12. Do I need to designate a Beneficiary?

If you do not designate a Beneficiary, your pension may not go to the person or persons you prefer.

If you are not married and do not designate a Beneficiary specifically for your benefits accrued under the Plan, the Plan must pay benefits based on the preference order stated in Article 8.7(a) of the Plan Document. Without a surviving Spouse, the preference order is the first of the following classes in which a member survives the Participant:

• Children;
• Parents; and
• Siblings.

If you are not married and have not already done so, please complete the "Beneficiary Designation Form" available from your local union or the Administrative Office. If you subsequently marry, pre-existing designations will be invalid and your Spouse will be your Beneficiary, unless your Spouse provides written and notarized consent to the designation of another person as your designated Beneficiary.

Only a person can be designated as your Beneficiary. A living trust cannot be designated as a Beneficiary.

Additional Rules Regarding Beneficiaries

If you are not married at the date of death and are not survived by a child under age 21, then any death benefits are payable either to named Beneficiaries or preference Beneficiaries. If you have no named Beneficiary nor any surviving preference Beneficiary, then the only death benefits payable under the Plan are to provide for the necessary funeral expenses of the Participant or Pensioner in some instances.

If a named Beneficiary fails to file a claim within one year of the Participant's death, then that named Beneficiary's share will be paid pro-rata among any named Beneficiaries who do file a claim within one year of the Participant or Pensioner's death. If no named Beneficiary files a claim within one (1) year of the Participant or Pensioner's death, then benefits will be paid to preference Beneficiaries under Article 8.7 as if no named Beneficiary survived the Participant or Pensioner.

Nothing in this SPD will impair the obligation of the Plan to pay appropriate Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity and Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity benefits.