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Plumbers Local 55 Pension Plan
Shawn Gray oversees the pension for Plumbers Local 55, a Cleveland union formed in 1889, investing across commercial real estate and private markets.
Plumbers Local 55 Pension Plan
The Plumbers Local 55 Pension Plan serves members of Journeymen Plumbers Union Local 55, chartered by the United Association in Cleveland in 1889. Shawn Gray, the union's Business Manager, acts as Financial Secretary and Trustee of the Plan, flanked by Business Representatives Tim Wheeler and John Hodge. The union's history traces back to at least 1874, placing it among the oldest continuous labor organizations in Ohio. The Plan allocates across commercial real estate, alternative assets, and other diversified holdings. Asset classes include direct real estate equity, infrastructure, and credit strategies, though the Plan's precise weighting remains private. The Plan's governance integrates both union and employer trustees; employer-side representatives hail from regional plumbing contractors including John F. Gallagher Co., Neptune Plumbing, and Gorman-Lavelle, ensuring industry-specific alignment in investment policy. Governance blends labor and management oversight through a board of trustees. While total asset figures are not publicly disclosed, the Plan maintains an active real estate portfolio and a growing allocation to private markets. In April 2025, union members re-elected Shawn Gray as Business Manager/Financial Secretary alongside a slate of Business Representatives and committee members, signaling continuity in leadership. The Plan's structure reflects a Taft-Hartley multiemployer model — jointly trusteed by union and employer representatives — requiring consensus-driven asset allocation decisions uncommon in single-sponsor funds. A separate Local 55 Charitable Fund handles philanthropic activity, insulating pension assets from mission drift.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1889
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Cleveland
Corporate office
980 Keynote Circle, Cleveland, OH 44131, United States
Principals
Shawn Gray
Business Manager / Financial Secretary and Trustee of the Pension Plan
Tim Wheeler
Business Representative and Trustee of the Pension Plan
John Hodge
Business Representative and Trustee of the Pension Plan
James Fatica
President of Journeymen Plumbers Union Local 55
Ed Staggs
Vice President of Journeymen Plumbers Union Local 55
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Plumbers Local 55 Pension Plan?
Investment policy is set by a board of trustees co-chaired by union and employer representatives. Business Manager Shawn Gray serves as Financial Secretary and Trustee, with Business Representatives Tim Wheeler and John Hodge also sitting as trustees. Employer trustees from firms like John F. Gallagher Co. and Neptune Plumbing provide contractor-side oversight, per the Plan's website.
How is Plumbers Local 55 Pension Plan structured?
It operates as a Taft-Hartley multiemployer pension fund, jointly trusteed by Local 55 union officers and contributing plumbing contractors. This shared governance model means asset allocation decisions require consensus between labor and management trustees, which can influence pacing into illiquid strategies.
What asset classes does the Plan invest in?
Confirmed holdings include a commercial real estate portfolio and allocations to alternative assets. The Plan also participates in broader diversified investments, though specific targets for private equity, credit, or infrastructure are not publicly disclosed.
Does the Plan participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The Plan's known real estate activity suggests direct property holdings, but its "alternative assets" exposure likely includes fund vehicles. The exact mix of direct versus intermediated commitments is not publicly broken out.
How is the Plan related to the United Association?
Local 55 is a Cleveland affiliate of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, the international parent union. The Pension Plan is a separate trust fund for Local 55 members, distinct from the UA's own international pension arrangements.
Does Plumbers Local 55 maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Yes — the Plumbers Local 55 Charitable Fund operates as a separate entity from the Pension Plan. This ensures charitable contributions do not co-mingle with retirement trust assets.
Which sectors does the Plan explicitly avoid?
No explicit exclusions are published. As a labor-affiliated plan, investments are generally screened for fiduciary standards rather than mission-based restrictions, though labor harmony considerations are common across union pension portfolios.
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