STANLEY WORKS
1990 STOCK OPTION PLAN AMENDMENT
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-10.X.A
<SEQUENCE>11
<FILENAME>file006.htm
<DESCRIPTION>1990 STOCK OPTION PLAN AMENDMENT
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<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:bold;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: right; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top: 12pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; background-color: #ffffff;">EXHIBIT
10(x)(a)</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:bold;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: center; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top: 12pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; background-color: #ffffff;">AMENDMENT<br> to<br>THE STANLEY WORKS 1990 STOCK
OPTION PLAN</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">Pursuant to resolutions adopted by the Board of
Directors of The Stanley Works on December  17, 2003, THE STANLEY
WORKS 1990 STOCK OPTION PLAN is hereby amended as follows, effective
December 17, 2003:</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">Section 3.05(c) is deleted and replaced with
the following:</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">(c) A "Change in
Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if the event set
forth in any one of the following paragraphs shall have occurred:</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">(I) any Person, as hereinafter defined, is or becomes the Beneficial
Owner, as hereinafter defined, directly or indirectly, of securities of
the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such
Person any securities acquired directly from the Company or its
Affiliates, as hereinafter defined) representing 25% or more of
the combined voting power of the Company's then outstanding
securities, excluding any Person who becomes such a Beneficial Owner in
connection with a transaction described in clause (i) of paragraph
(III) below; or</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">(ii) the following individuals cease for any
reason to constitute a majority of the number of directors then
serving: individuals who, on the date hereof, constitute the Board and
any new director (other than a director whose initial assumption of
office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest,
including but not limited to a consent solicitation, relating to the
election of directors of the Company) whose appointment or election by
the Board or nomination for election by the Company's
shareholders was approved or recommended by a vote of at least
two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were
directors on December 17, 2003 or whose appointment, election or
nomination for election was previously so approved or recommended;
or</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">(III) there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the
Company or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company with any
other corporation or other entity, other than (i) a merger or
consolidation which results in the voting securities of the Company
outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation
continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being
converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or any parent
thereof) at least 50% of the combined voting power of the
securities of the Company or such surviving entity or any parent
thereof outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation or
(ii) a merger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization
of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no Person is or
becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of
the Company (not including in the securities Beneficially Owned by such
Person any securities acquired directly from the Company or its
Affiliates) representing 25% or more of the combined voting
power of the Company's then outstanding securities; or</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">(IV) the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete
liquidation or dissolution of the Company or there is consummated an
agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or
substantially all of the Company's assets, other than a sale or
disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the
Company's assets to an entity, at least 50% of the
combined voting power of the voting securities of which are owned by
shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as
their ownership of the Company immediately prior to such sale.</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">Section 3.05 is further amended by adding the following immediately
following subsection (c):</p>
<p style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;  width: 456pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; line-height: 12pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-left:0pt; padding-right:0pt; padding-bottom: 0pt; margin: 0pt; text-indent: 20pt; background-color: #ffffff">(d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Solely for purposes of
Section 3.05(c) and (d), and notwithstanding anything to the contrary
in any other provision of this Plan, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated
below:</p>
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<td valign="top" style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size: 10pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; width: 420pt">"Affiliate"
shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act.</td>
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<td valign="top" style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size: 10pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; width: 420pt">"Beneficial
Owner" shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3
under the Exchange
Act.</td>
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<td valign="top" style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;color:#000000;font-size: 10pt; padding-top:6pt; padding-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left; font-style: normal; width: 420pt">"Person"
shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as
modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, except that such
term shall not include (i) the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii)
a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee
benefit plan of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (iii) an
underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of
such securities, or (iv) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly,
by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same
proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.</td>
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<td style="font-family: serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; padding-top: 6pt" valign="top" align="left">Mark J. Mathieu<br>Vice
President, Human Resources</td>
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