FINAL COMPANY PROPOSAL TO THE USWA
UNDER 11 U.S.C. § 1113 AND § 1114
All terms and conditions of all existing agreements between the parties at the company's facilities at Trentwood, Mead, Newark, Gramercy, Tulsa, and Bellwood shall continue in effect except as modified below. This agreement shall become effective upon ratification by the union membership and approval by the bankruptcy court.
This agreement may be terminated by the Company (KACC) or the USWA if (a) the Company's Flat Rolled Products assets or Engineered Products assets are sold prior to the effective date of a Plan of Reorganization ("Effective Date"), (b) the intercompany issues identified in the USWA January 9, 2004 Settlement Proposal are not resolved in a manner satisfactory to the Company or the USWA or (c) the Bankruptcy Court determines upon motion by either the Company or the USWA that a material adverse change has occurred with respect to the Company's operations or the status of the chapter 11 cases. The Bankruptcy Court's ruling regarding the existence or lack thereof of a material adverse change shall be final and binding, and no appeals or other relief from such ruling will be permitted. The Debtors waive any right to seek or support relief pursuant to any provision of Section 1113 or Section 1114 with respect to USWA claims, but this waiver shall not apply if these agreements terminate pursuant to this section.
Covered Employees are all employees who were actively employed for any length of time during a Wage Month, as defined below. The Company is required to make a contribution with respect of an employee whose employment is terminated during a Wage Month.
Newly hired employees will be considered Covered Employees on the first day of the first calendar month immediately following the expiration of their probationary period as described in the applicable collective bargaining agreement. Such calendar month shall be the employee's first Benefit Month. The immediately preceding calendar month shall be the employee's first Wage Month.
Newly hired employees who were previously covered by the SPT shall be considered Covered Employees as of the first day of the first calendar month immediately after the expiration of their probationary period as described in the applicable collective bargaining agreement. This calendar month is the employee's first Benefit Month and the calendar month immediately preceding is the employee's first Wage Month.
Effective thirty days after the Effective Date, vested participants are eligible to retire under the following options:
A participant is eligible for a Rule-of-85 retirement with a pension benefit based on the contributions made on his/her behalf, without reduction for early retirement, if:
Disability within the meaning of the Federal Social Security Act while a Covered Employee on or after the Effective Date, with a pension benefit based on the contributions made on his/her behalf, without reduction for early retirement.
A Participant shall be fully vested upon the completion of five (5) years of Covered Service.
In consideration of the Company's contributions to the SPT as provided above and for so long as the Company's participation in the SPT is accepted by the Trustees, the Trustees will, beginning with the date of receipt by the SPT of the Company's first contribution, and continuing for such part of the duration of this Agreement as the Company fully complies with the terms of this Agreement in all respects, extend and make available to Covered Employees, the pension benefits for which such employees are eligible under the Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time, which is by this reference incorporated herein and made part hereof.
The benefits and eligibility are subject to the Incorporation Agreement and supplemental agreements among the Company, Union and the SPT Trustees and the SPT Plan provisions. Nothing here modifies the Incorporation Agreement or the provisions of the SPT Plan. The Board of Trustees has the authority to decide all questions concerning eligibility for and the amount of pension benefits. All final decisions regarding the Plan are made by the Board of Trustees based on the provisions of the Declaration of Trust.
The Company will have the ability to withdraw from the SPT at any time within five years of entering the SPT without incurring any withdrawal liability. The parties will ensure the Company's ability to take this "Free Look" and so withdraw by instituting the following procedures:
The foregoing five procedures are subject to the approval of the SPT and applicable legal requirements. In the event that any of the procedures is not approved by the SPT or does not satisfy applicable legal requirements, the parties shall negotiate modified procedures reasonably acceptable to both parties.
All existing plans, funds and programs maintained or established by the Company prior to February 12, 2002 that provide medical, surgical, prescription drugs, hospital care benefits, or benefits in the event of sickness (including Medicare Part B reimbursement), accident, disability, or death ("Retiree Benefits") for current and future retirees represented by the USWA, and/or such current and future retirees' surviving spouses and eligible dependents, shall be terminated.
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VEBA Effective Date |
Lump Sum Contribution |
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On or before December 31, 2003 |
[5 x Amount] |
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Jan. 1, 2004 through Jan. 31, 2004 |
[4 x Amount] |
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Feb. 1, 2004 through Feb. 29, 2004 |
[3 x Amount] |
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March 1, 2004 through March 31, 2004 |
[2 x Amount] |
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April 1, 2004 through April 30, 2004 |
[1 x Amount] |
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May 1, 2004 through May 31, 2004 |
$0 [no lump sum]. |
The Company will also agree to pay all IBNR pending as of the VEBA Effective Date;
Such funding obligations shall be enforceable by the VEBA or, to the extent not enforced by the VEBA, or prior to the establishment and full functioning of the VEBA and its Board of Trustees, by the USWA.
