TRAINING AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT 9.1 The Employer and the Union recognize the value and benefit of education and training designed to enhance an employee’s ability to perform their job duties. Training and employee development opportunities will be provided to employees in accordance with Employer policies and available resources.
9.2 Attendance at employer-required training will be considered time worked. The Employer will make reasonable attempts to schedule employer-required training during an employee’s regular work shift. The Employer will pay the registration and associated travel costs in accordance with Article 23, Travel, for employer-required training.
Consultants and Employees Bound Recipient agrees to disclose the Confidential Information to any agents, affiliates, directors, officers or any other employees (collectively, the “Employees”) solely on a need-to-know basis and represents that such Employees have signed appropriate non-disclosure agreements or taken appropriate measures imposing on such Employees a duty to third parties (1) to hold any third party proprietary information received by such Employees in the strictest confidence, (2) not to disclose such third party Confidential Information to any other third party, and (3) not to use such Confidential Information for the benefit of anyone other than to whom it belongs, without the prior express written authorization of the Company.
Labor and Employment (a) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Seller Material Adverse Effect or be material to the MRT Program, taken as a whole, Section 2.16(a) of the Seller Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of the following information for all individuals (including, for the avoidance of doubt, employees, independent contractors, officers, directors or consultants) who are exclusively or primarily engaged in the MRT Program (collectively, the “Business Employees”): name, employment status (i.e., employee or independent contractor), job title, rate of compensation (and the portions thereof attributable to salary, bonus and other compensation), exempt classification (i.e., exempt or non-exempt), leave of absence status (whether or not on a leave of absence and, if so, for how long), accrued vacation, and severance pay.
(b) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Seller Material Adverse Effect or be material to the MRT Program, taken as a whole (i) no delays under applicable immigration Laws would be required with respect to the employment of any Business Employee on the Closing Date, (ii) no Business Employees are covered by unions nor, to the Seller’s Knowledge, have any union organizational efforts occurred with respect to the Business Employees in the three (3) preceding years, (iii) the Seller and each of the Selling Subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with all employment Laws applicable to the Business Employees and (iv) except as set forth on Section 2.16(b) of the Seller Disclosure Schedule, there have been no charges, suits, complaints, grievances, disciplinary matters or controversies pending or, to the Seller’s Knowledge, threatened in writing, between the Seller (or a Selling Subsidiary) and any Business Employee.
(c) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the representations and warranties set forth in this Section 2.16 are the only representations and warranties of the Seller and the Selling Subsidiaries with respect to labor and employment matters.
Employees and Employee Benefits (a) Buyer hereby agrees to offer employment, effective the day after the Closing Date, to all individuals who are, on the Closing Date, active, full or part-time employees (including employees on short-term leave) of the Newspaper. With respect to each such employee to whom Buyer offers employment, Buyer shall offer to employ such person at a base compensation that is no less than the base compensation that was paid to such employee immediately prior to Closing. Each employee of the Newspaper who accepts employment with Buyer on the Closing Date is hereinafter referred to as a “New Employee”.
(b) Except as set forth in subsection (a) above, Buyer, in its sole discretion, shall determine what employee benefits will be made available to New Employees; provided, however, that Buyer will offer medical coverage to New Employees on and after the Closing Date, to the extent permitted by Buyer’s health plans, shall waive for New Employees any pre-existing condition limitations and waiting periods that may apply under its health plans, and shall recognize New Employees’ service with Sellers or any of their respective affiliates as if it were service with Buyer for purposes of satisfying any vesting requirements under any benefit plans offered by Buyer (but not for purposes of benefit accrual or for determining the amount of benefits payable under any benefit plan other than a vacation plan).
(c) Buyer shall be responsible for any obligations under federal, state or local plant closing statutes, including the WARN Act, with respect to events occurring after the Closing Date other than any such obligations arising from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Sellers shall be responsible for and timely pay all compensation owed to the New Employees and shall be responsible for and timely provide New Employees with all benefits owed under the Employee Benefit Programs through the Closing Date. Sellers will retain all of the Employee Benefit Programs, including all employee benefit plans and pension plans, and Buyer will not assume obligations under any such programs. Sellers shall be fully and solely responsible for any costs, expenses, obligations and liabilities arising out of the pension or retirement obligations attributable to the Newspaper’s current or former employees related to the period on or prior to the Closing Date.
Labor and Employment Matters (a) No Group Company is a party to or bound by any collective bargaining agreement, trade union, works council or other labor union Contract applicable to persons employed by it, and there are no organizational campaigns, petitions or other unionization activities seeking recognition of a collective bargaining unit relating to any employee of any Group Company. Except those that would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, there are no unfair labor practice complaints pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Group Company before any Governmental Authority and there is no organized strike, slowdown, work stoppage or lockout, or similar activity or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or involving any Group Company.
(b) Except as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, each Group Company (i) is in compliance with all applicable Laws relating to employment and employment practices, including those related to wages, work hours, shifts, overtime, Social Security Benefits, holidays and leave, collective bargaining terms and conditions of employment and the payment and withholding of Taxes and other sums as required by the appropriate Governmental Authority, and (ii) is not liable for any arrears of wages, Taxes, penalties or other sums for failure to comply with any of the foregoing. Except as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, (A) there is no claim with respect to payment of wages, salary or overtime pay that has been asserted or is now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened before any Governmental Authority with respect to any persons currently or formerly employed by any Group Company, (B) there is no charge or proceeding with respect to a violation of any occupational safety or health standards that has been asserted or is now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened with respect to any Group Company, and (C) there is no charge of discrimination in employment or employment practices, for any reason, including, age, gender, race, religion or other legally protected category, which has been asserted or is now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Group Company before any Governmental Authority in any jurisdiction in which any Group Company has employed or currently employs any person.
(c) The Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of each Company Employee Plan and each Company Employee Agreement including all material amendments thereto (provided, that for Company Employee Agreements that are standard form agreements, the form, rather than each individual agreement, has been made available to Parent, with the exception that any Company Employee Agreement that deviates materially from the form have been separately made available to Parent).
(d) Each Company Employee Plan is and has at all times been operated and administered in compliance with the provisions thereof and all applicable legal requirements in all material respects. There are no material claims (other than for benefits incurred in the ordinary course) or legal proceedings pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Company Employee Plan or against the assets of any Company Employee Plan.
(e) Except as contemplated otherwise under this Agreement or the Original Merger Agreement, no Company Employee Plan or Company Employee Agreement exists that, as a result of the execution of this Agreement or the Original Merger Agreement, shareholder approval of this Agreement, or the consummation of the Transactions (whether alone or in connection with any subsequent event(s), such as a termination of employment), will entitle any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant of any Group Company to (i) material compensation or benefits (including any severance payment or benefit) or any material increase in compensation or benefits upon any termination of employment on or after the Original Execution Date, or (ii) accelerate the time of payment or vesting or result in any payment or funding of compensation or benefits under, increase the amount payable or result in any other obligation pursuant to, any of the Company Employee Plans or Company Employee Agreements.
(f) No Group Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has at any time since December 31, 2014 sponsored or been obligated to contribute to, or had any liability in respect of, (i) an “employee pension benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA, Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA (including any “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section (3)(37) of ERISA), (ii) a “multiple employer plan” as defined in Section 413(c) of the Code, or (iii) a “multiple employer welfare arrangement” within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA.
(g) The Group Companies maintain no obligations to gross-up or reimburse any individual for any Tax or related interest or penalties incurred by such individual, including under Sections 409A or 4999 of the Code or otherwise.