investment strategy is unusually concentrated on private equity secondaries. The fund targets existing LP commitments acquired in the secondary market, a posture that provides faster capital deployment and shorter J-curve profiles than primary fund commitments. Asset classes in the broader benefit structure extend into commercial real estate—the plan directly owns the Local 60 Union Hall and Training Center on I-10 Service Road, the New Orleans Pipe Trades Apprenticeship Program office on North Arnoult Road, and additional real estate on Severn Avenue, all in Metairie. Separate Health and Welfare Fund and 401(k) Plan assets are also administered from the same headquarters, giving the trustees discretion over multiple pools of retirement and welfare capital. The plan's geographic focus aligns with its membership base: Southern Louisiana's Gulf Coast corridor, a zone of persistent demand for industrial pipefitting, petrochemical maintenance, and commercial plumbing. Trustees Rosser and Sabathe govern the fund alongside standard reporting obligations under ERISA and the Department of Labor's Form 5500 disclosure regime, though the fund does not publicly broadcast detailed asset-level performance. Involvement with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the Building Trades Association provides additional governance touchpoints, embedding Local 60's fiduciary actions within broader trade union standards. What structurally differentiates Local 60's pension vehicle is its nearly exclusive secondaries mandate within private equity—a posture rarely seen in union pension plans, which typically blend primary fund commitments, public equities, and fixed income. The trustees also control a portfolio of union-operated real estate assets that double as operational facilities, creating an overlapping interest between pension asset performance and ongoing union training and administration. The Disaster Relief Fund and Education Trust, while philanthropic in nature, sit adjacent to the benefit funds and underscore a parent organization that ties capital allocation directly to member welfare rather than a separate institutional investment office.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Metairie
Corporate office
3515 N. I-10 Service Rd. W, Metairie, LA 70002
Additional offices
2541 N. Arnoult Rd., Suite 122, Metairie, LA 70002
Principals
Ronald R. Rosser
Business Manager and Trustee
John J. Sabathe
President and Field Representative
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #60?
Ronald R. Rosser, the Business Manager, serves as a trustee for the pension plan. John J. Sabathe, President and Field Representative, also shares fiduciary oversight. The plan operates under the governance framework of a Taft-Hartley multiemployer fund, meaning investment decisions rest with a board of trustees split between union and contributing employer representatives. External consultants likely advise on manager selection and portfolio construction, though the fund does not publicly detail these relationships.
How does Local 60's pension plan source its private equity exposure?
The pension plan is heavily oriented toward private equity secondaries, acquiring existing LP interests from other investors in the secondary market. This approach bypasses traditional primary fund commitments and allows the plan to deploy capital into more mature portfolios with vintage diversification. The fund's strategy specifically targets secondaries across multiple vintages rather than committing to new blind-pool fundraises.
Does Local 60 participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The plan's stated strategy indicates a concentration in secondaries, suggesting it primarily buys existing LP stakes rather than making primary fund commitments. Direct co-investments or direct deals are not flagged in available descriptions. The benefit funds also own physical real estate directly, including the union hall, training center, and apprenticeship facilities—these are held as plan assets rather than through commingled real estate funds.
How is Local 60's pension plan related to the United Association?
Local 60 is a chartered local of the United Association (UA), the international union representing plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC technicians across North America. The pension plan is a separate legal trust established under collective bargaining agreements between Local 60 and signatory contractors. While the UA provides the union charter, the pension fund operates independently with its own trustees and fiduciary obligations under ERISA.
What real estate does Local 60's pension plan own?
The plan's real assets include the Local 60 Union Hall and Training Center at 3515 N. I-10 Service Road West in Metairie, the New Orleans Pipe Trades Apprenticeship Program office on North Arnoult Road, and additional commercial property on Severn Avenue. These properties serve dual purposes as operational facilities for training and union administration while also functioning as pension plan investments.
What is Local 60's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
The pension's secondary-market focus does not preclude co-investment activity, but available descriptions do not indicate direct co-investment programs alongside general partners. The plan appears to access private equity exclusively through secondary acquisitions and does not advertise co-underwriting or direct deal participation. The fund's size and staffing suggest a preference for intermediated exposure rather than resource-intensive co-investment programs.
Does Local 60 maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
The union sponsors a Disaster Relief Fund and an Education Trust, both administered from Metairie. These are separate from the pension and welfare funds—the Education Trust focuses on apprenticeship and journeyman training, while the Disaster Relief Fund provides emergency assistance to members. Neither philanthropic vehicle commingles assets with the retirement or health and welfare benefit plans, maintaining ERISA-compliant separation between member benefits and charitable activities.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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