ATTACHMENT A
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PENSION PLAN
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Covered employees: |
Active employees (as of the Effective Date and thereafter) of the emerging company(ies) in USWA-represented bargaining units |
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Frequency of contributions: |
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Regular payroll periods following 90 days of service |
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Employee deferrals |
Annual following 90 days of service. |
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Employer contributions |
Employer contributions will be made during the 90-day period from April 1 through June 30 in the year following the employee contribution year |
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Employee contributions: |
Employees may contribute 2% to 20% of pay as defined, pretax, in 1% increments |
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Fixed additional employer |
Age and service point-based contribution: |
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contribution (one-time snapshot |
39 points or less = |
$ 800 per year |
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taken on the Effective Date or |
40 to 49 points = |
$1,200 per year |
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later date of hire) |
50 to 59 points = |
$1,600 per year |
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60 to 69 points = |
$2,000 per year |
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70 or more points = |
$2,400 per year |
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Pay definition: |
Base + overtime + holiday pay + shift differential + short-term incentive |
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Vesting: |
Immediate vesting of employee contribution. For Employer contributions, 5 year vesting, with prior service credited for vesting purposes |
ATTACHMENT B
Retiree Insurance Profit Sharing
A) Introduction |
B) Level of Payout |
1) Ten percent (8.0% USWA Share) of the first $20 million in APT Profit; |
2) Twenty percent (16.0% USWA Share) of all APT Profit in excess of $20 million. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Pool for any one fiscal year exceed $20 million. |
C) Form of Payment |
D) Calculation of APT Profit |
a) Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization of the Company, calculated on a consolidated basis in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), |
b) minus cash interest expense, |
c) plus cash interest income, |
d) minus cash capital expenditures, |
e) minus cash payments of environmental liabilities to the extent that such payments are not included in any of the other items listed herein, |
f) minus repayment of debt principal outstanding at emergence (according to the scheduled repayment terms of such debt, with the understanding that any debt principal outstanding at emergence under a revolving credit facility shall be deemed, for purposes of this calculation only, to be repaid evenly over a five-year term) |
g) minus the net proceeds of any sale of Anglesey, to the extent provided below, |
h) plus cash sources or minus cash uses related to unusual, nonrecurring, or extraordinary items as defined by GAAP (whether or not identified as special credits or charges), including plant closures, business dispositions and asset sales, restructuring charges, and casualty events (subject to reasonable reinvestment provisions that are not otherwise included in capital expenditures) that are outside the normal operations of the Company (sources (uses) related to the issuance (repayment) of securities shall be excluded from this item (h)), with the following exclusions: |
1) income or loss related to unusual, nonrecurring or extraordinary items as defined by GAAP (whether or not identified as special credits or charges), including credits or charges for plant closures, business dispositions and asset sales that are not normal operating charges or credits of the Company; |
2) any noncash expense attributable to the allocation or contribution of stock to Company employees; and, |
3) any payments, fees or other expenses that are not in the normal course of business, and not approved by the Board of Directors, paid directly or indirectly to any person or entity who directly or indirectly owns or controls any equity or equity-like interest in the Company. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in any year in which net proceeds are received from the sale of Anglesey, and the Company has a positive APT Profit, the Company shall pay into the VEBA 75% of the net proceeds from such sale; provided, however, that the Company's obligation to pay any portion of the net proceeds realized from the sale of Anglesey shall not exceed (a) the Company's Excess Cash Balance and (b) an amount equal to the extent to which the Initial VEBA Contribution is less than $36 million, whether such Initial VEBA Contribution is funded by the Company or otherwise (such amount to be defined as the "Top-Up Anglesey Amount"); provided further, however, that the Company shall pay to the VEBA the applicable percentage of the amount of incremental APT Profit that would otherwise be generated by the net cash proceeds from a sale of Anglesey minus the Top-Up Anglesey Amount (but only to the extent that such amount does not exceed the Excess Cash Balance). |
E) Term of Plan |
F) Administration of the Plan |
The Union, through the Chair of its Negotiating Committee or his/her designee, shall have the right to review and audit any information, calculation or other matters concerning the Plan. The Company shall provide the Union with any information reasonably requested in connection with its review. The reasonable actual costs incurred by the Union in connection with any such audit shall be paid from the Pool and deducted from the amount otherwise available under the Pool for distribution to Employees. |
In the event that a discrepancy exists between the Company's calculations and the results obtained by the Union's review, the Chairs of the Union and Company Negotiating Committees shall attempt to reach an agreement regarding the discrepancy. In the event that they cannot resolve the dispute, either party shall designate an independent accounting professional who, together, shall attempt to resolve the discrepancy. In the event that the accounting professionals shall be unable to resolve the dispute, they shall agree upon a third, independent accounting professional, who shall review the matter and whose determination shall be final and binding upon the parties. |
G) Prompt Payment |
ATTACHMENT C
Neutrality
1 Introduction. The Company and the Union have developed a constructive and harmonious relationship built upon trust, integrity, and mutual respect. The parties place a high value on the continuation and improvement of that relationship. |
