Collective Bargaining Unit 1.1 The Company recognizes the Union as the sole bargaining agent for all regular, part-time and temporary employees1, including technicians of the construction field forces and security employees but excluding:
(a) Employees now represented by other bargaining agents.
(b) Persons above the rank of working supervisor.
(c) Persons who exercise managerial functions in accordance with the Ontario Labour Relations Act.
(d) Persons employed in a confidential capacity in matters relating to labour relations in accordance with the Ontario Labour Relations Act.
1.2 The grievance/arbitration procedure may be used to challenge any unreasonable, arbitrary or bad faith action taken by the Company which results in the exclusion of any employee or position from the bargaining unit. The parties will attempt to resolve disputes expeditiously. 1 "Employees" are employees pursuant to the Labour Relations Act for Ontario SO, 1995, c.1 Schedule A, as amended.
1.3 When an employee is removed from normal duties to act in a vacated position or relieve for an incumbent or perform a temporary assignment, the following shall apply:
(a) When the length of time involved is known to be three months or less, the employee will retain his/her present jurisdictional status.
(b) When it is expected that the length of time will be longer than three months, the employee will be excluded or included at the commencement of his/her new responsibilities. However, in the event the period is actually less than three months:
(1) in exclusion cases, the Union will be reimbursed the dues which would have been paid;
(2) in inclusion cases, the Union will reimburse the employee the dues which have been paid.
(c) When the length of time is unknown, the employee will retain his/her present jurisdictional status up to the three month period. If the period extends beyond three months, the employee will then be either included or excluded.
Employee Benefits and Contracts (a) Unless otherwise agreed between First Bank and a Covered Employee, for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the one year anniversary of the Closing Date (or such shorter period of employment, as the case may be), each employee of Malvern who remains employed by the Surviving Corporation or any First Bank Entity after the Closing Date (each, a “Covered Employee”) shall receive (i) an annual rate of salary or wages and annual cash bonus opportunity that is no less favorable than the annual rate of salary or wages, or bonus opportunity, as applicable, provided to such Covered Employee by Malvern as of immediately prior to the Closing and (ii) benefits (excluding equity and other long-term incentive awards) that are substantially comparable in the aggregate to the benefits provided to similarly situated employees of First Bank; provided, that until such time as First Bank shall cause the Covered Employees to participate in the applicable First Bank employee benefit plans, the continued participation of the Covered Employees in Malvern Benefit Plans shall be deemed to satisfy the foregoing provisions of this clause (it being understood that participation in First Bank’s employee benefit plans may commence at different times with respect to each of First Bank’s employee benefit plans).
(b) For purposes of determining a Covered Employee’s eligibility to participate and vesting under First Bank’s employee benefit plans (other than any defined benefit pension plan, post-employment health or welfare plan, or equity incentive plan), the service of a Covered Employee with a Malvern Entity prior to the Effective Time shall be treated as service with a First Bank Entity to the same extent that such service was recognized by the Malvern Entities under a corresponding Malvern Benefit Plan; provided, that such recognition of service shall not (i) operate to duplicate any benefits of a Covered Employee with respect to the same period of service or (ii) apply for purposes of any plan, program, policy, agreement or arrangement (x) under which similarly-situated employees of First Bank Entities do not receive credit for prior service or (y) that is grandfathered or frozen, either with respect to level of benefits or participation. In no event shall any Covered Employee be eligible to participate in any closed or frozen plan of any First Bank Entity.
(c) The Malvern Entities shall take all necessary action (including without limitation the adoption of resolutions and plan amendments and the delivery of any required notices) to terminate, effective as of the day before the Closing Date, any Malvern Benefit Plan that is intended to constitute a tax-qualified defined contribution plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (a “401(k) Plan”). Malvern shall provide First Bank with a copy of the resolutions, plan amendments, notices and other documents prepared to effectuate the termination of the 401(k) Plan in advance and give First Bank a reasonable opportunity to comment on such documents (which comments shall be considered in good faith), and prior to the Closing Date, Malvern shall provide First Bank with the final documentation evidencing that the 401(k) Plan has been terminated.
(d) Upon request by First Bank in writing prior to the Closing Date, the Malvern Entities shall cooperate in good faith with First Bank, effective on Closing Date, and conditioned upon the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby, to amend, freeze, terminate or modify any Malvern Benefit Plan to the extent and in the manner determined by First Bank effective upon the Closing Date (or at such different time mutually agreed to by the parties) and consistent with applicable Law. Malvern shall provide First Bank with a copy of the resolutions, plan amendments, notices and other documents prepared to effectuate the actions contemplated by this Section 7.8(d), as applicable, and give First Bank a reasonable opportunity to comment on such documents (which comments shall be considered in good faith), and prior to the Closing Date, Malvern shall provide First Bank with the final documentation evidencing that the actions contemplated herein have been effectuated.
