Well.........My situation was just the opposite. Back in the early 70s Local 701 took an extra 35 cents an hour out their pay and put it into the pension. We laughed at them for working below scale. I remember shooting my mouth off and saying no way. I wanted that money in my check and besides I didn't plan on retiring as a truck driver. I wasn't in Local 701 but if I had been I'd have bitched about the cut. Little did I know back then.
That fund was so fat that they were retiring with an adjustable benefit of 25 and out with no age penalty. I knew a driver who retired at 43. Those 701 retirees who stayed until full retirement age are now collecting between $8,000 and $12,000 a month based on years of service. So even with the pension cuts coming I wish they would have taken more out of my check and put it into the funds.