The amount of time you work in a job covered by the Plan counts in several important ways. It determines whether you are eligible for a pension and how much your pension will be. For these purposes, the time you work as a Participant of the Plan is measured in Years of Service Credit.

When you become a Participant of the Plan, you receive Service Credit for the time your Employer contributes to the Plan with respect to your work. The credit earned for this period of time is called “Future Service Credit.”

You may also receive Service Credit for certain work performed before contributions were made to the Plan for your work group. This Service Credit earned is called “Past Service Credit.” Past Service Credit is only available to Employees who became Participants before July 1, 1976.

In general, Years of Service Credit taken into account in determining your eligibility for a pension are called “Vesting Credit.” Years of Service Credit taken into account when determining the amount of your pension are called “Benefit Accrual Credit.” The total amount of your pension is calculated on the basis of Benefit Accrual Credit earned prior to July 1, 1976 and after that date, a percentage of Qualifying Contributions required to be made to the Plan on your behalf. (Note: Any portion of hourly contributions that is earmarked strictly to improve or maintain proper funding of the Plan (“off-benefit” contributions) is not counted when determining your benefit accruals).

VESTING CREDIT FOR PAST SERVICE

You are entitled to receive one Year of Vesting Credit (up to a maximum of 20 years) for each calendar year of work performed in Covered Past Service during the Past Service Period before your work group began participating in the Plan, if you meet the eligibility requirements described below (Past Service Credit).

Eligibility for Past Service Credit

As a general rule, you will be eligible for Past Service only if (1) you have at least 1½ Years of Future Service Benefit Accrual Credit and (2) you worked at least 360 hours under the Plan within the two Plan Years immediately following the applicable Past Service Period described below. If you did not earn 360 hours during the two-year period, it is possible that you may still be eligible for Past Service Credit if you were on an excused absence.

Past Service Period. The following are the Past Service Periods for each group. The group applicable to you is the one with which you earned your first Hour of Covered Service (“Initial Work Jurisdiction”).

Covered Past Service. Covered Past Service is employment during your applicable Past Service Period in any of the following:

• Employment in the Work Jurisdiction in which you earned your first Hour of Covered Service, or any Work Jurisdiction that became part of this Plan at the same time as your initial Work Jurisdiction;
• Employment with a Union which participates as an Employer in this Plan; or
• U.S. military service for which you have guaranteed reemployment rights in work of the type described in the items above, provided you returned to such work within the time allowed by law.

In addition, if you became a Participant in the Plan before July 1, 1976, you may also be eligible to receive additional Past Service Credits for employment in other Work Jurisdictions.

Example: Assume an Employee began working as a glazier in January 1942, worked continuously in Covered Past Service (including any qualifying military service) and became a Participant in the Plan when it began on July 1, 1963. The Participant would then have 21½ Years of Covered Past Service Credit. However, he is limited under the Plan rules to a maximum of 20 Years of Past Service Credit.

VESTING CREDIT FOR FUTURE SERVICE

Vesting Credit is given for employment with an Employer after the date contributions were first required for the Work Jurisdiction in which you earned your first Hour of Covered Service (Future Service Credit). You receive Vesting Credit for Hours of Service worked in a Plan Year according to the following schedule:

From July 1, 1963 through June 30, 1974

You earn a Year of Vesting Credit for 1,800 Hours of Covered Service in a Plan Year. For less than 1,800 Hours of Covered Service, you earn 1/1,800 Year of Vesting Credit for each Hour of Covered Service. No more than one Year of Vesting Credit can be earned during a single Plan Year.

From July 1, 1974 through June 30, 1976,

You earn a Year of Vesting Credit for 1,620 Hours of Covered Service. For less than 1,620 Hours of Covered Service, you earn 1/1,620 of a Year of Vesting Credit for each Hour of Covered Service. For more than 1,620 Hours of Covered Service, you earn an additional 1/1,620 of a Year of Vesting Credit for each Hour of Covered Service with no maximum.

Beginning July 1, 1976

You continue to earn a Year of Vesting Credit for 1,620 Hours of Covered Service. For less than 1,620 Hours of Covered Service, you earn 1/1,620 of a Year of Vesting Credit for each Hour of Covered Service. For more than 1,620 Hours of Covered Service, you earn an additional 1/1,620 of a Year of Vesting Credit for each Hour of Covered Service with no maximum.

In addition, Hours of Service earned after June 30, 1976 in Connecting Noncovered Service, shall be counted only towards earning a maximum of one Year of Vesting Credit in a Plan Year.

ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR CALCULATING VESTING CREDIT

If it is to your advantage, instead of using the formula for calculating vesting credit under “Future Service Credit for Vesting, you will earn one Vesting Credit for each Plan Year beginning after June 30, 1963 in which you have at least 870 Hours of Service. However, under this calculation method, if you did not have at least 870 Hours of Service, you receive no Vesting Credit for that year. The maximum Vesting Credit for a single Plan Year is one.

