1606                                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                                         Ch. 436

(3)  "Approved work sharing plan" means an employer's
work sharing plan which meets the requirements of subsection (b)
of this section and which is approved by the Secretary.

(4)  "Employer's association" means an    association
which is a party to a collective bargaining agreement  under which
the parties may negotiate a work sharing plan or an  association
granted authority to become a party in such a plan by  all members
of the association.

(5)  "Fringe benefits" include, but are not limited
to:

(i) Health insurance for hospital, medical,
dental, and similar services;

(ii) Retirement benefits under defined benefit
pension plans as defined in § 3(35) of the Federal Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974;

(iii) Paid vacation and holidays;

(iv) Sick leave; or

(v) Similar advantages.

(6)  "Normal weekly hours of work" means the number of
hours in a week that the employee normally would work for the
regular employer or 40 hours, whichever is less.

(7)  "Secretary" means the Secretary of Employment and
Training.

(8)  "Work sharing employer" is an employer or
employer association with an approved work sharing plan in
effect.

(9)  "Work sharing plan" means a plan of an employer
or of an employer's association when the association is a party
to a collective bargaining agreement, under which there is a
reduction in the number of hours worked by the employees in an
affected unit, and the affected employees share the remaining
work after the normal weekly hours of work are reduced.

(10)  "Work sharing unemployment insurance benefits"
means benefits, including those payable to federal civilian
employees and to ex-service members pursuant to § 5 of the United
States Code, Chapter 85, payable to affected individuals under
this article for weeks of reduced work, under an approved work
sharing plan as distinguished from unemployment insurance
benefits otherwise payable under the provisions of this article.

(b) (1) The purpose of the shared work benefit program is
to preserve the employees' jobs and the employer's work force
during times of lowered economic activity by reducing the hours