Concord Union Pension Plan Receives $2.6 Billion in COVID Relief Funding

Funding will enable the plan to continue paying benefits for over 138,000 participants

Apr. 8, 2026 at 2:07am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A photorealistic oil painting of a single retirement savings account book or pension check resting on a wooden table, with warm sunlight streaming in through a window and casting deep shadows across the scene, conveying a sense of financial stability and security.Pension relief funding provides a lifeline for retirees during the pandemic, ensuring they can continue receiving the benefits they earned over decades of hard work.Concord Today

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier announced that the Northern California UFCW Plan, based in Concord, California, will receive $2.6 billion in pension relief funding from the American Rescue Plan Act passed in 2021. This funding will allow the plan to continue paying retirement benefits for its 138,516 participants in the service industry without reduction for many years.

Why it matters

The funding will help protect the hard-earned pensions of hundreds of thousands of workers and retirees in Congressman DeSaulnier's district, preventing cuts to their benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The details

The funding was provided through the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program, which was created by the American Rescue Plan Act to support severely underfunded multiemployer pension plans. The application for this funding was submitted by the UFCW – Northern California Employers Joint Pension Plan and approved by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

  • On Thursday, April 2, 2026, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier announced the $2.6 billion in pension relief funding.
  • The American Rescue Plan Act, which provided the funding, was passed by Congress in 2021.

The players

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

A senior member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, where he is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

UFCW – Northern California Employers Joint Pension Plan

The pension plan based in Concord, California that received the $2.6 billion in funding, which serves over 138,000 retirees.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

The federal agency that approved the funding application from the Northern California UFCW Plan through the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“In the midst of the COVID epidemic, Democrats fought tooth and nail to protect the lives and livelihoods of working Americans and their families, ultimately passing the American Rescue Plan to prevent cuts to the hard-earned benefits of retirees and workers. This funding, that will benefit hundreds of thousands of workers and retirees, including those here in our district, is a direct result of those efforts and I am proud to have helped bring this money home.”

— Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

What’s next

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation will continue to monitor the Northern California UFCW Plan to ensure the $2.6 billion in funding is used appropriately to pay retiree benefits.

The takeaway

This funding demonstrates the important role that government can play in protecting the hard-earned pensions of working Americans, especially during challenging economic times like the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the impact that federal legislation like the American Rescue Plan can have on supporting local communities and their retirees.