Few v. Laborers District Council Pension & Disability Trust Fund No. 2

**Worker Loses Pension Case for Skipping Required Steps** This case involved a worker named Few who believed his pension fund owed him money and filed a lawsuit claiming wage theft against the Laborers District Council Pension & Disability Trust Fund No. 2. Few apparently thought he wasn't receiving the correct pension benefits he had earned. The court dismissed Few's case entirely. The judge ruled that Few jumped straight to filing a lawsuit without first going through the pension fund's own complaint process. Under federal law (ERISA), workers must use their pension plan's internal dispute procedures before they can sue in court. Few failed to file a formal complaint with the pension fund or follow their established steps for challenging benefit payments. **What this means for workers:** If you have problems with your pension or retirement benefits, you can't immediately go to court. You must first file a complaint through your pension plan's official process and give them a chance to resolve the issue. Only after you've completed those steps and still disagree with the outcome can you file a lawsuit. Skipping this requirement will get your case thrown out, even if you have a valid complaint about your benefits.