Opinion ID: 172426
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Qwest Plan

Text: In 2000, Qwest acquired and merged with U.S. West. As a result of this merger, the 1993 Pension Plan (as amended in 1997) was replaced by the Qwest Pension Plan (the Plan), and Qwest became the Plan Sponsor. The Qwest Employee Benefit Committee (the Committee) was the Plan's named fiduciary and was responsible for, among other things, administration of the Plan, including appointment of other fiduciaries and interpretation of the Plan's provisions. The Plan was similar in all relevant respects to its predecessor plans. In particular, the Plan included a DEATH BENEFITS section that effectively provided for payment of a Pensioner Death Benefit to the qualified beneficiary of any employee hired prior to March 1, 1993. Id. at 599-600, 603. Also, consistent with the 1997 amendments to the 1993 Pension Plan, the Plan allowed for certain employees to receive, as part of a lump sum payout at retirement, the DLS Equivalent. Further, the Plan expressly defined the phrase accrued benefit to exclude any death benefits. Lastly, the Plan included a reservation of rights provision that read: The Company expects this Plan to be permanent, but as future conditions cannot be foreseen it reserves the right to amend the Plan at any time, without prior notice to anyone.... Amendments may modify the rights and interests of Employees who are Participants in the Plan at the time thereof as well as future Participants but amendments may not diminish the accrued benefit (as defined in Section 411(d)(6) of the Code) of any Participant as of the effective date of such amendment. Id. at 607.