Caterpillar retirees discuss lawsuit (IL)

[struggle4progress]

Workers claim company promised lifetime benefits

More than 300 retirees met Saturday morning at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Creve Coeur to discuss the possibility of a lawsuit to seek to restore company-paid health benefits that were stripped from the 3,200-plus United Auto Workers who retired after 1992. The retirees claim the company previously had promised to pay for lifelong benefits. <snip>

Discussions of a lawsuit are off to a good start, said .. a former United Auto Workers Local 974 president and now retired as a UAW International regional representative. About 200 retirees also met in Decatur this week, and an even larger turnout is expected at a meeting Wednesday. <snip>

He hoped the growing support for a lawsuit would encourage the union to support its efforts financially, but he estimated the large number of retirees could pay legal costs by contributing about $200 each. <snip>

The book, dated 1983, stated: "If you retire and are eligible for immediate receipt of a pension (within at least 5 years of credited service) under Non-Contributory Pension Plan, you will be eligible for the Retired Medical Benefit Plan, continued at no cost." <snip>

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/041005/TRI_B63DN63L.045.shtml

[cosmicdot]

1. We the People v. corporate america

that's the bottomline issue as far as I'm concerned ...

I hope these folks are successful; and, have a case which will help others.


http://www.workplacefairness.org/


The class action playing field is changed by recent legislation ... and all but a handful (10 have been blocked?) of the federal judicial appointees are getting through. I see it as our organic, human world being plasticized or corporatized. As Gore Vidal says, we're hardly citizens and voters anymore...just consumers ... and, corporations have more rights than people. http://citypages.com/databank/26/1268/article13085.asp


I fear that somewhere in the policy manual is some clause which says the company can do whatever and change whatever we want whenever we want.

What ERISA rights?
http://www.nolo.com/definition.cfm/Term/C949D2AB-5E95-450E-9FB4DB5C858498C2/alpha/E/

Often, most employees just go about the daily routine, month after month, year after year; and, really have no need to look beyond the large print and company-provided lawyer-proofed benefit manuals ... and, if they have to ... when forced to have to learn just exactly what benefits and rights are there ... it's often an eye-opener. There are documents beyond what is issued for desk-top perusal.

[LiberalFighter]

2. Didn't retired International Harvester workers win lawsuit a few years ago

on same issue?

[Mr.Green93]

3. Killerpillar

needs to be forced out of business.

[tinanator]

4. hey you

dont you know the concensus in these parts is Rachel Corrie died because she was stupid and any lawsuits against CAT were lacking merit. Swear to god, its sickening.