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Defined Benefit Pension Plan Document

Important Note:
Notwithstanding any information in these Plan Document pages or embedded links, for retirements that are first in pay status on or after April 1, 2017, certain Defined Benefit Plan provisions are scheduled to change in accordance with the adoption of Alternative Schedules 1 or 2 under the Second Critical Status Rehabilitation Plan.

ARTICLE 2 - PARTICIPATION

2.1

  1. Active Participant: Each person who becomes a Covered Employee after June 30, 1976, but prior to March 13, 1981, shall become an Active Participant on his Employee Contribution Date. Each person who becomes a Covered Employee after March 12, 1981, shall become an Active Participant on the first day of the month immediately following the month that his total Covered Hours during the current Plan Year and immediately preceding Plan Year first equal 750, provided, however, that each such person shall become a Participant no later than the first day of the sixth month immediately following the date upon which he completes a Year of Service. For the purposes of the foregoing, such person shall be deemed to have completed a "Year of Service" if he is credited with at least 750 Covered Hours during the twelve (12) consecutive month period beginning with the date on which he is first credited with a Covered Hour. Each person other than a Pensioner, a Covered Employee receiving disability benefits, or a Vested Employee, who was covered under the Plan as it existed on June 30, 1976, shall be covered under this Plan as an Active Participant. A Participant's status as an Active Participant shall cease immediately following the earliest of (1) death, (2) the date he becomes a Disabled Participant (see Article 7), (3) retirement under the Plan, or (4) completion of a Grace Period.

    Certain Active Participants may be offered full-time employment with the National IBEW, the National NECA or IBEW-NECA sponsored training programs. Such an entity offering such employment may or may not pay contributions to this Fund pursuant to a participation agreement. In order to assure Active Participants accepting such employment do not suffer a reduced expectancy of pension benefits, Active Participants accepting such full-time employment with such an entity which full-time employment does not result in direct or reciprocal contributions to this Plan shall be credited with 40 hours of Credited Future Service for each week of such full-time employment at an Employer Contribution Rate of zero dollars per hour. The credits granted shall thus in no fashion increase the Active Participant's Normal Pension Benefit but shall be deemed covered hours for all other purposes under the Plan, including, but not limited to, preventing a Grace Period and achieving eligibility for early and disability retirement benefits. This paragraph shall apply to Active Participants who accept such full-time employment on and after January 1, 2005. No Credited Future Service shall be granted under this paragraph for any such non-contributory employment on and after June 30, 2009. Proof in writing from the employing entity of such full-time employment and the period of employment is required before granting Credited Future Service under this paragraph.

  2. Inactive Participant: At the completion of a Grace Period, each Active Participant shall become an Inactive Participant, provided he does not become an Inactive Vested Participant according to Article 6. A Participant's status as an Inactive Participant shall cease immediately following the earliest of (1) death, (2) the date he becomes an Inactive Vested Participant, or accrues 750 Covered Hours within two consecutive Plan Years and again becomes an Active Participant, (3) retirement under the Plan, or (4) the date as of which he completes a Divesting Service Year while an Inactive Participant.

  3. Inactive Employee: An Inactive Participant who completes a Divesting Service Year subsequent to the date on which he became an Inactive Participant shall become an Inactive Employee at the end of such Divesting Service Year. An Inactive Employee shall not be entitled to any benefit from this Plan unless he becomes an Active Participant or an Inactive Vested Participant. A person's status as an Inactive Employee shall cease immediately following the earliest of (1) death, (2) the date he becomes an Inactive Vested Participant, or accrues 750 Covered Hours within two consecutive Plan Years and again becomes an Active Participant, (3) the date as of which he forfeits his Credited Vesting Service Years and benefit rights. An Inactive Employee shall forfeit his Credited Vesting Service Years and all rights to a benefit under this Plan at the end of the Plan Year in which the accumulated number of his consecutive Divesting Service Years (including any Divesting Service Years which occur during his Grace Period) first equals the greater of (A) five, or (B) the number of his Credited Vesting Service Years.

  4. Inactive Vested Participant: An Active Participant who completes a Grace Period, an Inactive Participant, or an Inactive Employee shall become an Inactive Vested Participant provided he fulfills the vesting requirements of Section 6.1 and/or 6.3, as applicable. A Participant's status as an Inactive Vested Participant shall cease immediately following the earliest of (1) death, (2) retirement under the Plan, or (3) the date he accrues 750 Covered Hours within two consecutive Plan Years and again becomes an Active Participant.

  5. Hours of work performed in covered service by first-year apprentices, both indentured and unindentured, shall be recognized for the purpose of meeting the 300-hour requirement for a Year of Service pursuant to the eligibility requirements for an early retirement benefit under Article 3, Section 3.2(c) of the Plan.

2.2 All provisions of this Article are subject to the limitations and restrictions of Article 17 which govern benefits first commencing on and after October 28, 2009.