Summary Plan Description

Notice To All Participants In The
Western Pennsylvania
Teamsters And Employers Pension Fund
Concerning Benefit Improvements

Please be advised that the Trustees of the Western Pennsylvania Teamsters and Employers Pension Fund ("Pension Fund"), on September 8, 2000, approved certain benefit improvements for Participants in the Pension Fund. Below is a summary of the benefit improvements.

THE $2,500 MONTHLY 25-AND-OUT BENEFIT ADDED TO
THE PENSION PLAN EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2000

The Trustees have taken action to increase the monthly benefit level to $2,500 for the Freight Level 25-And-Out Benefit for a Participant who meets the following eligibility requirements:

1. Retire on and after April 1, 2000; and
   
   
2. Attain age 55 at date of retirement; and
   
   
3. Have had contribution's made on the Participant's behalf at the weekly contribution rate of $166 or higher; and
   
   
4. Contributions made for at least 20 out of the 25 years of future credited service (contributory service) at the Freight Level, including attaining the weekly contribu-tion rates of at least $106 by December 31, 1997, and at least $116 by December 31, 1998; and
   
   
5. Contributions made at the Freight Level for a total of at least 120 weeks in the 3 out of the 6 continuous years (without a one year break in contributions), immediately prior to attaining eligibility for the Benefit. Periods of past credited service (service for which no conributions were received by the Pension Fund), will not be utilized to calculate the 25 years of contributory service necessary to be eligible for the Benefit.
   

If a Participant meets the eligibility requirements for the $2,500 Monthly 25-And-Out Benefit, the Participant will be eligible for the following benefits:

1. The monthly benefit will be $2,500.
   
   
2. A Participant will earn an additional monthly benefit of $100 for each year of future credited service (contribu-tory service), at a weekly contribution rate of $166 or greater between 25 years and 30 years, and effective only for the credited service earned after April 1, 2000, or the date contributions are made at the weekly rate of $166 or greater, which ever date is later.
   

Example

Assume that a Participant earned 25 years (without a break-in-service) of future credited service (contributory service) at the Freight Level as of September 30, 2000; that the Partcipant had attained age 55 as of that date; and that contributions were made on the Participant's behalf at the weekly contribution rate of $166 prior to that date. The Participant will be eligible to retire on October 1, 2000 and receive the monthly benefit of $2,500. This example assumes that the Participant and the Participant's spouse waived all Survivor Options.

The $2,500 Monthly 25-And-Out Benefit applies to partial (reciprocal) pensions if the Related Plan also provides the equivalent Benefit.

An eligible Participant will receive the greater of the $2,500 Monthly 25-And-Out Benefit, or the Participant's accrued benefit (amount of Normal Retirement Benefit), at the date of retirement.

Remember that if a Contributing Employer, whose employees are eligible for the Freight Level 25-And-Out Benefit, including the $2,500 Monthly 25-And-Out Benefit, subsequently voluntarily withdraws and leaves the Plan, the Participants who were employed by that Contributing Employer, and who retire following the Contributing Employer's voluntary withdrawal from the Pension Fund, will not be eligible for the $2,500 Monthly 25-And-Out Benefit.

The Pension Plan Suspension Of Benefits Provisions Revised Effective October 1, 2000

The Trustees have approved an Amendment to Section 4.6 of the Pension Fund's Pension Plan to reflect certain changes to the provisions governing the suspension of benefits of Retirees who are employed in Suspendible Employment after retirement.

As explained below, the changes now provide that the same provisions governing the suspension of benefits will apply to all Retirees prior to age 70½, and Suspendible Employment will include employment of 50 or more hours in a calendar month in a trade or craft in which a Participant was employed at any time in Covered Employment with the Pension Fund.

The Amendment to Section 4.6 becomes effective on October 1, 2000, and will be applicable to any Participant who has retired, or will retire, from the Pension Fund.

This Notice is only a summary of the Amendment to Section 4.6. A complete copy of the Amendment will be provided upon written request made to the Pension Fund Office at the above address.

Retirement Prior To Age 70½

If you retire prior to age 70½, with Early, or 25-And-Out, or 30-And-Out, or Normal retirement benefits, and you return to work on or after October 1, 2000 after you retire, the payment of your monthly benefits will be suspended by the Trustees for each month that you engage in any Suspendible Employment. While you are receiving retirement benefits prior to age 70½, you are permitted to work an unlimited number of hours in employment which is determined to be non-Suspendible Employment.

"Suspendible Employment" for Retirees receiving retirement benefits prior to age 70½ is defined as employment of 50 or more hours of service during a calendar month, including employment as an employee, self-employed individual, supervising or management employee, (1) in the Industry, and (2) in a trade or craft in which the Participant was employed at any time in Covered Employment, and (3) in the geographic area covered by the Pension Fund or in a geographic area from which pension benefits are being received under a Reciprocal Agreement, determined as of the time that the Participant's pension benefit payments commenced or would have commenced if the Participant had not remained in or returned to Covered Employment.

