Battoni v. IBEW Local Union No. 102 Employee Pension Plan

**Battoni v. IBEW Local Union No. 102 Employee Pension Plan: Court Protects Worker Pension Benefits** This case involved a dispute over changes made to a union pension plan. The IBEW Local Union No. 102 had modified their pension plan in a way that forced workers to choose between two benefits they had already earned: either take their pension as a lump sum payment OR keep their healthcare benefits, but not both. Worker Battoni challenged this change, arguing it was illegal under federal pension law (ERISA). The court agreed with Battoni. Both the lower court and the appeals court ruled that the union's amendment violated ERISA's "Anti-Cutback" rule, which protects benefits that workers have already earned. The court found that making workers choose between previously earned benefits was essentially the same as cutting those benefits, which is prohibited. **Why this matters for workers:** This ruling reinforces important protections for pension benefits. Once you've earned pension benefits through your work, your employer or union generally cannot take them away or force you to give up other earned benefits to receive them. Workers can feel more confident that their accrued pension benefits are protected from being reduced or eliminated through plan changes.