Labor and Employment Matters (1) (i) There is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened arbitration or grievance, charge, complaint, audit or investigation by or before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or any other Governmental Entity with respect to any current or former employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is, nor has been since January 1, 2021, a party to, bound by or negotiating any collective bargaining agreement, work rules or practices, or any other labor-related agreement, arrangement or contract with a labor union, trade union, works council or labor organization applicable to persons employed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor has any labor union, trade union, labor organization or group of employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries made a pending demand (in writing) for recognition or certification, and there are no representation or certification proceedings or petitions seeking a representation proceeding presently pending or threatened in writing to be brought or filed with the National Labor Relations Board or any other labor relations tribunal or authority; (iii) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no contemplated or pending proceedings of any labor union to organize any such employees; (iv) there are no Unfair Labor Practice (as defined under the National Labor Relations Act) complaints pending against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board; and (v) since January 1, 2021, there has not been any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, job action, picketing, unfair labor practice, concerted refusal to work overtime or other labor disruption or dispute affecting, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threat thereof, by or with respect to any employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(2) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any requirement under contract or Law to provide notice to, or to enter into any consultation procedure with, any union, labor organization, work council or similar organization in connection with the execution of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(3) The Company and its Subsidiaries are and since January 1, 2021 have been in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws relating to the employment of labor, including with respect to employment practices, terms and conditions of employment, employment discrimination or harassment, termination of employment, employee whistle-blowing, immigration and employment eligibility verification, occupational health and safety, wages and hours, withholding, classification of employees as exempt or nonexempt, and classification of consultants and independent contractors.
(4) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any liability or obligation the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 and the regulations promulgated thereunder or any similar state or local Law that remains unsatisfied.
Employment and Labor Matters (a) Section 3.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies all employees and consultants employed or engaged by the Company with an annual base salary or compensation rate of $100,000 or higher and sets forth each such individual’s rate of pay or annual compensation, job title and date of hire. Except as set forth in Section 3.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no employment, consulting, collective bargaining, severance pay, continuation pay, termination or indemnification agreements or other similar contracts of any nature (whether in writing or not) between the Company or any Subsidiary and any current or former stockholder, officer, director, employee, consultant, labor organization or other representative of any of the Company’s or Subsidiary’s employees, nor is any such contract presently being negotiated. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is delinquent in payments to any of its employees or consultants for any wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, benefits or other compensation for any services or otherwise arising under any policy, practice, agreement, plan, program or law. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or except as set forth in Section 3.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is liable for any severance pay or other payments to any employee or former employee arising from the termination of employment, nor will the Company or any Subsidiary have any liability under any benefit or severance policy, practice, agreement, plan, or program which exists or arises, or may be deemed to exist or arise, under any applicable law or otherwise, as a result of or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder or as a result of the termination by the Company or any Subsidiary of any persons employed by the Company or any Subsidiary on or prior to the Effective Time. None of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s employment policies or practices is currently being audited or investigated by any Governmental Entity. There is no pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened Proceeding, unfair labor practice charge, or other charge or inquiry against the Company or any Subsidiary brought by or on behalf of any employee, prospective employee, former employee, retiree, labor organization or other representative of the Company’s or Subsidiary’s employee, or other individual or any Governmental Entity with respect to employment practices brought by or before any Governmental Entity.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 3.16(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no controversies pending or threatened, between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any of their respective employees; neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any collective bargaining agreement or other labor union contract applicable to Persons employed by the Company or its Subsidiaries nor are there any activities or proceedings of any labor union to organize any such employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; during the past five years there have been no strikes, slowdowns, work stoppages, disputes, lockouts, or threats thereof, by or with respect to any employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in Section 3.16(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no grievances pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened, which, if adversely decided, could reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise bound by, any consent decree with, or citation or other order by, any Governmental Entity relating to employees or employment practices. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, contracts, and policies relating to employment, employment practices, wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment, including the obligations of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended (“WARN”), and all other notification and bargaining obligations arising under any collective bargaining agreement, by law or otherwise. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company has effectuated a “plant closing” or “mass layoff” as those terms are defined in WARN, affecting in whole or in part any site of employment, facility, operating unit or employee of the Company, without complying with all provisions of WARN or implemented any early retirement, separation or window program within the past five years, nor has the Company or any Subsidiary planned or announced any such action or program for the future.
