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UFCW Unions & Employers Benefit Funds
The Kroger Co. is the named fiduciary for the UFCW Unions & Employers Benefit Funds, a multiemployer pension plan stabilized by a PBGC bailout.
UFCW Unions & Employers Benefit Funds
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Unions & Employers Benefit Funds was founded in 1963 as a multiemployer defined-benefit plan. Administered by Wilson-McShane Corporation from Downers Grove, Illinois, its primary contributing employer and designated named fiduciary is The Kroger Co. The plan has reciprocal agreements with participating locals including UFCW 881 and UFCW 655. The fund allocates capital across a traditional institutional portfolio with a specific tilt toward income-generating private assets. Its asset allocation spans debt instruments, public equity, natural resources, and a notable real estate sleeve that includes a Heitman Global Real Estate Securities portfolio alongside directly held commercial properties—a mixed-use asset in Dayton, Ohio and an industrial property in Chicago. The strategy touches buyout, distressed debt, and special situations through fund commitments. Team size and precise deployment figures are not publicly disclosed. The plan does not maintain a standalone investment office structure, with oversight and administrative functions consolidated under Wilson-McShane. A critical operational milestone: the Midwest Pension Fund received Special Financial Assistance (SFA) from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), stabilizing benefits for participants after facing potential insolvency. The plan also operates through a defined contribution arm, the UFCW Pension Plan for Salaried Staff, and adjacent health and insurance funds. The plan's structural differentiator is its status as a PBGC bailout recipient, making the federal government an indirect stakeholder in the fund's recovery trajectory. Its governance binds a Fortune 500 grocer as fiduciary, creating a unique alignment between a private-sector employer's balance sheet vitality and the retirement security of its unionized workers. The associated UFCW Charity Foundation extends the entity's reach beyond pension administration into grantmaking.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1963
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Downers Grove
Corporate office
Downers Grove, IL, United States
Principals
Wilson-McShane Corporation
Plan Administrator
The Kroger Co.
Named Fiduciary & Key Contributing Employer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the relationship between The Kroger Co. and the UFCW Benefit Funds?
The Kroger Co. is the primary contributing employer to the UFCW Unions & Employers Midwest Pension Fund and serves as the plan's designated named fiduciary. This structure means Kroger bears a direct responsibility for the plan's governance alongside its obligation to fund benefits for a significant portion of its unionized grocery workforce.
What is the status of the UFCW Midwest Pension Fund's solvency?
The fund was projected to become insolvent, threatening the benefits of participants. It subsequently received Special Financial Assistance (SFA) from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). This federal aid package is designed to restore the fund's ability to pay full benefits through at least 2051.
Who administers the day-to-day operations of the UFCW Benefit Funds?
Wilson-McShane Corporation serves as the plan administrator, managing the administrative and operational functions from the fund's base in Downers Grove, Illinois. Investment decisions are made through a traditional pension board and consultant structure rather than a dedicated internal investment office.
Does the fund invest directly in real estate or through managers?
The plan does both. It maintains a direct real estate portfolio including a commercial property at 7250 Poe Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, and an industrial asset in Chicago, Illinois. It also gains exposure through commingled institutional vehicles, with a disclosed position in the Heitman Global Real Estate Securities Portfolio.
What other UFCW benefit entities exist alongside the main pension fund?
The UFCW Unions & Employers umbrella covers multiple welfare and retirement structures. These include the UFCW Unions & Employers Midwest Health Benefits Fund, the UFCW Union & Employers Calumet Region Insurance Fund, and the UFCW Pension Plan for Salaried Staff, which operates as a separate defined contribution plan for administrative employees.
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