2 Neutrality. |
a) To underscore the Company's commitment in this matter, the Company agrees to adopt a position of Neutrality regarding the unionization of any employees of the Company. |
b) Neutrality means that, except as explicitly provided herein, the Company will not in any way, directly or indirectly, involve itself in any matter which involves the unionization of its employees. |
c) The Company's commitment to maintain Neutrality, as defined above, may only cease if the Union has intentionally or repeatedly (after having the matter called to the Union's attention) misrepresented to the employees facts surrounding their employment or has unfairly demeaned the integrity or the character of the Company or its representatives. |
3 Organizing Procedures |
a) Prior to the Union distributing authorization cards to non-represented employees at a facility owned, controlled or operated by the Company, the Union shall provide the Company with written notification (Written Notification) that an organizing campaign (Organizing Campaign) will begin. The Written Notification will include a description of the proposed bargaining unit. |
b) There shall be no more than one (1) Organizing Campaign in a bargaining unit in any twelve (12) month period. The Organizing Campaign shall begin immediately upon provision of Written Notification and continue until the earliest of: (i) the Union gaining recognition under Paragraph 4 below; (ii) written notification by the Union that it wishes to discontinue the Organizing Campaign; or (iii) ninety (90) days from provision of Written Notification to the Company. |
c) Upon Written Notification, the following shall occur: |
i) Determination of Appropriate Unit |
ii) Employee Lists |
iii) Notice Posting |
1. The Company does not support or oppose collective bargaining or the unionization of our employees. |
2. The choice of whether or not to be represented by a union is yours alone to make. |
3. We will not interfere in any way with your exercise of that choice. |
4. The Union has informed us that they will be conducting an organizing effort. |
5. In their conduct of the organizing effort, the Union and its representatives are prohibited from misrepresenting the facts surrounding your employment. Nor may they unfairly demean the integrity or character of the Company or its representatives. |
6. The Union's authorization cards will clearly state that the card may be used for the purpose of obtaining a secret ballot election conducted in cooperation with the Company where a duty to bargain will arise if the Union receives a simple majority of the votes cast. |
iv) Access to Company Facilities |
4 Struksnes Election |
If, at any time during the campaign period, the Union represents that it has obtained cards from a majority of the employees in the agreed-upon collective bargaining unit, an arbitrator selected through the AAA will verify the Union's majority status within five (5) business days. Upon verification by the Arbitrator, the parties will schedule a secret ballot election to take place no later than fourteen (14) days from such notice to the Company by the Union. |
The election shall be conducted in accordance with Struksnes Construction Company. This means: (1) the Union must formally demand recognition and advise the Company that it has authorization cards from a majority of the employees in the agreed-upon proposed collective bargaining unit; (2) the employees must be told that the purpose of the election is to determine whether the Union has majority status; (3) the Company will give employees assurances that there will be no reprisals for engaging in protected activity; (4) the employees will be polled by secret ballot; and (5) there may be no unfair labor practices or other activity that creates a coercive atmosphere. The Company will recognize the Union as the representative of the proposed collective bargaining unit if a simple majority of the employees in the proposed collective bargaining unit cast votes to be represented by the Union. |
If the Union does not obtain votes demonstrating that it represents a majority of the proposed collective bargaining unit, or if the Union does not claim that it represents a majority of the employees in the collective bargaining unit within the ninety (90) day campaign period, the Union will be barred from filing another notice of intent to organize that facility and from filing an NLRB petition for an election at that facility for twelve (12) months from the date of the Struksnes election or the close of the campaign period. |
5 Bargaining in Newly-Organized Units |
Where the Union is recognized, the first collective bargaining agreement applicable to the new bargaining unit will be determined as follows: |
(1) The employer and the Union shall meet within fourteen (14) days following recognition to begin negotiations for a first collective bargaining agreement covering the new unit. |
(2) If after one hundred twenty (120) days following recognition the parties are unable to reach agreement for such a collective bargaining agreement, they shall submit those matters that remain in dispute to the Chair of the Union Negotiating Committee and the Chair of the Company Negotiating Committee, who shall use their best efforts to assist the parties in reaching a collective bargaining agreement. |
6 Dispute Resolution |
a. Any alleged violation or dispute involving the terms of this Section may be brought to a joint committee of one (1) representative each from the Company and the Union. If the alleged violation or dispute cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the parties, either party may submit such dispute to the arbitrator. A hearing shall be held within fourteen (14) days following such submission and the arbitrator shall issue a decision within five (5) days thereafter unless the Union has requested a bargaining order, in which case the decision shall be issued within ten (10) days. Such decision shall be in writing and need only succinctly explain the basis for the findings. However, the arbitrator initially may issue his order orally. All decisions by the arbitrator pursuant to this article shall be based on the terms of this Section and the applicable provisions of the law. The arbitrator's remedial authority shall include the power to issue an order requiring the Company to recognize the Union where, in all the circumstances, such an order would be appropriate. |
b. The arbitrator's award shall be final and binding on the parties and all employees covered by this Section. |
c. For any dispute under this Section, the parties shall choose the arbitrator from the American Arbitration Association list of arbitrators, provided however that the arbitrator selected under this section shall be different than the arbitrator selected under section 4. |