How Working Time Counts

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 is required to contribute 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 1 ¹/₂ 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 21 1/2 Years of Covered Past Service Credit. However, he/she 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 while engaged in Connecting Noncovered Service (see page 2 of the Summary Plan Description), 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 “Vesting Credit for Future Service” (see page 12 of the Summary Plan Description), 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 do 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 “Vesting Credit for Future Service,” the same method must be used to calculate your Vesting Credit for all Plan Years.

Vesting Credit for Periods of Military Service

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

How You Achieve Vested Status

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, as defined on page 2 of the Summary Plan Description; or
• 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 (excluding any Vesting Credit lost due to a Permanent Break in Service).
• From July 1, 1976 through June 30, 1997, you accumulated at least 10 Years of Vesting Credit (excluding any Vesting Credit lost due to 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 Vesting Credit (excluding any Years of Vesting Credit lost due to a Permanent Break in Service) and you have at least one Hour of Service after June 30, 1989.
• 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.

Can You Lose Your Vesting Credits, Benefit Accrual Credits, and Other Accrued Benefits?