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�鶹��� and SMART recently announced the creation of the SMART/�鶹��� Maternity Program, which is a new paid maternity leave program that is available to areas through the Sheet Metal Industry Labor-Management Cooperation Fund.

The SMART/�鶹��� Maternity Program provides the following benefits to eligible SMART female members in good standing:

• ▪  Up to $800 per week of paid maternity leave benefits (through adopting local health and welfare funds) for up to 6 months.
• ▪ This includes up to 6 weeks of “post-delivery benefits” (8 weeks for a cesarean section) and up to 20 weeks of “lost-time benefits,” which are pre-delivery benefits for workers who are certified by their physician as unable to work as a result of their pregnancy. The maximum weekly benefit is 6 months (or 26 weeks).

The benefits are not paid to members directly. Instead, the LMCF reimburses the local health and welfare fund (“H&W fund”) for providing qualifying “paid maternity leave benefits.”

Areas that would like to adopt the SMART/�鶹��� Maternity Program must have their proposed plan amendments reviewed by the Fund. Once adopted, the SMART/�鶹��� Maternity Program will reimburse local H&W funds for qualifying payments made to eligible SMART female members in good standing under the program.

To help contractors and associations understand the new program, SMART and �鶹��� have developed a list of frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) regarding the SMART/�鶹��� Maternity Program.  Click here to review those FAQs. Also, take a .