AGREEMENT

     P R E A M B L E

            THIS AGREEMENT, dated December 9, 2004, is entered into between BRISTOL METALS, L.P., Bristol, Tennessee (hereinafter referred to as the Company), and the UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA (hereinafter referred to as the Union).

            It is the intent and purpose of the parties hereto that this agreement will promote and improve industrial and economic relationships between the employees and the Company, and to set forth herein the basic agreement covering rates of pay, hours of work and conditions of employment to be observed between the parties hereto.

            ARTICLE 1 - Recognition

1. As a result of the election, supervised by the National Labor Relations Board of April 5, 1951 and May 5, 1954, and the Decision in Case No. 10-UC-23, January 10, 1969, the Company recognizes the United Steelworkers of America, as the sole exclusive bargaining agency for all fabrication, production and maintenance employees at the Company's Bristol, Tennessee Plant, excluding all office, clerical, technical, professional, supervisory and custodial employees, as defined in the National Labor Relations Act.

2. The Company and the Union agree to attempt the settlement of all grievances at lowest levels possible, and the Union agrees to conserve as much of the Company's time as possible, in the disposition of complaints.

3. It is understood that all provisions of this Agreement are subject to existing Federal, State and Local Laws.

4. In order to insure maximum, uninterrupted production during the term of this contract, the Company will not lock out its employees on account of labor differences and the Union on its behalf and on behalf of its agents, representatives, employees and members, individually and collectively, agrees there will be no strikes of any kind or nature, including sympathy strikes, during the term of this contract.

            In the event of such a strike or threat thereof, the Company, while hereby preserving all the rights and remedies it may have at law or equity, will notify the Union promptly, which in turn, will exert all maximum efforts to prevent or terminate any such strike activity or conduct.

            Any employee who engages in such prohibited conduct may be disciplined or discharged at the sole discretion of the Company, and such decision will not be reviewable under the grievance-arbitration procedures of the contract, except on the question of whether the grieving employee actually participated, actively or passively, in such conduct; or whether such employee was irrationally disciplined or discharged.

            ARTICLE 2 - Management

1. The Union agrees that, subject to the other provisions of this agreement, the function of Management belongs solely to the Company, and that it will not interfere with the Company's free exercise of this function.

2. The function of Management includes, among other things: The right to select and to hire new employees; the right to direct the work forces; the right to formulate reasonable plant rules; the right to discipline, suspend, discharge for cause, transfer, demote or promote, and the right to relieve employees of their duty because of lack of work, lack of skill or inefficiency, in such manner as to promote the efficient operation of the plant; and the right to assign work to employees; to decide the number and location of its plants; to determine the products to be manufactured, including the means and processes of manufacturing and to introduce new or improved production methods or facilities and except to the extent provided for in this agreement, the Company reserves and retains, solely and exclusively, all of its inherent rights to manage the business as such rights existed prior to the execution of this agreement.

            ARTICLE 3 - Check-Off Provisions

            Upon receipt of voluntary written authorization from any employee in the form to be provided by the Union, the Company will deduct from the earnings of said employee his monthly membership dues in the Union under the following procedure:

            The greater amount of Five Dollars or an amount equal to 1.3% of the employee's total earnings in the immediately prior month not to exceed two and one-half times an employee's average hourly earnings in the immediate prior month. Such authorization may be in the following form:

CHECK-OFF AUTHORIZATION

For the United Steelworkers of America

Company_________________________________________________________________

Plant_____________________________________________________________________

Date_____________________________________________, 20______________________

            Pursuant to this authorization and assignment, please deduct from my pay each month, while I am in employment within the collective bargaining unit in the Company, monthly dues, assessments and (if owing by me) an initiation fee each as designated by the Treasurer of the International Union, as my membership dues in said Union.

            The afore said membership dues shall be remitted promptly by you to the International Treasurer of the United Steelworkers of America, or its lawful successor at the address which he authorizes, in writing, for that purpose.

            The assignment and authorization shall be effective and cannot be canceled for a period of one (1) year from the date appearing above or until the termination date of the current collective bargaining agreement between the Company and the Union, whichever occurs sooner.

