Donald Linville William R. Gaitten, Estate of v. Teamsters Miscellaneous and Industrial Workers Union, Local 284

**What Happened** Donald Linville's estate sued the Teamsters Local 284 union over retiree benefits. Linville had been receiving health insurance benefits as a retiree, but a dispute arose about whether these benefits should continue after he turned 65. The union's benefit plan had specific language about when retiree benefits would end, but there was disagreement about what this meant in practice. **What the Court Decided** The appeals court sided with the union on the main issue, ruling that Linville's retiree benefits were supposed to stop when he reached age 65, exactly as the benefit plan stated. However, the court refused to make Linville's estate pay back the insurance premiums that were paid after age 65. The court said the union had waited too long to address this issue, and requiring repayment would create unfair hardship. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that courts will enforce the exact terms written in benefit plans, even when the outcome seems harsh. Workers should carefully read their retirement benefit documents to understand when coverage ends. However, the ruling also demonstrates that unions and employers can't always recover overpayments if they delay taking action, which provides some protection for retirees and their families.