Whether the Plan uses this method or the method under “Future Service Credit for Vesting,” the same method must be used to calculate your Vesting Credit for all Plan Years.

VESTING CREDIT FOR PERIODS OF MILITARY SERVICE

From July 1, 1963 through December 11, 1994

You will receive Vesting Credit for the period of military service during which you retain reemployment rights under Federal law, provided you return to Covered Future Service within 90 days following release from active duty, or within 90 days after recovery from a disability continuing after release from active duty. The Vesting Credit will be granted based on 1/4 of a year of Credit for each calendar quarter in which you performed military service.

USERRA Beginning December 12, 1994

You will receive Vesting Credit for the period of military service during which you retain reemployment rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (“USERRA”), provided you return to Covered Future Service following your release from active duty within the applicable period specified in the USERRA. The Vesting Credit will be granted based on 190 Hours of Service credited for each calendar month of such service.

VESTING CREDIT FOR RECIPROCAL SERVICE

For Vesting purposes only, this Plan may recognize hours that you may have worked under other pension plans covering this industry. If you work or have worked under any such plan, be sure to let the Plan Office know. The Plan presently has reciprocity agreements with the following plans:

• Western Glaziers Retirement Trust of Oregon and South Western Washington
• Western Glaziers Retirement Fund, Seattle, Washington
• Southern California Glaziers and Glassworkers Pension Plan
• Hawaii Glaziers Pension Trust Fund
• Joint Industry Pension Funds of all District Councils and Local Unions Affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades

BENEFIT ACCRUAL CREDITS

The amount of your pension for all Plan Years through June 30, 1974 is based on the number of Benefit Accrual Credits you earn before you retire and the dollar value assigned to each Credit. Benefit Accrual Credits are granted for all work for which Employers contribute, or are required by a written agreement to contribute to the Pension Plan. Benefit Accrual Credits are also earned for employment of the same kind performed before contributions were first required for the Work Jurisdiction in which you earned your first Hour of Covered Service (Benefit Accrual Credit for Past Service). Your total Benefit Accrual Credits are determined based on your Years of Past and Future Service Credits earned under the Plan.

BENEFIT ACCRUAL CREDITS FOR PAST SERVICE

One Benefit Accrual Credit is given for each Year of Vesting Credit for Past Service. That is, if you earned one Vesting Credit, you also earned one Benefit Accrual Credit. The way in which Vesting Credit for Past Service is earned is explained under Vesting Credit for Past Service.

BENEFIT ACCRUAL CREDITS FOR FUTURE SERVICE CREDIT

You earn Benefit Accrual Credits for Hours of Covered Service worked in a Plan Year according to the following:

From July 1, 1963 through June 30, 1974

You earn one Benefit Accrual Credit for 1,800 Hours of Covered Service in a Plan Year. For less than 1,800 Hours of Covered Service, you earn 1/1,800 of a Benefit Accrual Credit for each Hour of Covered Service.

From July 1, 1974 through June 30, 1976

You earn a Benefit Accrual Credit for 1,620 Hours of Covered Service. For less than 1,620 Hours of Covered Service, you earn 1/1,620 of a Benefit Accrual Credit for each Hour of Covered Service. For more than 1,620 Hours of Covered Service, you earn an additional 1/1,620 of a Benefit Accrual Credit for each Hour of Covered Service with no maximum.

Benefit Accruals Beginning July 1, 1976

Beginning July 1, 1976, you no longer earn Benefit Accrual Credits. Instead, the formula for accruing benefits on or after July 1, 1976 is based on a percentage of Qualifying Contributions. “Qualifying Contributions” are contributions that are required to be made on your behalf by your Employer for work in Covered Service, subject to the following conditions:

• Contributions earned at any time to be used for supplemental payments for retirement Participants or for deficit reduction purposes are not included when calculating benefit accruals. These contributions are sometimes referred to as “off-benefit contributions.”
• Contributions made to the Northern California Glaziers Excess Benefit Plan are included when calculating benefit accruals.
• Other special rules are contained in Article A.12 of the Plan.

BENEFIT ACCRUAL CREDIT FOR PERIODS OF MILITARY SERVICE

Beginning December 12, 1994, you will receive Benefit Accrual Credits for the period of military service during which you retain reemployment rights under the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, provided you return to Covered Future Service, following your release from active duty, within the applicable period specified by the Act. The amount of the Benefit Accrual Credits will be calculated in accordance with the pay rate you would have received had you continued to work in Covered Service, or if the rate is undeterminable, the average pay rate, hours, or compensation during the 12-month period immediately preceding the period of the military service will be used.

Once you are Vested, you cannot lose your Vesting Credits, Benefit Accrual Credits or accrued benefits based on Qualifying Contributions. Being Vested means that you have fulfilled the requirements to receive a non-forfeitable pension beginning at age 62 (or Normal Retirement Age, if later). (See “How You Achieve Vested Status” on page ____) – even if you cease working in Covered Service and leave the industry.

However, if you are not Vested and do not work a required a minimum number of hours for an Employer in Covered Service or have Connecting Noncovered Service within a specified number of consecutive Plan Years, you may incur a Permanent Break in Service. A Permanent Break in Service has the effect of canceling your previous years of participation, Vesting Credit, Benefit Accrual Credit, and other accrued benefits. One-year Breaks in Service and Permanent Breaks in Service are determined by the Plan rule in effect at the time your Break occurs, as explained below.

ONE-YEAR BREAK IN SERVICE

Beginning July 1, 1976, a One-Year Break in Service occurs if you earn less than 435 Hours of Service in a Plan Year. However, a One-Year Break in Service will not occur if any one of the following exceptions applies:

• For at least half of that Plan Year, you were employed as a glazier or glass worker for the United States Government anywhere in the world; or state or local government agency in an area where Future Reciprocal Service Credits could be earned; or
• You received Vesting Credit during the Plan Year as a result of service in the United States military; or
• For at least half of that Plan Year, you were employed by a glaziers apprenticeship plan, a district council covering glaziers, or as an organizer at a non-union company as certified by the Union with jurisdiction over the area in which the non-union company is located; or
• After July 1, 1985, you received Hours of Maternity/Paternity Leave to prevent a Break in Service for the period you were absent from employment as a result of (a) pregnancy, (b) birth of a child, (c) adoption or (d) care of a child immediately following birth or adoption.
• After July 1, 1995, for at least half of that Plan Year, you were employed by the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades.
• After July 1, 1989, for at least half of that Plan Year, you were employed by the company that administered the Plan during that Plan Year, and you did not incur a One-Year Break in Service in the prior Plan Year.

PERMANENT BREAK IN SERVICE

Before July 1, 1976, you had a Permanent Break in Service and lost your Vesting and Benefit Accrual Credit if you did not earn at least 360 hours of credit in a period of two consecutive Plan Years.

Between July 1, 1976 and July 1, 1985, a Break in Service becomes permanent if you have as many consecutive One-Year Break in Service years as you have full Years of Vesting Credit.

Beginning July 1, 1985, a Break in Service becomes permanent if you have at least five consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service and the number of your consecutive One-Year Breaks equals or exceeds the number of your previously earned full Years of Vesting Credit.

In both of the above examples, you incurred a Permanent Break in Service because had had a number of consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service. If you had stopped the number of consecutive One-Year Breaks in Service by working at least 435 hours in a Plan Year, you would have prevented the Permanent Break in Service.

In other words:

• A One-Year Break in Service can be repaired–so long as the Break in Service is not permanent. All previous Breaks in Service years are disregarded after a Plan Year in which a Participant has at least 435 hours of work in Covered Service and/or Connecting Noncovered Service.
• Break in Service years will not be added together unless they come one right after the other, without interruption by years of at least 435 hours of work in Covered Service and/or Connecting Noncovered Service.

CURING A PERMANENT BREAK IN SERVICE

If you incur a Permanent Break in Service (as described above), you may still “cure” the Permanent Break in Service – thereby restoring any cancelled Vesting Credit, Benefit Accrual Credit and accrued benefits based on Qualifying Contributions – if:

• You return to Covered Service and earn at least six Years of Vesting Credit without an intervening Permanent Break in Service; or
• You have a controlling interest in an Employer which is required to make contributions to this Plan under a collective bargaining agreement covering glaziers or glass workers, and contributions are made to this Plan on behalf of such workers for six-consecutive Plan Years beginning on or after July 1, 1994.

If you become Vested under the rules of this Plan, you shall have a right to receive a Normal Retirement Benefit – even if you cease working and never return to work in Covered Service. You may also be entitled to Early Retirement Benefits if you meet the Plan’s age and service requirements for that type of benefit.
You are Vested if:

• You attain Normal Retirement Age
• You are a Participant at a time when you attain at least age 52 and you are still a Participant when you accumulate at least 1-1/2 Years of Future Service Benefit Accrual Credits.
• Beginning July 1, 1997, you have at least one Hour of Service after June 30, 1997 while you are a Participant in this Plan, and have accumulated at least 5 Years of Vesting Credit without a Permanent Break.
• From July 1, 1976 through June 30, 1997, you accumulated at least 10 Years of Vesting Credit without a Permanent Break in Service. Effective July 1, 1989, if you are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, you are Vested if you have accumulated five Years of Credited Service and you have at least one Hour of Service after June 30, 1988.
• If you ceased to participate in this Plan before July 1, 1976, your vested status is determined in accordance with the Plan rules in effect at the time.

If you have any questions regarding your status in the Plan, you should contact the Plan Office for a determination.