Labor and Employment As of the date of this Agreement, Section 3.19 of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of all collective bargaining agreements or other labor union contracts applicable to any employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. As of the date of this Agreement, none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has breached or otherwise failed to comply with any provision of any collective bargaining agreement or other labor union contract applicable to any employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for any breaches or failures to comply that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and are not reasonably likely to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except for matters that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and are not reasonably likely to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) there is not any, and during the past one year there has not been any, labor strike, dispute, work stoppage or lockout pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, no union organizational campaign is in progress or threatened with respect to the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and no question concerning representation of such employees exists, (iii) there are no unfair labor practice charges or complaints against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened and (iv) there are, as of the date of this Agreement, no written grievances or written complaints outstanding or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Except for matters that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and are not reasonably likely to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, there are no, and since November 29, 2011, have not been any “plant closings” or “mass layoffs” (as those terms are defined in the Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act or any comparable state or local law) by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, without complying with the notice requirements of such Laws, and the Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all Laws respecting employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment, wages and hours and occupational safety and health (including, without limitation, classifications of service providers as employees and/or independent contractors).
Labor and Employee Relations As of the date hereof, except as disclosed in Section 4.11(a) of the PSNC Disclosure Schedule hereto or in the PSNC SEC Reports, (i) neither PSNC nor any of the PSNC Subsidiaries is a party to any collective bargaining agreement or other labor agreement with any union or labor organization and (ii) to the best knowledge of PSNC, there is no current union representation question involving employees of PSNC or any of the PSNC Subsidiaries, nor does PSNC know of any activity or proceeding of any labor organization (or representative thereof) or employee group to organize any such employees. PSNC has delivered or otherwise made available to SCANA true, correct and complete copies of the collective bargaining agreements listed in Section 4.11(a) of the PSNC Disclosure Schedule, together with all amendments, modifications or supplements thereto. Except as disclosed in Section 4.11(b) of the PSNC Disclosure Schedule hereto or in the PSNC SEC Reports filed prior to the date hereof or except to the extent such could not reasonably be expected to have a PSNC Material Adverse Effect, (a) there is no unfair labor practice, employment discrimination or other written grievance, arbitration, claim, suit, action or proceeding against PSNC or any of the PSNC Subsidiaries pending, or to the best knowledge of PSNC, threatened before any court, governmental department, commission agency, instrumentality or authority or any arbitrator, (b) there is no strike, lockout or material dispute, slowdown or work stoppage pending or, to the best knowledge of PSNC, threatened against or involving PSNC, and (c) there is no proceeding, claim, suit, action or governmental investigation pending or, to the best knowledge of PSNC, threatened in respect of which any director, officer, employee or agent of PSNC or any of the PSNC Subsidiaries is or may be entitled to claim indemnification from PSNC or such PSNC Subsidiary pursuant to their respective charters or by-laws or as provided in the indemnification agreements listed in Section 4.11(c) of the PSNC Disclosure Schedule. Except as set forth in Section 4.11(d) of the PSNC Disclosure Schedule, to the knowledge of PSNC, PSNC and the PSNC Subsidiaries are in material compliance with all federal, state and local laws with respect to employment practices, labor relations, safety and health regulations and mass layoffs and plant closings.
