DEATH BEFORE RETIREMENT BENEFITS

The following benefits may be payable if you die before retirement benefits have commenced.

Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension

If you are married and die before retirement but after meeting the service requirements for pension (including a Pro Rata Pension), your surviving spouse will automatically be entitled to the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension. This is true even if you do not meet the age requirement for a pension at the time of death.

Your spouse will receive these benefits regardless of who is named as your designated beneficiary on your Master Data Card or Performer Information Form. Please refer to page 22 in the printed document for details on designating a beneficiary

Under the Pre-Retirement Husband and-Wife Pension, your surviving spouse will receive monthly benefits for life equal to 50% of the benefits you would have received under the Husband-and-Wife Pension determined as if the pension had become effective on the day before your death.

If you are younger than age 65 on the date of death, benefits to your spouse will commence the earliest date you could have retired and begun receiving a pension. For example, if you are 55 or older and have at least 10 Pension Credits on the date of death, benefits to your spouse will commence the first of the month following your death. However, if you die prior to 55 and have at least 10 Pension Credits, your spouse’s benefits will commence the first of the month following the month in which you would have reached age 55 had you lived.

If you are age 65 or older on the date of death, benefits to your spouse will commence the first of the month following your death.

IMPORTANT: Your surviving spouse may, within 90 days of receiving written notice from the Plan Office, elect to receive the Pre-Retirement Death Benefit (see page 22 in the original document) or the Pre-Retirement Joint and Survivor Pension (below), instead of the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension. In no event will a surviving spouse receive less than the actuarial value of the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension and the amount of Pre-Retirement Death Benefit shall be adjusted, if necessary, to equal the actuarial value of the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension.

The Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension is only payable if you and your spouse have been married throughout the one-year period prior to your death.

Pre-Retirement Joint and Survivor Pension

Effective January 1, 2004

The following Pre-Retirement Joint and Survivor Pension is not payable if payments are payable to your spouse under the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension, unless your surviving spouse has elected, within 90 days of receiving written notice from the Plan, to receive the Pre-Retirement Joint and Survivor Pension instead of the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension.

If you are married and die before retirement but after meeting the age and service requirements for a pension, your surviving spouse may elect to receive the Pre-Retirement Joint and Survivor Pension. The monthly amount payable to the surviving spouse is equal to the monthly benefit that would have been payable to you under the Joint and Survivor Option as described on pages 17 and 18 in the printed document had you retired on the day before your death. If this benefit is elected, no benefits are payable under the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension or the Pre-Retirement Death Benefits.

Benefits to your spouse will commence with the month following the month in which you died.

Pre-Retirement Death Benefits

The following Pre-Retirement Death Benefits are not payable if payments are payable to your spouse under the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension, unless your surviving spouse has elected, within 90 days of receiving written notice from the Plan, to receive the Pre-Retirement Death Benefit instead of the Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension.

1. Death Before Age 65. If you are younger than age 65 and have at least 5 Pension Credits without a Permanent Break in Service (or at least 8 Pension Credits including Pension Credits prior to a Permanent Break in Service), a Lump Sum Death Benefit is payable to your beneficiary. The amount of Death Benefit is equal to four times the annual Current Service Benefit earned at the time of death, but not less than $1,500. The beneficiary may, within 90 days after receiving written notice from the Plan, elect to receive this benefit in 60 equal monthly installments instead of a lump sum. The amount of the monthly payment is determined by dividing the lump sum payment by 60.


2. Death After Age 65. If you are age 65 or older and have at least 10 Pension Credits, a Death Benefit of 60 monthly payments is payable to your beneficiary. The monthly amount of each payment is equal to the monthly amount of Regular Pension you would have been entitled to receive if you had retired on your date of death. The beneficiary may, within 90 days after receiving written notice from the Plan, elect to receive these benefits in a single lump sum payment instead of 60 monthly installments. The lump sum payment is determined by multiplying the monthly payment by 60.
   
   If you are age 65 or older and have at least 5 Pension Credits without a Permanent Break in Service (or at least 8 Pension Credits, including Pension Credits prior to a Permanent Break in Service), the Lump Sum Death Benefit described under 1. above is payable to your beneficiary. The beneficiary may elect to receive this benefit in 60 equal monthly installments instead of a lump sum. The amount of the monthly payment is determined by dividing the lump sum payment by 60.

Designating a Beneficiary

You may designate a beneficiary to receive any payments due upon your death that are not automatically payable to your surviving spouse. For pre-retirement death benefits, the beneficiary designation is on the Performer Information Form (formerly the Master Data Card). You will be asked to list at least one primary and one secondary beneficiary. However, you may list more if you wish. You may change your beneficiary at any time by completing a new Performer Information Form and filing it with the Plan Office.

If you do not designate a beneficiary, death benefits will be paid to the first surviving of the following: (1) your surviving spouse, (2) your surviving children, (3) your surviving brothers and sisters, (4) your surviving parents, (5) any other person who is the object of your natural bounty as determined by the Board of Trustees.

Special Note: The beneficiary you list on the Master Data Card or Performer Information Form will not be entitled to receive the benefits payable from the Pension Plan upon your death if:

1. Your spouse is entitled to the automatic Pre-Retirement Husband-and-Wife Pension; or
2. You die after beginning to receive pension benefits. When you apply for pension, you will be required to complete a separate beneficiary designation form that applies to post-retirement death benefits.

Please contact the Plan Office if you have any questions about designating a beneficiary.