Opinion ID: 541803
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Duty of Fair Representation Claims.

Text: 9 The district court also rendered summary judgment for appellees on the breach of fiduciary duty claim. The court determined that whether a party is a fiduciary under ERISA is a question of law, not fact, and relied on two Seventh Circuit cases--United Indep. Flight Officers, Inc. v. United Air Lines, Inc., 756 F.2d 1262 (7th Cir.1985) (UIFO 1 ) and United Indep. Flight Officers, Inc. v. United Air Lines, Inc., 756 F.2d 1274 (7th Cir.1985) (UIFO 2 ). These cases support appellees' contention, the court said, that the duties and responsibilities of a fiduciary under ERISA are inapplicable to unions and employers negotiating in a collective bargaining context. The court rejected appellants' arguments that (1) ALPA breached its duty of fair representation under the Railway Labor Act, thus violating the spirit of ERISA, and (2) Republic breached its fiduciary duty by implementing the Termination Agreement. See UIFO 2, 756 F.2d at 1280. 10