In January 1950, the Upholsterers' International Union (U.I.U.) and the Kroehler Manufacturing Company agreed to establish a Union sponsored multi-employer pension plan for Kroehler employees and the bargaining unit employees of other employers who would agree to contribute to the Plan. It required three years to formulate the terms of the Plan and to obtain necessary Treasury Department approval. The Plan, called the U.I.U. NATIONAL PENSION PROGRAM, became effective July 1, 1953, was national in scope, covered employees of many employers in various trades and industries and was administered by an equal number of employee and employer trustees. The U.I.U. SUPPLEMENTAL PENSION FUND was created by the U.I.U. in 1967, its purpose being to provide additional pension benefits to those employees covered by the U.I.U. NATIONAL PENSION PROGRAM since the contribution to the Program was limited to two percent (2%) of payroll. Participation was limited exclusively to those employees already covered by the U.I.U. NATIONAL PENSION PROGRAM. The U.I.U. NATIONAL PENSION PROGRAM and the U.I.U. SUPPLEMENTAL PENSION FUND were merged effective January 1, 1977, to create the UIU PENSION TRUST. In 1985, the UIU merged with the United Steelworkers of America (USWA). The Trust continued in operation as before but with the USWA now the sponsoring Union replacing the UIU in that capacity. Effective January 1, 1999, the name of the Trust was officially changed to the "Steelworkers Pension Trust."