The economics, politics and history of a union pension fund: A case study of the Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers

This dissertation describes the economics, politics, and history of the Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers (CPF). The historical sections serve as an institutional memory for those who are the most closely associated with the CPF. The economics and political sections describe how the CPF functions as an institution within the constraints of the industries that its services. Although this dissertation is a case study, readers will observe that larger conclusions can be drawn. The CPF is a jointly trusteed (labor and management) multiemployer pension fund that can be a model for organizing large numbers of workers lacking pension coverage into pension funds.