McGowan v. New Orleans Employers International Longshoremen's Ass'n, AFL-CIO

**What Happened** A worker filed a lawsuit against the New Orleans Longshoremen's pension fund after having problems with his pension benefits. However, before going to court, the worker was supposed to follow the pension plan's internal complaint process first, including filing a written appeal within 180 days. The worker either missed this deadline or didn't complete the required steps properly. **What the Court Decided** The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the worker and in favor of the pension fund. The court said the worker couldn't proceed with his lawsuit because he failed to complete the pension plan's required administrative process within the time limits. Since he didn't file his written appeal within the 180-day deadline, he lost his right to challenge the pension decision in court. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights how important it is for workers to carefully follow all the rules and deadlines when disputing pension or benefit decisions. Before you can sue over pension problems, you typically must complete your employer's internal complaint process first—and do it on time. Missing these deadlines can permanently block your ability to fight benefit denials in court, even if you have a valid complaint.