Local 6-0682 International Union of Paper v. National Industrial Group Pension Plan

**Union Loses Case Over Wrong Pension Information** This case involved a dispute between a union and a pension plan over incorrect benefit information. The union claimed that the National Industrial Group Pension Plan gave workers wrong estimates about their retirement benefits when they asked for quotes. The union argued this was a breach of contract and negligence, saying the pension plan should be held responsible for providing inaccurate information. The court ruled in favor of the pension plan. The judges found that federal law (ERISA) does not allow workers or unions to sue pension plans for simple mistakes when providing benefit estimates as a courtesy service. The court also rejected the union's attempt to create a new type of negligence claim under federal law for these situations. This decision matters because it shows that workers cannot easily sue their pension plans for giving them wrong benefit estimates, even if those mistakes cause problems with retirement planning. Workers should be aware that informal benefit quotes may contain errors and should verify important pension information through official channels. The ruling protects pension plans from lawsuits over informal estimates while placing more responsibility on workers to double-check their benefit information.