Welfare Plans Effective as of the Closing Date, Purchaser shall provide group health, life insurance, long term disability and other welfare and fringe benefit plan coverage and benefits (for the purposes of this Section 6.8, “Purchaser’s Health, Welfare and Fringe Benefit Plans”) for Newsprint Employees and Apache Employees who are offered and accept employment with Purchaser as of the Closing Date and who otherwise qualify for such coverage or benefits. In the case of Hourly Newsprint Employees and Hourly Apache Employees, such coverage or benefits shall provide substantially comparable coverage and benefits in the aggregate as Seller’s health, life insurance, welfare and fringe benefit plans provide (for the purposes of this Section 6.8, “Seller’s Health, Welfare and Fringe Benefit Plans”) and otherwise comply with the relevant Collective Bargaining Agreements and in part shall provide for Purchaser’s assumption and continuation of Seller’s Health, Welfare and Fringe Benefit Plans covering Hourly Newsprint Employees and Hourly Apache Employees. In the case of Salaried Employees, Purchaser shall offer substantially comparable coverage and benefits in the aggregate as provided under Seller’s Health, Welfare and Fringe Benefit Plans, except for including retiree health and retiree life insurance. Purchaser may assume and continue any or all of Seller’s Health, Welfare and Fringe Benefit Plans, except for Seller’s health and dental benefits for Salaried Employees, coverage under which shall be provided to Retained Employees and Hired Employees in accordance with the terms of the Transitional Services Agreement. A Newsprint Employee’s or Apache Employee’s last continuous period of service with Seller or Apache shall be counted as if it had been service for Purchaser in determining eligibility for the coverage and benefits set forth in this Section 6.8. Attached as Schedule 6.8 is a list of the last continuous period of service of Newsprint Employees and Apache Employees as of the date set forth on Schedule 6.8. If Purchaser assumes and continues one or more of Seller’s Health, Welfare and Fringe Benefit Plans, the parties shall enter into the Welfare Benefit Plans Assignment and Assumption Agreement in this regard.
Employee Matters; Benefit Plans (a) Subject to applicable Legal Requirements, the employment of each of the Company’s employees is terminable by the Company at will. The Company is not a party to, nor is currently negotiating in connection with entering into, any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor organization or work council representing any of its employees and there are no labor organizations representing, purporting to represent or, to the knowledge of the Company, seeking to represent any employees of the Company. Since January 1, 2019, there has not been any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, material labor dispute or any union organizing activity, or any threat thereof, in each case, involving any of the Company’s employees. There is not now pending, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no Person has threatened in writing to commence, any such strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, material labor dispute or union organizing activity or any similar activity or dispute.
(b) Since January 1, 2019, there has been no material Legal Proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing relating to the employment or engagement of any Company Associate. Since January 1, 2019, the Company has complied with all applicable Legal Requirements related to employment, including employment practices, payment of wages and hours of work, leaves of absence, plant closing notification, privacy rights, labor dispute, workplace safety, retaliation, immigration, and discrimination matters, except any lack of compliance which has not had and would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Section 3.16(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of each Employee Plan. The Company has either delivered or made available to Parent or Parent’s Representatives prior to the execution of this Agreement with respect to each Employee Plan, accurate and complete copies of the following, as relevant: (i) all plan documents and all amendments thereto, and all related trust, insurance or other funding documents, and all amendments thereto; (ii) the most recent determination letter or opinion letter received from the IRS; (iii) for the three most recent plan years, (A) the annual actuarial or other valuation reports, (B) the IRS Form 5500 and all schedules thereto and (C) audited financial statements; (iv) the most recent summary plan descriptions and any material modifications thereto; (v) the most recent nondiscrimination tests required to be performed under the Code; and (vi) any material non-routine communications with any Governmental Body regarding any Employee Plan.
(d) Neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has at any time sponsored, maintained, contributed to, or been required to contribute to, or had any liability in respect of, (i) an “employee pension benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA, Code Section 412 or Section 302 of ERISA, including any “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 4001 of ERISA. No Employee Plan is a (i) a “multiple employer plan” as defined in Section 413(c) of the Code, or (ii) a “multiple employer welfare arrangement” within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA.
(e) Each Employee Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has obtained a favorable determination letter (or opinion letter, if applicable) as to its qualified status under the Code. Each Employee Plan is now and has been operated, maintained, and administered in compliance in all material respects with its terms and all applicable Legal Requirements, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code. No non-exempt “prohibited transaction” (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the code) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Employee Plan.