Employment Matters (a) The Sellers have provided to the Buyer a complete and accurate list of the following information as of the date of this Agreement for each Business Employee: employer; job title; location; date of hiring; date of commencement of employment; and current compensation paid or payable. At least sixty (60) days prior to the applicable Closing, the Sellers will provide to the Buyer the following information as of immediately prior to such Closing (to the extent that such information can be generated at least sixty (60) days prior to such Closing and as early prior to such Closing as reasonably practicable to the extent such information cannot be generated at least sixty (60) days prior to such Closing) for each Business Employee whose services relate primarily to the portion of the Business being transferred at such Closing: service credit for purposes of vesting and eligibility to participate under any Employee Plan (including any vacation or other paid time off policy of the Sellers). The parties agree and acknowledge that, due to the timing of the deliveries contemplated by the preceding sentence, and as a result of ordinary course personnel turnover, certain individuals who are identified as Business Employees in connection with the deliveries contemplated by the preceding sentence may not be Business Employees at the applicable Closing, and certain individuals who are not identified as Business Employees in connection with the deliveries contemplated by the preceding sentence may be Business Employees at the applicable Closing, and in no event will any resulting inaccuracies in any information delivered pursuant to this Section 3.13(a) be considered a breach of any provision of this Agreement. Further, within ten (10) Business Days following the applicable Closing, the Sellers will provide to the Buyer, for each Business Employee whose services relate primarily to the portion of the Business being transferred at such Closing, data relating to the amount of sick and vacation leave that is accrued but unused as of such Closing.
(b) Except as set forth on Section 3.13(b) of the Disclosure Schedule, (i) none of the Business Employees is, or during the past two (2) years has been, represented by a union, labor organization or group (collectively, a “Union”) that was either voluntarily recognized or certified by any labor relations board; (ii) none of the Business Employees is, or during the past two (2) years has been, a signatory to or bound by a Collective Agreement with any Union; (iii) to the Knowledge of the Sellers, there are no currently filed petitions for representation with respect to the formation of a collective bargaining unit involving any of the Business Employees and no such petitions for representation have been filed or, to the Knowledge of the Sellers, threatened in the past two (2) years; (iv) there is no unfair labor practice or labor arbitration proceeding brought by or on behalf of any of the Business Employees pending or, to the Knowledge of the Sellers, threatened against the Sellers and no such proceeding has been initiated or, to the Knowledge of the Sellers, threatened in the past two (2) years; and (v) no labor dispute, walk out, strike, slowdown, hand billing, picketing, or work stoppage involving the Business Employees has occurred, is in progress or, to the Knowledge of the Sellers, has been threatened in the past two (2) years.
Labor Disputes No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
Employees and Labor Matters (a) No Acquired Company has or has ever had any employees.
(b) Except as set forth on Schedule 4.18(b):
(i) the Unionized Employees are in bargaining units covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreements set forth on Schedule 4.18(b)(i);
(ii) no Available Non-Unionized Employees are represented by a union or other collective bargaining entity;
(iii) there is no labor strike, dispute (other than routine non-material grievances), slowdown, stoppage or lockout actually pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing against any Acquired Company or its predecessor Affiliate, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in Material Adverse Effect;
(iv) none of Sellers, their Affiliates or any Acquired Company is a party to or bound by any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with any labor organization, works council or employer organization applicable to Available Non-Unionized Employees;
(v) no labor union has been certified by a relevant labor relations authority as bargaining agent for any of the Available Non-Unionized Employees and, except for the Unionized Employees, no union organizing or decertification activities are underway or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing with respect to any Available Non-Unionized Employees;
(vi) none of Sellers, their Affiliates or any Acquired Company has experienced any material work stoppage with respect to the conduct of the Business of the Project Companies (other than with respect to the operation of the Coal Participant Projects) or the Retail Company or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, the operation of the Coal Participant Projects during the last two (2) years;
(vii) there is no unfair labor practice Claim pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing before a relevant labor relations authority against any of Sellers or their respective Affiliates with respect to the conduct of the Business of the Project Companies (other than with respect to the operation of the Coal Participant Projects) or the Retail Company or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, the operation of the Coal Participant Projects, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(viii) there are no grievances pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, there is no conduct that could reasonably be expected to lead to a grievance under any Collective Bargaining Agreement applicable to the Unionized Employees, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(ix) during the last two (2) years, no Seller or its Affiliate has effectuated any plant closing or mass layoff of employees that could implicate any applicable Law requiring notice of plant closings or layoffs, including the WARN Act, with respect to the conduct of the Business of the Project Companies (other than with respect to the operation of the Coal Participant Projects) or the Retail Company or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, the operation of the Coal Participant Projects;
(x) any notice of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement that was required by a Seller, an Affiliate of any Seller or an Acquired Company pursuant to any applicable Law or Collective Bargaining Agreement has been given;
(xi) Sellers and their respective Affiliates employing the Business Employees are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws relating to employment of the Business Employees, including all such applicable Laws relating to wages, hours, collective bargaining, terms and conditions of employment, termination of employment, employment discrimination, immigration, disability, civil rights and pay equity, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(xii) there is no arbitration proceeding pending or, to Sellers’ Knowledge, threatened in writing, arising out of or under any Collective Bargaining Agreement applicable to the Unionized Employees, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and
(xiii) to Sellers’ Knowledge, there are no pending written requests for any material changes to any Collective Bargaining Agreement applicable to the Unionized Employees.