            I hereby voluntarily authorize you to continue the above authorization and assignment in effect after the expiration of the shorter of the periods above specified, for further successive periods of one (1) year from such date. I agree that this authorization and assignment shall become effective and cannot be canceled by me during any such years, but that I may cancel and revoke by giving to the appropriate management representative of the plant in which I am then employed, an individual written notice signed by me and which shall be postmarked or received by the Company within fifteen days following the expiration of any such year or within the fifteen days following the termination date of any collective bargaining agreement between the Company and the Union covering my employment if such date shall occur within one of such annual periods. Such notice of revocation shall become effective respecting the dues for the month following the month in which such written notice is given; a copy of any such notice will be given by me to the Financial Secretary of the Local Union.

Local Union No. United Steelworkers of America

Signature _________________________________________________________________

Witness___________________________________________________________________

Check No.________________________________________________________________

Ledger No. _______________________________________________________________

           

            The Union shall indemnify and save the Company harmless against any and all claims, demands, suits or other form of liabilities that rise out of or by reason of action taken by the Company in reliance on the aforementioned written assignment or for the purpose of complying with any of the provisions of this section.

            The Union shall submit to the Company at its request a list of its members; such list shall not be required more often than three month intervals. The Company will furnish a designated officer or individual of the Local Union each month as expeditiously as reasonably practicable, two (2) copies of the names of the employees from whose earnings such deductions have been made, along with the amounts of money so deducted.

 

ARTICLE 4 - PAC Check-off Authorization

            The Company agrees that it will checkoff and transmit to the Treasurer of the United Steelworkers of America Political Action Committee (USWA PAC) voluntary contributions to the USWA Political Action Fund from the earnings of those employees who voluntarily authorize such contributions on forms provided for that purpose by the USWA PAC. The amount and timing of such check-off deductions and the transmittal of such voluntary contributions shall be as specified in such forms and in conformance with any applicable state or federal statue.

            The signing of such USWA PAC checkoff form and the making of such voluntary annual contributions are not conditions of membership in the Union or of employment with the Company.

            The Union shall indemnify and save the Company harmless against any and all claims, demands, suits or other forms of liability that shall arise out of or by reason of action taken or not taken by the Company for the purpose complying with any of the provisions of this Section.

            The United Steelworkers of America Political Action Committee supports various candidates for federal and other elective office, is connected with the United Steelworkers of America, a labor organization, and solicits and accepts only voluntary contributions, which are deposited in an account separate and segregated from the dues fund of the Union, in its own fund raising efforts and in joint fund raising efforts with the AFL-CIO and its Committee on Political Education.

            In cases where a deduction is made which duplicates a payment already made to the Union by an employee, or where a deduction is not in conformity with the provisions of the Union Constitution and Bylaws or the National Labor Relations Act, refunds to the employee will be made by the local Union.            

ARTICLE 5 - No Discrimination

            It is agreed that there shall be no discrimination as provided in applicable State and Federal Statutes, against any employee by the Union or the Company because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or memberships or non membership in a labor organization.

            The parties recognize that the individuals covered by this Agreement are likewise covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and that the Company will abide the Act which provides for up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid leave per year for employees in appropriate circumstances.

            ARTICLE 6 - Wages

The various jobs within the following classifications shall be:

