Your ERISA Rights
ERISA requires that the following statement be included in summary plan
descriptions for plans that are covered by this law.
Upon your request, the pertinent plan documents, insurance contracts, and
all documents filed with the US Department of
Labor, will be made available
within 10 days for examination during normal working hours at Human Resources
offices or Benefits Administration. You may also obtain a personal copy of
any of these documents, at a reasonable charge, by writing the appropriate
plan administrator. If copies of pertinent plan documents requested in
writing are not furnished within 30 days, barring circumstances beyond the
control of the plan administrator, you may file suit in a federal court
seeking damages of up to $100 for each day of unexcused delay in providing
such materials.
Once each year you will receive a summary of each plan's financial report,
called a Summary Annual Report. The plan's ERISA report is filed annually
with the US government.
You have a right to expect "fiduciaries", the persons who are responsible
for the administration of each plan, to act solely in the interest of
participants and their beneficiaries and to exercise prudence in the
performance of their duties. If it should happen that the fiduciaries
misuse a plan's money, you may seek assistance from the US Department of
Labor, or you may file suit in a federal court.
No one may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to
prevent you from obtaining a pension or welfare benefit under the plans,
or exercising your rights under ERISA. In other words, asserting a claim
for a benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA will in no way affect
your employment status.
If you bring an action in any court relating to a plan, the court will
decide who should pay court costs and legal fees. If you are successful,
the court may order the person you have sued to pay court costs and legal
fees. If you lose, the court may order you to pay these costs and fees if,
for example, it finds the claim is frivolous.
If you have questions about this statement or your rights under ERISA, please
contact Benefits Administration (at 684-5600) or the appropriate plan administrator. You
may also obtain this information from the nearest area office of the Pension
and Welfare Benefits Administration, US Department of Labor, listed in your
telephone directory or the Division of Technical Assistance and Inquiries,
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, US Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.
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