Members’ Attorney Warns Fund

A pension attorney representing Local 804 members has warned our Pension Fund trustees that they are in serious violation of the Disclosure Rules of the Pension Protection Act, a federal law that requires the Fund to turn over financial, actuarial and other fund documents to participants who request them.

This message was delivered to our fund in a May 17 letter from pension attorney Ann Curry Thompson who represents Local 804 members Bill Reynolds and Tim Sylvester, who have been waiting to receive the information they have requested since January 22.

Under the law, the Fund has 30 days to comply with information requests.

Fund Trustee and Local 804 President Howard Redmond promised at the April membership meeting that he would make sure members get the information. At the same meeting, the membership voted by more than 90 percent to require our Local Union to report pension information to the members.

But the Fund Trustees have yet to turn over the documents or even respond to members’ attorney. By law, the fund needed to provide the requested information by February 22.

Every other Teamster Pension Fund that we are aware of has promptly sent members information requested under the Pension Protection Act, including the Central States Fund, the Western Conference Fund, the Upstate New York Fund, and other Teamsters funds.

What is our Pension Fund hiding and why isn’t our Executive Board taking action to make sure Local 804 members get the information we’re legally entitled to?

Under the law, courts can and will assess penalties against a fund that fails to respond to members’ legitimate requests for information.

Do Local 804 members really have to take our own Fund to court to get the pension information we deserve?

Click here to read the May 17 letter to Fund Trustees from pension attorney Ann Curry Thompson.

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