JOB CLASIFICATION		JOBS IN CLASSIFICATION
1		General Helper
		Fit - Up Helper
		Press Operator Helper
		Yard Tractor Driver
		7 -1/2 Ton Overhead Crane
		10-Ton Overhead Crane
		All other small machine operators
2		Pipe Marker
		Gas Furnaces
		Fork Lift Operator
		Maintenance Apprentice
		Beveller
		Crane Hookup
		Tack & Spot Welding
		Pickle Tank Helper
		Doall Saw Operator
		Storekeeper
		Shipping & Receiving
		Plasma Burner
		Hydro Tester
		Sand Belt Operator
3		Power Press Brake Helper
		Power Shear Helper
		500-Ton Forming Press Operator
		Ajax Furnace
		Pipe Sizing
		Pipe Sizing Press Operator
		Template Operator
		Rotary Straightener
		Neutralizing Operator
		Raw Material Receiver
		Lubrication Technician
		Machine Beveler
		Picker Tank Operator
		Pipe Marker Operator
		Warehouse Operator
4		Power Press Brake Operator
		Power Shear Operator
		Power Roll, Tank Head, and Angel
		Roll Operator
		Mobile Crane Operator
		Tube, Stake and Semi-Automatic Equipment
		X-Ray Tech
		QC Senior Lab Tech
		Material Receiving Technician
5		Maintenance Mechanic
		Maintenance Electrician
		Welder
		Special Projects Mechanic
6		Fit - Up
		Level 3 Radiographer (X-Ray)

 

            RATES

            Rates of pay for the foregoing classifications are set forth in Appendix "A". Rates shown in the various Columns of Appendix "A" shall become effective as follows: Column 1, December 13, 2004; Column 2, December 12, 2005; Column 3, December 11, 2006; Column 4, December 10, 2007; Column 5; December 8, 2008.

            All job classifications deleted will be restored to the classification where located at the time of deletion, if the Company brings the job back. Employees in Classifications 2 and 4 can bid on job vacancies in Classifications 2+ and 4+, respectively, without such bids being prohibited as cross bids.

            RATES FOR NEW JOBS AND CHANGED JOBS

            When the Company establishes a new job in the bargaining unit, it shall temporarily place it in a classification in line with the wage scale for similar work in jobs covered by this Agreement.

            After a reasonable period of time allowed for perfecting the procedures and the machine or equipment involved, and when the job becomes fully operational, that is, is functioning normally in the production process, the Company will provisionally place it in a classification in line with the wage rate for similar work in jobs covered by this Agreement.

            If no one in the classification is available to fill the job, it shall be posted for bids in the normal manner.

            The provisional classification for such a job will remain in effect for sixty days from the time the provisional classification is made. If, after the sixty day period, the Company deems the classification to be proper and accurate and the Company notifies the Union in writing, and no grievance is filed by the Union within five calendar days after the end of the sixty day period, the provisional classification will be considered the permanent classification for the job.

            If during the term of this Agreement a significant and substantial change in job content in a job has been effected by the Company to the extent that the wage rate has become inappropriate as compared to the wage rate for similar jobs covered by this Agreement, and the company fails to reclassify the job, the Union may request the Company to review the circumstances in conference with the Union.                 

            However, resort to the grievance procedure may be invoked only on the basis that the action of the Company is arbitrary and capricious.

            There will be no retroactivity with respect to rates. Grievances filed hereunder shall be concerned only with the consistency of the rate paid for similar work in jobs covered by this agreement.

 

            ARTICLE 7 - Shift Assignments and Shift Preference

            The Company will staff all shifts on the basis of the employee's preference of shifts, taking into account his classification, skills, experience and plant seniority as vacancies occur. However, the junior qualified employee may be assigned to a particular shift when in the judgment of the Company, his skills and experience are needed to provide a balance of skills and experience between the shifts, and such will promote the efficient operation of the plant.

            When such an assignment takes place, however, and the employee who was assigned possesses sufficient plant seniority to work on a different shift of his preference, after a period of thirty days on such assignment he may apply for a shift of his preference within his department based on his plant seniority, classification, skill and experience, provided that such application may be made by the employee only once in any six (6) calendar month period and provided that an employee with the necessary skill and experience, who possesses less plant seniority, is available to replace him. Under such circumstances, the Company will train a junior employee. Subject to the foregoing conditions but in addition to the above applications, application for shift preference may be made throughout the plant once each year during a period of two consecutive calendar weeks to be designated by the Company.

            The parties hereto agree it is not the intention of the parties to abuse the assignment of employees between shifts, and that the company agrees to confer with the Union, upon request, concerning alleged abuse.

