LETTER 26

Joint Health Care Committee

Mr. James M. Parent

Assistant Directing Business Representative

District Lodge No. 26

I.A.M.A.W., AFL-CIO

365 New Britain Road

Kensington, Connecticut 06037

Dear Mr. Parent:

This is to confirm the following understanding and agreement between the Company and the Union concerning a joint committee on health care issues.

The Company and Union share a deep concern about the cost and quality of health care for employees and their families.  Therefore, the parties agree to establish a joint committee on health care cost and quality.  The committee shall meet with health care providers on at least an annual basis to express the parties’ interest in obtaining quality health care at affordable prices.

The committee will consist of the senior benefits manager from the Company, the Union’s benefit appointee, who shall jointly chair the committee, and an equal number of representatives from the Company and Union as mutually agreed upon by the Chairs.

The responsibilities of the committee will be to:

1.      Annually review the Company medical plan claims experience, HMOs to be offered in the following year, HMO premiums, HMO plan designs, and calculation of employee HMO contributions;

2.      Annually review quality accreditation status of managed care providers;

3.      Review administrative complaints by employees enrolled in an offered health plan;

4.      Encourage health care providers to provide high quality, cost-effective care to our employees; and to encourage HMOs to establish premiums which will minimize employee contributions.

The committee will meet at least quarterly, or upon the agreement of both the Company’s and the Union’s chairpersons.  The Company will provide all resources needed to carry out the work of the committee, including meeting space, reasonable consulting fees for outside expertise normally utilized by the Company, and printing and distribution of material deemed mutually beneficial.

Sincerely,

James R. Miller

Vice President, Industrial Relations

Accepted this 6th day of December 2004