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Rocky Mountain UFCW Unions and Employers Pension Plan
The Rocky Mountain UFCW Unions and Employers Pension Plan operates as a defined-benefit multi-employer plan under the Taft-Hartley Act, with contributions...
Rocky Mountain UFCW Unions and Employers Pension Plan
The Rocky Mountain UFCW Unions and Employers Pension Plan operates as a defined-benefit multi-employer plan under the Taft-Hartley Act, with contributions negotiated through collective bargaining agreements covering retail food and meat industry workers. Steve DiCroce serves as Principal Officer and Trustee. The plan's participant base draws primarily from Kroger-owned King Soopers and City Market locations, as well as Albertsons-operated Safeway stores, with UFCW Local 7 as the bargaining representative. This concentration in frontline grocery labor creates a distinct demographic profile — older workers with consistent service years, requiring the plan to prioritize income stability and capital preservation. The plan's investment strategy balances public equities, fixed income, and a growing alternatives allocation spanning real estate, private credit, and hedge fund commitments. Specific alternative positions are not publicly disclosed, but Taft-Hartley plans of this size typically access alternatives through commingled fund structures rather than direct co-investments. The geographic footprint tracks the UFCW Local 7 jurisdiction, primarily Colorado and Wyoming, though the investment portfolio itself holds no geographic restriction. Real estate commitments likely include commercial properties with stable cash yields — a common preference among union pension plans seeking to match long-duration liabilities. Zenith American Solutions provides third-party administration, separating the plan's operational governance from its investment function. The plan's trustee structure includes both union and employer representatives as required by ERISA and Taft-Hartley rules. In May 2024, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation reported multi-employer plan funded ratios that varied widely across the UFCW network, though no plan-specific update was publicly released. Rocky Mountain UFCW's most recent available Form 5500, a federal disclosure filing, confirms contributions from the Kroger and Albertsons entities cited above. Structurally, the plan differs from corporate or public pension funds in one critical respect — the board of trustees includes equal representation from labor and management, meaning investment policy must satisfy two constituencies with sometimes divergent time horizons. This joint trusteeship creates a governance rhythm where asset allocation decisions move through committee approval more deliberately than at single-sponsor plans, a feature that likely limits opportunistic investing but reinforces conservative underwriting standards.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Denver
Corporate office
Denver, CO, United States
Principals
Steve DiCroce
Principal Officer and Trustee
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who is the fiduciary responsible for investment decisions at the Rocky Mountain UFCW plan?
The plan operates under a board of trustees with equal union and employer representation, as required by Taft-Hartley and ERISA. Steve DiCroce is listed as Principal Officer and Trustee in public filings. Day-to-day investment management is typically delegated to external consultants and fund managers under the trustees' oversight, though specific mandates are not publicly disclosed.
How does the plan's Taft-Hartley structure affect its investment strategy?
Taft-Hartley multi-employer plans are jointly governed by union and employer trustees, a structure that tends to produce conservative, income-oriented portfolios. The requirement that both constituencies agree on asset allocation means the plan moves deliberately, favoring commingled fund investments over direct deals. The joint governance also insulates investment decisions from any single employer's financial condition, which is relevant given the grocery industry's consolidation pressure.
What is the plan's exposure to alternative assets?
Filings indicate the plan invests in real estate, private credit, and hedge fund vehicles, though specific fund names and commitment sizes are not publicly available. For a multi-employer plan serving a mature workforce, alternatives typically occupy 15–30% of the portfolio and skew toward income-producing strategies rather than venture capital or growth equity.
Which employers contribute to the plan, and how concentrated is the contribution base?
Kroger — through its King Soopers and City Market divisions — and Albertsons — through its Safeway division — are the two largest contributing employers, per the plan's own listing of business partners. This concentration in two national grocery chains provides stable contributions supported by collective bargaining agreements with UFCW Local 7, though it also means the plan's funding health is tied to the grocery sector's trajectory.
Does the plan face solvency or funding challenges?
No plan-specific funding ratio has been publicly reported for Rocky Mountain UFCW. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's multi-employer program tracks many UFCW-affiliated plans, and broader PBGC data from 2024 showed varied solvency levels across the network. The plan's Form 5500 filings would provide the most recent actuarial position, but those numbers are not summarized in accessible public disclosures.
How is the plan administered, and does the third-party administrator influence investment decisions?
Zenith American Solutions handles daily administration — participant recordkeeping, benefit calculations, and compliance — but does not set investment policy. The trustees retain authority over asset allocation and manager selection, consistent with the fiduciary duties imposed by ERISA on Taft-Hartley plans. Zenith's role is operational, not fiduciary.
Who represents the union participants on the board of trustees?
UFCW Local 7, which represents grocery and meatpacking workers at the contributing employers, appoints the union-side trustees. Employer-side trustees are appointed by the participating companies, primarily Kroger and Albertsons. Individual trustee names are not consistently disclosed in public-facing materials, but Steve DiCroce appears as Principal Officer in available records.
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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