            ARTICLE 8 - Profit Sharing Plan

Reason for the Profit Sharing Plan

            The manufacture and sale of stainless steel pipe and fittings is a highly competitive business with many domestic as well as foreign producers. Because worldwide productive capacity is much greater than demand, prices for these products will continue to be under pressure. Under these conditions, the only way we can produce profits is by working together to control costs and operate efficiently. It is hoped that this profit sharing plan ("plan"), which is effective only during the term of this agreement, will:

            1. Motivate every employee eligible under the plan to improve his or her performance and help in every way they can to produce profits.

            2. Reward employees for their efforts by paying them a share of Brismet profits as additional remuneration over and above their wages and salaries.

Who Participates

            Every production, maintenance and supervisory employee who is assigned to pipe and fittings manufacturing (Departments 75 and 72), hereinafter called Brismet, and who:

            1. Is a full-time employee that has completed 90 days of full-time employment;

            2. Is employed at the end of any quarter for which a distribution is paid;

            3. Is employed by the Company or on layoff at the time any distribution is paid for the first, second, third, and fourth quarter unless termination was due to retirement or disability for which the employee received benefits under the Company's corresponding benefit plan; and

            4. Is employed by the Company at the end of the fiscal year in question unless termination was due to retirement or disability for which the employee received benefits under the Company's corresponding benefit plan.

Source of Pool

            Six percent (6%) of Brismet's operating earnings before income taxes as reflected in the corporate accounting records and financial statements will form a pool to be distributed to eligible employees. Such earnings are to be the sole source of contributions to the pool. Revenues and expenses will be allocated to Brismet using accounting methods which the Company believes, at its sole discretion, most accurately reflect Brismet's profits.

Allocation of Pool to Employees

            The pool will be divided so that every eligible employee gets the same percent of his or her straight-time pay (excluding all overtime) that all other eligible employees receive. Only wages earned after 90 days of full-time employment will be included for purposes of calculating the distribution made to an employee.

When Distribution Will Be Paid

            Profits for each fiscal year and any related distribution will not be finally determined until completion of the annual audit by the Company's outside certified public accountants. However, in order to give employees the opportunity to receive their distributions sooner, any distributions will be made according to the following schedule:

            1. Approximately 45 days after the end of the Company's fiscal first, second and third quarters for each fiscal year, the Company will pay 75% of any estimated distributions for each quarter based on Brismet's cumulative earnings.

            2. Approximately 75 days after the Company's fiscal year-end, but in no event sooner than the completion of the Company's audit, distributions will be made for the year less any previous quarterly payments. Should the actual distributions for the year be less than the previous payments, employees will not be asked to return the overpayment.

Qualifying as a Bona Fide Profit Sharing Plan

            It is agreed that the inclusion of this plan in the collective bargaining agreement and its implementation is conditioned upon the plan being qualified as a bona fide "profit sharing plan" under 29 C.F.R. Part 549.

            ARTICLE 9 - Vacations

            All eligible employees on the payroll of the Company on June 1st of a Vacation Year who have been in the Company's employ for twelve (12) consecutive months or more on June 1st of the Vacation Year shall be entitled to a vacation with pay in accordance with the following:

 

Accumulated Seniority	Days of Vacation
Prior to June 1st
1 year but less than 3 years	5 days
3 years but less than 10 years	10 days
10 years but less than 20 years	15 days
20 years or more	20 days

            Employees continuously on the payroll on June 1 with less than 1 year of seniority and who have satisfactorily completed the 90 day probationary period shall receive partial vacation pay equal to one-twelfth (1/12) of forty hours pay at his regular rate for each full month of uninterrupted service prior to the initial June 1 eligibility date or receive the equivalent vacation benefit time off. This partial vacation will be paid on the first pay day after the initial eligibility date.

            Employees who have not completed the 90-day probationary period prior to the initial June 1 eligibility date must satisfactorily complete the probationary period prior to receiving any partial vacation pay. Upon successful completion of the probationary period, such employees shall receive partial vacation pay equal to one-twelfth (1/12) of forty hours pay at his regular rate for each full month of unint