Pilots seek review of pension termination decision

The United Retired Pilots BenefitProtection Association has filed a petition asking the U.S. SupremeCourt to review a decision that allowed the Pension Benefit GuarantyCorp. to terminate the United Airlines pilots pension plan. The request for a review of the Seventh Circuit Court ofAppeals ruling is the retired pilots’ group’s second petition to theSupreme Court. Last year the group asked for a review of the SeventhCircuit’s decision on whether retired pilots had a claim against theAir Line Pilots Association union at United.  The Supreme Court, which reviews a very small percentageof the cases that are presented to it, decided not to review that case.  The new petition is for a review of the broader decision by the pension agency to terminate of the pension plan.  The federal agency announced its decision to terminate and take over the United pilots pension plan in December 2004.
“Wefelt that the PBGC’s decision to allow the termination of the plan wasimproper,” said Roger Hall, president of the retired pilots group,which counts about 3,500 retired United pilots as its members.  United is the largest carrier at Denver International Airport and has about 5,000 employees in Denver.