(f) Except to the extent required under Section 601 et seq. of ERISA or 4980B of the Code (or any other similar state or local Legal Requirement) at the participant’s sole expense, neither the Company nor any Employee Plan has any present or future obligation to provide post-employment welfare benefits to or make any payment to, or with respect to any Company Associate.
(g) Since January 1, 2019, all individuals who perform or have performed services for the Company have been properly classified under applicable law as (i) employees or independent contractors and (ii) for employees, as an “exempt” employee or a “non-exempt” employee (within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and applicable state laws), and no such individual has been improperly included or excluded from any Employee Plan, except for misclassifications, non-compliance or exclusions which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and the Company has not received notice of any pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened inquiry or audit from any Governmental Body concerning such classifications.
(h) The Company maintains no obligations to gross-up or reimburse any individual for any tax or related interest or penalties incurred by such individual under Sections 409A or 4999 of the Code.
(i) Each “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” maintained by the Company has been at all times in material documentary and operational compliance with the requirements of Code Section 409A and the guidance provided thereunder.
(j) The consummation of the Transactions (including in combination with other events or circumstances) will not (i) result in any payment or benefit becoming due to any Company Associate or under any Employee Plan, (ii) increase any amount of compensation or benefits otherwise payable to any Company Associate or under any Employee Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any benefits to any current or former employee, contractor or director of the Company or under any Employee Plan, (iv) limit the right to modify, amend or terminate any Employee Plan (except any limitations imposed by applicable Legal Requirements, if any).
(k) The consummation of the Transactions (including in combination with other events or circumstances) will not result in the payment of any amount that could, individually or in combination with any other payment or benefit, constitute an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, result in the payment of an excise tax by any Person under Section 4999 of the Code or any amount that would not be deductible under Section 280G of the Code.
(l) With respect to any Employee Plan, (i) no Legal Proceeding (other than routine claims for benefits in the ordinary course) are pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Employee Plan, the assets of any of the trusts under such plans or the plan sponsor or administrator, or against any fiduciary of any Employee Plan with respect to the operation thereof, and (ii) no facts or circumstances exist that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any such Legal Proceeding.
Health and Welfare Benefit Plans During the Employment Period, Executive and Executive’s immediate family shall be entitled to participate in such health and welfare benefit plans as the Employer shall maintain from time to time for the benefit of senior executive officers of the Employer and their families, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in such plan. Nothing in this Section shall limit the Employer’s right to change or modify or terminate any benefit plan or program as it sees fit from time to time in the normal course of business so long as it does so for all senior executives of the Employer.
Pension and Welfare Plans During the twelve-consecutive-month period prior to the Closing Date and prior to the date of any Credit Extension hereunder, no steps have been taken to terminate any Pension Plan, and no contribution failure has occurred with respect to any Pension Plan sufficient to give rise to a Lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA. No condition exists or event or transaction has occurred with respect to any Pension Plan which might reasonably be expected to result in the incurrence by the Borrowers or any member of the Controlled Group of any material liability, fine or penalty. Except as disclosed in Item 6.11 of the Disclosure Schedule, neither any Borrower nor any member of the Controlled Group has any contingent liability with respect to any post-retirement benefit under a Welfare Plan, other than liability for continuation coverage described in Part 6 of Title I of ERISA.
WELFARE PLAN Section 1: The Plan
Section 2: Joint Welfare Board
Welfare Benefit Plans During the Employment Period, the Executive and/or the Executive's family, as the case may be, shall be eligible for participation in and shall receive all benefits under welfare benefit plans, practices, policies and programs provided by the Company and its affiliated companies (including, without limitation, medical, prescription, dental, disability, employee life, group life, accidental death and travel accident insurance plans and programs) to the extent applicable generally to other peer executives of the Company and its affiliated companies, but in no event shall such plans, practices, policies and programs provide the Executive with benefits which are less favorable, in the aggregate, than the most favorable of such plans, practices, policies and programs in effect for the Executive at any time during the 120-day period immediately preceding the Effective Date or, if more favorable to the Executive, those provided generally at any time after the Effective Date to other peer executives of the Company and its affiliated companies.
Health and Welfare Plans (a) A copy of the master contracts with the carriers for the extended health care, dental and group life plans shall be sent to the President of the Union.
(b) The Employer will consult the Union before developing any pamphlet explaining the highlights of the plans for distribution to employees. The cost of such a pamphlet shall be borne by the Employer.
