Under the expansion, workers 40 or older with at least 10 years of service can remain in the old plan, a move that more than doubles the number of employees who have a choice. Older union workers at Enron Corp.'s Portland General Electric subsidiary were offered a choice between a new cash-balance pension plan that went into effect last year and the old plan. The choice was given to those age 42 or older at the time of the conversion. Nonunion workers stayed in the old plan. After that, the employees are shifted into the cash-balance plan, like it or not.
Employers generally complain that such choice is too costly.
Mr. Sanders finds this amusing in some cases.