New Jersey Building Laborers Statewide Benefits Fund v. American Coring & Supply

**New Jersey Building Laborers Benefits Fund v. American Coring & Supply** This case involved a dispute between a construction company benefits fund and an employer over unpaid contributions. The New Jersey Building Laborers Benefits Fund claimed that American Coring & Supply (working for Mark Construction) owed money to worker benefit programs under a collective bargaining agreement. The employer argued they didn't have to pay because they believed the contract between the union and employers had expired and was no longer valid. An arbitrator initially ruled in favor of the benefits fund, ordering the employer to pay $350 in damages. When the employer challenged this decision in court, claiming the expired contract meant they owed nothing, both the district court and appeals court disagreed. The courts confirmed the arbitrator's award, rejecting the employer's argument about the contract's expiration. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling reinforces that employers cannot easily escape their obligations to contribute to worker benefit funds by claiming contracts have expired. Even when collective bargaining agreements end, courts will enforce arbitration decisions that protect worker benefits. This helps ensure that promised healthcare, pension, and other benefit contributions actually reach the funds that support workers and their families.