Employee Benefit Plans and Related Matters; ERISA (a) Section 3.20(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth as of the date of this Agreement a true and complete list of the Company Benefit Plans, including all Company Benefit Plans subject to ERISA or similar provisions of non-U.S. Law. With respect to each such Company Benefit Plan, the Company has made available to Parent a true and complete copy of such Company Benefit Plan, if written, or a description of the material terms of such Company Benefit Plan if not written, and to the extent applicable, (i) all trust agreements, insurance contracts or other funding arrangements, (ii) the most recent actuarial and trust reports for both ERISA funding and financial statement purposes, (iii) the most recent Form 5500 with all attachments required to have been filed with the IRS or the Department of Labor or any similar reports filed with any comparable Governmental Entity in any non-U.S. jurisdiction having jurisdiction over any Company Benefit Plan and all schedules thereto, (iv) the most recent IRS determination or opinion letter, and (v) all current summary plan descriptions.
(b) Each Company Benefit Plan intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, and the trust (if any) forming a part thereof, has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS that the Company Benefit Plan is so qualified, or an advisory or opinion letter that the form of such plan document satisfies the requirements to be so qualified, and, to the knowledge of the Company, there are no existing circumstances or any events that would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the qualified status of any such plan. Each Company Benefit Plan has been administered and operated in all material respects in accordance with its terms and with applicable Law.
(c) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any of their ERISA Affiliates contributes to, sponsors or maintains or has in the past sponsored, maintained, contributed to or had any liability in respect of any pension plan subject to Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 or Title IV of ERISA.
(d) There are no claims pending or threatened in writing with respect to any of the Company Benefit Plans by any employee or otherwise involving any such plan or the assets of any such plan (other than routine claims for benefits), except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material.
(e) No Company Benefit Plan is a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA or is a “multiple employer plan” within the meaning of Section 4063 or 4064 of ERISA. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has at any time during the last six (6) years contributed to or been obligated to contribute to any such type of plan.
(f) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any material liability in respect of post-retirement health, medical or life insurance benefits for retired, former or current employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries except as required by Law.
(g) Except as set forth in Section 3.20(g) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the consummation of the transactions to which the Company is a party contemplated hereby, will not, either alone or in combination with another event, (i) entitle any current or former director, officer or employee of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries to severance pay, unemployment compensation or any other payment, (ii) result in any payment becoming due, accelerate the time of payment or vesting, or increase the amount of compensation due to any such director, officer or employee, (iii) result in any forgiveness of indebtedness, trigger any funding obligation under any Company Benefit Plan or impose any restrictions or limitations on the Company’s rights to administer, amend or terminate any Company Benefit Plan or (iv) result in any payment (whether in cash or property or the vesting of property) to any “disqualified individual” (as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1) that would reasonably be construed, individually or in combination with any other such payment, to constitute an “excess parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code).
Terminability of Welfare Plans No Employee Benefit Plan, which is an employee welfare benefit plan within the meaning of ss.3(1) or ss.3(2)(B) of ERISA, provides benefit coverage subsequent to termination of employment, except as required by Title I, Part 6 of ERISA or the applicable state insurance laws. The Borrower may terminate each such Plan at any time (or at any time subsequent to the expiration of any applicable bargaining agreement) in the discretion of the Borrower without liability to any Person other than for claims arising prior to termination.
ERISA; Benefit Plans Schedule 5.13 sets forth a list of all material deferred compensation, profit-sharing, retirement and pension plans and all material bonus and other material employee benefit or fringe benefit plans maintained, or with respect to which contributions have been made, by Seller with respect to current or former employees employed in connection with the power generation operations of the Generating Plants and the Gas Turbines (collectively, "Benefit Plans"). Seller and each trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which are or have ever been under common control, or which are or have ever been treated as a single employer, with Seller under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code (an "ERISA Affiliate") have fulfilled their respective obligations under the minimum funding requirements of Section 302 of ERISA, and Section 412 of the Code, with respect to each Benefit Plan which is an "employee pension benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA and each such plan is in compliance in all material respects with the presently applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code, except for such failures to fulfill such obligations or comply with such provisions which would not, individually or in the aggregate, create a Material Adverse Effect. Neither Seller nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability under Section 4062(b) of ERISA, or any withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA, to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in connection with any Benefit Plan which is subject to Title IV of ERISA which liability remains outstanding, and there has not been any reportable event (as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) with respect to any such Benefit Plan (other than a reportable event with respect to which the 30-day notice requirement has been waived by the PBGC). Neither Seller nor any ERISA Affiliate or parent corporation, within the meaning of Section 4069(b) or Section 4212(c) of ERISA, has engaged in any transaction, within the meaning of Section 4069(b) or Section 4212(c)
