The United Retired Pilots Benefit Protection Association has filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision that allowed the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to terminate the United Airlines pilots pension plan.
The request for a review of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling is the retired pilots’ group’s second petition to the Supreme Court. Last year the group asked for a review of the Seventh Circuit’s decision on whether retired pilots had a claim against the Air Line Pilots Association union at United.
The Supreme Court, which reviews a very small percentage of 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.
“We felt that the PBGC’s decision to allow the termination of the plan was improper,” said Roger Hall, president of the retired pilots group, which counts about 3,500 retired United pilots as its members. “Many, many retired pilots have been substantially impacted by the termination of the plan,” Hall said.
James Krasno, a retired United pilot who lives in Centennial and is a director of the group, is one of the parties named in the petition.
United is the largest carrier at Denver International Airport and has about 5,000 employees in Denver.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-954-1488 or at kyamanouchi@denverpost.com .
