G. Grace Periods Under the Break in Service Rules

1. Application. You may be eligible for a grace period under the Break in Service rules if the failure to earn the required Credited Service is for certain specified reasons. A grace period extends the time in which you have to earn the required Pension Credit or Credited Service.
   
   To be entitled to a grace period, you must file a written request with the Plan Office before you incur a Permanent Break in Service which would result in cancellation of your Pension Credit and Credited Service. If you have proper grounds and have applied before the Permanent Break in Service occurred, that would result in cancellation of your Pension Credit and Credited Service. If you have proper grounds and have applied before the Permanent Break in Service occurred, the Board of Trustees may grant you a leave of absence and exemption from the cancellation of your years of Credited Service and accumulated Pension Credit. However, a grace period does not add to your Credited Service or Pension Credit. Instead it is a period that is to be disregarded when determining if a Permanent Break in Service has occurred.


2. Grace Periods to Break in Service Rule. Grace periods are granted for the following reasons:
   1. Permanent and Total Disability. You incur a permanent and total disability as determined by the Board of Trustees;
   2. Certain Military Service. You left Covered Employment to enter the Armed Forces in a time of war or national emergency and returned to Covered Employment immediately after your discharge (on and after December 12, 1994, no Break in Service can occur if the provisions of USERRA apply to such service);
   3. Childbirth, Adoption or Pregnancy.You are absent from Covered Employment because of your pregnancy, birth of a child, placement of a child in connection with an adoption for a period beginning immediately after such birth or placement or the caring of such a child on or after January 1, 1987, such hours may be counted up to a maximum of 501 hours of Credited Service (not Pension Credit) in the year of your initial absence in the next following year (but only to the extent required by applicable law);
   4. Involuntary Unemployment. You have been unable, despite reasonable efforts, to obtain Covered Employment, as determined by the Board of Trustees (there is a two year limit for any such grace period); and
   5. Transfer to Contiguous Non-Covered Employment. You are transferred directly from Covered Employment to non-Covered Employment with the same Employer, provided the Employer continues to contribute to the Plan for its Covered Employees.


3. Other Grace Periods. The Board of Trustees, for good cause, may grant additional exemptions from the Break in Service provisions upon written application of any Participant. Any such exemption granted by the Board of Trustees will be on a non-discriminatory basis and no such additional exemption can be granted in excess of two years from the date upon which your accumulated Pension Credit would otherwise have been cancelled.