"Industry" is defined as any business activities of the types in which any Participants in the Pension Fund were employed in Covered Employment by Contributing Employers, at the time that a Participant's pension benefit payments commenced or would have commenced if the Participant had not remained in or returned to Covered Employment.

A Participant's "trade or craft" is defined as employment which requires the retired Participant to either (1) perform the same services the Participant performed at any time he was in Covered Employment, or (2) use the same skills the Participant learned at any time he was in Covered Employment, or (3) supervise other employees who perform the same services the Participant performed at any time he was in Covered Employment.

Example 1

John, a truck driver, retires at age 56 from ABC Trucking Co. and is receiving early retirement benefits from the Pension Fund effective November 1, 2000. John then becomes employed as a truck driver by XYZ Trucking Co. on December 1, 2000 and works 60 hours each month thereafter. XYZ Trucking Co. is a non-Union company and does not contribute to the Pension Fund.
Pension Fund Action: John's early retirement benefit will be suspended effective December 1, 2000, because John is employed in Suspendible Employment as a truck driver (a trade or craft John performed while covered with the Pension Fund), in the Industry (XYZ Trucking Co. performs a type of business activity - trucking - covered by the Pension Fund), and for 50 or more hours per month.

Example 2

Mike, a truck driver, retires at age 54 from ABC Trucking Co. and is receiving 25-And-Out benefits from the Pension Fund effective November 1, 2000. Mike then becomes reemployed on December 1, 2000 by ABC Trucking Co., 100 hours each month thereafter, as a supervising employee. ABC Trucking Co. is a Contributing Employer to the Pension Fund.
Pension Fund Action: Mike's 25-And-Out benefits will be suspended effective December 1, 2000, because he is employed in Suspendible Employment as a supervising employee (supervisor of a trade or craft - truck driver - that John performed while covered with the Pension Fund), for 50 or more hours per month.

Example 3

Bill, a truck driver, retires at age 60 from ABC Trucking Co. and is receiving normal retirement benefits from the Pension Fund effective November 1, 2000. Bill then becomes employed as a truck driver by XYZ Trucking Co. on December 1, 2000 and works 48 hours each month thereafter. XYZ Trucking Co. is a Contributing Employer to the Pension Fund.
Pension Fund Action: Bill's normal retirement benefits will not be suspended, because although he is employed in Suspendible Employment as a truck driver (a trade or craft Bill performed while covered with the Pension Fund), he is employed less than 50 hours per month.

Retirement After Age 70½

The suspension of benefit rules do not apply to Participants who have reached age 70½ and work in Suspendible Employment.

Suspension Of Benefits

If your monthly benefit is suspended you will be required to repay to the Pension Fund all monthly benefits you received while employed in Suspendible Employment. Your monthly benefit will be suspended for each month during which you are so employed. Upon the termination of such employment, and written notification to the Pension Fund Office and approval by the Trustees, you will be entitled to the resumption of benefits.

If your benefits are subject to suspension, you will receive a notice from the Pension Fund advising you of the reasons for the suspension, the amount of benefits suspended, the provisions for the repayment of the suspended benefits, the requirements for the resumption of the benefits, and other pertinent information. You can appeal the suspension of your benefits as provided by the Pension Fund's rules.

If your benefits are suspended, it is your responsibility to notify the Pension Fund Office by the filing of the appropriate form that you are no longer engaged in Suspendible Employment. The Trustees will require that you provide sufficient information in the form to verify that you are no longer engaged in Suspendible Employment. The form can be obtained by writing to the Pension Fund Office at the above address.

The Trustees may require any Retiree, as a condition to receiving future benefit payments, to certify to the Trustees, at reasonable intervals, that the Retiree has not engaged in Suspendible Employment, or to provide, upon request, factual informa-tion sufficient to establish that any employment the Retiree is engaged in is not Suspendible Employment.

Request For Determination Of
Suspendible Employment

You may submit to the Trustees a written request for a determination of whether specific contemplated employment will cause the suspension of your benefit payments. The Trustees may limit the number of requests you can make during a plan year. The request for determination must contain factual information sufficient to establish whether the specific contemplated employment will cause a suspension of benefit payments. The Trustees will make the requested determination within 30 days after the receipt of the request, except that if the Trustees determine that additional information is necessary, this 30-day period will be extended until 30 days after the requested information is provided by you. The Trustees will then determine if your contemplated employment will cause a suspension of benefit payments. The Trustees' decision can be appealed by you as provided by the Pension Fund's rules.

If you have any questions concerning the implementation of the $2,500 Monthly 25-And-Out Benefit or the amended suspension of benefits rules, please contact the Trustees of the Western Pennsylvania Teamsters and Employers Pension Fund, at the Fund Office, located at 49 Auto Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15206-3663, toll free phone number at 800-362-4201.

TRUSTEES OF THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
TEAMSTERS AND EMPLOYERS
PENSION FUND

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