Employment and Employee Benefits Matters (a) Parent shall, and shall cause the Surviving Corporation and each of its other Subsidiaries to, for the period commencing at the Effective Time and ending December 31, 2019, maintain for each individual employed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries at the Effective Time (each, a “Current Employee”) (i) each of base compensation and a target annual cash incentive compensation opportunity at least as favorable as that provided to the Current Employee as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, (ii) benefits that are at least as favorable as the benefits maintained for and provided to the Current Employee as of immediately prior to the Effective Time and (iii) severance benefits that are at least as favorable as the severance benefits provided by the Company to the Current Employees as of immediately prior to the Effective Time to the extent set forth in Section 4.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
(b) Parent shall, and shall cause the Surviving Corporation to, cause service rendered by Current Employees to the Company and its Subsidiaries, prior to the Effective Time to be taken into account for all purposes under employee benefit plans of Parent, the Surviving Corporation, and its Subsidiaries, to the same extent as such service was taken into account under the corresponding Company Plans immediately prior to the Effective Time for those purposes; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to the extent that its application would result in a duplication of benefits or the funding thereof with respect to the same period of service. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Parent shall not, and shall cause the Surviving Corporation to not, subject Current Employees to any eligibility requirements, waiting periods, actively-at-work requirements or pre-existing condition limitations under any employee benefit plan of Parent, the Surviving Corporation or its Subsidiaries for any condition for which they would have been entitled to coverage under the corresponding Company Plan in which they participated prior to the Effective Time. Parent shall, and shall cause the Surviving Corporation and its Subsidiaries, to give such Current Employees credit under such employee benefit plans for any eligible expenses incurred by such Current Employees and their covered dependents under a Company Plan during the portion of the year prior to the Effective Time for purposes of satisfying all co-payment, co-insurance, deductibles, maximum out-of-pocket requirements, and other out-of-pocket expenses applicable to such Current Employees and their covered dependents in respect of the plan year in which the Effective Time occurs; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to the extent that its application would result in a duplication of benefits or the funding thereof with respect to the same period of service.
(c) No provision of this Agreement (i) prohibits Parent or the Surviving Corporation from amending or terminating any individual Company Plan or any other employee benefit plan, (ii) confers upon any director, Current Employee or service provider of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof any right to continue in the employ or service of the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any Subsidiary or any Affiliate thereof for any period of time, or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof to discharge or terminate the services of any director, employee or individual service provider of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, or (iii) constitutes the establishment or adoption of, or amendment to, any Company Plan or employee benefit plan. No Current Employee or any other individual employed by, or providing services to, the Company or its Subsidiaries has any third-party beneficiary or other rights with respect to this Agreement.
Labor Controversies There are no labor controversies pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Litigation, Labor Controversies, etc There is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened litigation, action, proceeding, or labor controversy affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective properties, businesses, assets or revenues, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as disclosed in Item 6.7 ("Litigation") of the Disclosure Schedule.
