Updated:
United Mine Workers of America 1985 Construction Workers
The United Mine Workers of America 1985 Construction Workers Pension Plan was established in 1985 through a collective bargaining agreement between the United...
United Mine Workers of America 1985 Construction Workers
The United Mine Workers of America 1985 Construction Workers Pension Plan was established in 1985 through a collective bargaining agreement between the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and the Association of Bituminous Contractors. The plan serves a niche labor force: the workers who build and maintain the underground infrastructure of America's coal mining operations. Fredrick Marx serves as the Plan Administrator from the fund's headquarters in Wheeling, West Virginia. The plan's investment strategy is concentrated in buyout-oriented private equity, complemented by direct real estate exposure. The fund holds a position in Consortium Atlantic Realty Trust (CART), a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate vehicle developed and managed by the Bernstein Companies. The portfolio's construction is consistent with the liquidity needs of a mature, collectively bargained multiemployer plan — favoring capital appreciation through private market vehicles over public-markets trading. The fund's governance is rooted in the Taft-Hartley framework, with trustees appointed equally by union and management representatives. This structure shapes investment pacing and manager selection, constraining the plan to strategies that meet ERISA fiduciary standards. The plan's recent operational activity is not publicly detailed, but its filings reflect the steady drawdown and distribution cadence typical of a pension fund managing liabilities for an aging population of construction workers. What distinguishes this fund is its origin story: it is a product of a specific 1985 National Coal Mine Construction Agreement, not a general union plan. That legacy binds its investment posture to the fortunes of a single industry's construction workforce, creating a concentrated beneficiary base rarely seen in larger, diversified Taft-Hartley plans.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1985
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Wheeling
Corporate office
Wheeling, WV, United States
Principals
Fredrick Marx
Plan Administrator
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the UMWA 1985 Construction Workers Pension Plan?
The plan is administered by Fredrick Marx out of Wheeling, West Virginia. Investment decisions are overseen by a board of trustees appointed jointly by the United Mine Workers of America and contributing employers from the Association of Bituminous Contractors, as required under the Taft-Hartley Act. The trustees are responsible for setting asset allocation policy and selecting investment managers.
How is this plan different from the broader UMWA Health and Retirement Funds?
This plan specifically covers construction workers — the employees of contractors who build and maintain coal-mine infrastructure — not the mine workers themselves. It was created by the 1985 National Coal Mine Construction Agreement, a distinct collective bargaining agreement separate from the contracts covering production miners. The beneficiary pool is substantially smaller and tied to a single craft within the industry.
What does the plan invest in?
The plan's disclosed investment posture is heavily weighted toward buyout strategies in private equity. It also holds direct commercial real estate through Consortium Atlantic Realty Trust (CART), a Washington, D.C.-based vehicle managed by the Bernstein Companies. Public securities holdings, if any, are not prominently disclosed.
Is the UMWA 1985 Construction Workers Pension Plan underfunded or in critical status?
Multiemployer pension plans in the coal industry have faced severe funding stress over the past two decades due to industry contraction and demographic shifts among participants. While specific funding ratios for this plan are not publicly updated in real time, it operates in a sector where many Taft-Hartley plans have entered critical and declining status, requiring benefit reduction applications and PBGC intervention under the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014.
Does the plan accept new employer contributions?
As a collectively bargained multiemployer plan, employer contributions are governed by the terms of the National Coal Mine Construction Agreement of 1985 and any successor agreements. Contribution levels depend on the number of active construction contractors still signatory to the agreement and the hours worked by covered employees — both of which have likely declined with the contraction of U.S. coal production.
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.
Need institutional-grade insight on pension funds?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: