Article 17: Health & Welfare and Life Insurance

Section 17.1: Health & Welfare

A. Effective April 1, 2005, to September 30, 2005, the Company will make monthly contributions to the UMTA for Trust Plan A2C - Medical and UMTA Trust Plan D - Dental. The Medical Plan includes coverage for life, weekly disability, and vision benefits.

B. Effective October 1, 2005, and for the duration of this Agreement the Company will make monthly contributions to the UMTA for employee and family premiums to pay for 100% of the Preventive Care Rider supplement, and 100% of the premium for employees electing Trust Plan ACX, or 95% of the premium for employees electing Trust Plan AC-10, or 90% of the premium for employees electing Trust Plan A2C. Such Medical Plan options must be elected during the annual open enrollment period.

C. Effective April 1, 2005, and for the duration of this Agreement, the Company will make monthly contributions to the UMTA for Trust Plan – D Dental, and the Company will continue to provide for the increase in the maximum annual dental benefit to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).

D. Effective October 1, 2005 and Orthodontia lifetime benefit of $1,100 dollars for employees shall be established. The cost of this benefit shall be limited to $.04 cents per hour. Because of the funding limitation the Company and the Union may negotiate an alternative reimbursement wherein a partial benefit is paid followed by an end of year reconciliation.

E. The Company will provide weekly time loss for sickness/accident benefits of two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250).

F. For purposes of this Article, "Eligible Employee" is defined as any bargaining unit employee who is paid at least forty (40) straight time compensable hours per calendar month for at least two (2) consecutive months; coverage will begin the first day of the following month. Once eligibility has been established employees must be paid for 24 hours in a calendar month in order to maintain coverage. New employees will be required to meet the initial eligibility requirement only one time unless said employee loses seniority as a result of a layoff or long-term absence in excess of 365 days. Employees will retain health coverage for up to three (3) calendar months if off work due to an industrial accident.

G. All Plan benefits (medical, dental and vision) will be for eligible employees and their legal dependents (as defined by the Trust). Dependents shall include members of an employee's household who are a spousal child and/or other related children who are not direct parental descendents of the employee. Verification of the relationship must be presented within thirty (30) days of the child becoming a member of the household.

1. Dependent eligibility for medical, dental and vision benefits shall be expanded as follows: Subject to existing age requirements, stepchildren may be covered (1) if listed on the most recent tax return of the employee or spouse; (2) if a divorce or paternity decree assigns financial responsibility for the child's healthcare expenses to the employee's spouse; or (3) if the decree is silent as to financial responsibility for the child's healthcare expenses. If a divorce or paternity decree assigns financial responsibility to the non-custodial spouse, but the decree is issued by a state other than the state of residence of the employee's spouse, the employee's stepchild shall nonetheless be eligible for coverage.

2. Stepchildren eligible under this provision may be enrolled (1) upon employee's hire; (2) within 30 days of acquisition through the employee's marriage; (3) within 30 days of loss of coverage under HIPAA special enrollment rules; or (4) during Open Enrollment. Documentation of eligibility shall be furnished upon enrollment.

H. For post-FMLA leave medical situations only, Health and Welfare coverage may be extended by either taking sabbatical leave on a continuous basis until exhausted, or by using not less than eighteen (18) hours per month of accrued vacation hours. Alternatively, accrued vacation hours may be taken first, followed by sabbatical leave. In all cases, the maximum coverage period may not exceed one calendar year from the first day taken of the FMLA leave.

I. Any dispute arising with respect to benefit levels, other than outlined in the above paragraph, or eligibility of expenses, shall not be subject to dispute under the grievance and arbitration language of this Agreement. The sole and exclusive method to be used for settling any and all disputes shall be conducted in accordance with the rules established by the UMTA Trust.

J. It is recognized and agreed that the Company may change the insurance carrier or the status of the insurance carrier during the term of this Agreement; and in the event of any such change, any and all benefits shall be continued at an equal or better level.

K. The parties agree to bargain the effects of any change in Health & Welfare benefits due to the implementation or application of any State or Federal health care provision. In the event bargaining results in impasse, the matter may be referred to the grievance procedure at Step 3. If not settled in the grievance procedure, the matter may be submitted to interest arbitration for settlement using the same procedure used to submit to a rights arbitration.

L. Effective 10-1-05 the Company will provide an orthodontic insurance plan for employees with one or more years of service, not to exceed $1,100 per person lifetime. The Company’s costs not to exceed $.04 per hour worked during the term of this Agreement.

Section 17.2: Life Insurance

Effective April 1, 2000, the Company will provide $40,000 term life insurance and $80,000 total for accidental death or dismemberment insurance.