Exhibit 10.1a



Under the Company's 1997 Senior  Management  Variable Pay Plan, the President of
the Company,  with the approval of the Human Resources Committee of the Board of
Directors,   annually  designates  employees  to  participate  in  the  program,
establishes  their  participation  level, and establishes  certain financial and
operational  goals for the Company which must be satisfied in order for variable
pay awards to be made. The impact, if any, of each employee's performance on his
or her variable pay award is determined by his or her officer.  Subject to final
approval  by the  Human  Resources  Committee  of the  Board of  Directors,  the
President of the Company also  determines  at year-end the degree to which those
goals  have been  satisfied  and the  amount of  variable  pay to be  awarded to
participating employees, if any.