(e) The provisions of this Section 7.8 are solely for the benefit of the Parties to this Agreement, and no employee, any dependent or beneficiary thereof, or any other individual associated therewith shall be regarded for any purpose as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement. In no event shall the terms of this Agreement: (i) establish, amend, or modify any Malvern Benefit Plan or any employee benefit plan, program, policy, agreement or arrangement maintained or sponsored by First Bank, Malvern or any of their respective Affiliates; (ii) alter or limit the ability of any First Bank Entity (including, after the Closing Date, the Malvern Entities) to amend, modify or terminate any Malvern Benefit Plan or any other employee benefit plan, program, policy, agreement or arrangement after the Closing Date; or (iii) confer upon any current or former employee or other service provider any right to employment or continued employment or continued service with any First Bank Entity (including, following the Closing Date, the Malvern Entities), or constitute or create an employment agreement with any employee, or interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Surviving Corporation, Malvern, First Bank or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof to discharge or terminate the services of any employee or other service provider at any time for any reason whatsoever.
(f) Malvern and Malvern Bank shall take or cause to be taken all such actions as may be necessary to effect the actions set forth below relating to Malvern’s employee stock ownership plan (the “Malvern ESOP”) prior to or simultaneous with the Effective Time, as applicable. Effective on the fifth (5th) Business Day before the Effective Time, the ESOP shall be terminated (the “ESOP Termination Date”). No new participants shall be admitted on or after the ESOP Termination Date and all existing ESOP participants’ accounts shall become fully vested and 100% non-forfeitable. Malvern Bank shall direct the ESOP trustee to remit a sufficient number of shares of Malvern Common Stock held in the Malvern ESOP’s Loan Suspense Account (as defined in Section 2.01(z) of the Malvern ESOP) to Malvern to repay the outstanding ESOP loan in full, with each remitted share to be valued equal to the closing price of Malvern Common Stock on the day immediately prior to the ESOP Termination Date. All remaining shares of Malvern Common Stock held by the ESOP as of the Effective Time shall be exchanged for the Merger Consideration. After repayment of the outstanding ESOP loan and the exchange of the shares of Malvern Common Stock for the Merger Consideration, the Merger Consideration received upon conversion of the remaining shares of Malvern Common Stock held in the Malvern ESOP’s Loan Suspense Account shall be deemed to be earnings and shall be allocated as earnings to the accounts of the ESOP participants who are employed as of the ESOP Termination Date based on their account balances under the ESOP as of the ESOP Termination Date and distributed to ESOP participants after the receipt of a favorable determination letter from the IRS. No benefit distributions shall be made from the ESOP without the prior written consent of First Bank before the IRS issues a favorable determination letter with respect to the tax-qualified status of the ESOP on termination unless otherwise required by law. Prior to the Effective Time, Malvern shall take all such actions as are necessary to submit the application for favorable determination letter in advance of the Effective Time (and to provide First Bank with the opportunity to review the application for a favorable determination letter at least twenty (20) days prior to the filing date with the IRS), and following the Effective Time, First Bank shall use its best efforts in good faith to obtain such favorable determination letter as promptly as possible (including, but not limited to, making such changes to the ESOP as may be required by the IRS as a condition to its issuance of a favorable determination letter). Xxxxxxx, Malvern Bank, and following the Effective Time, First Bank, will adopt such amendments to the ESOP to effect the provisions of this Section 7.8(f). Promptly following the receipt of a favorable determination letter from the IRS regarding the qualified status of the ESOP upon its termination, the account balances in the ESOP shall either be distributed to participants and beneficiaries or transferred to an eligible tax-qualified retirement plan or individual retirement account as a participant or beneficiary may direct.
(g) Employees of Malvern as of the date of the Agreement who remain employed by Xxxxxxx as of the Effective Time and whose employment is terminated by First Bank or Malvern Bank (absent termination for cause) within the time period set forth in Section 7.8(g)(i) of Malvern’s Disclosure Memorandum shall receive severance pay equal to the amounts set forth in Section 7.8(g) of First Bank’s Disclosure Memorandum, subject to receipt of an effective release of claims from the employee receiving such severance payment, which release shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Malvern and First Bank. In addition, Xxxxxxx shall be permitted to grant retention bonuses to Employees of Malvern as of the date of this Agreement who remain employed by Xxxxxxx as of the Effective Time, with such Employees and retention bonus amounts determined mutually between Malvern and First Bank.
