Opinion ID: 3011427
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: This matter is before the court on an appeal by Stanley Smith in this Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. SS 1001 et seq., benefits case.1 Smith filed a complaint in the district court on May 23, 1997, after the defendants denied him retirement benefits. Smith asserted that defendants' construction of the pension plan they managed violated ERISA, and thus he brought this action seeking an injunction and other appropriate equitable relief to bring their construction of the plan into compliance with the statute. Of course, his ultimate goal is to obtain a pension. The Teamsters Local 641 Pension Fund (the Local 641 Fund) plan is a multiemployer, defined benefits pension plan within the meaning of 29 U.S.C. S 1002(2)(A)(37). The individual defendants are trustees and officers of the Local _________________________________________________________________ 1. The district court exercised jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. S 1331 and 29 U.S.C. S 1132(e)(1) and (f). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. S 1291. The defendants assert that the case is not ripe for appellate review because the district court granted summary judgment dismissing the complaint and not dismissing the action. See Appellee Br. at 12 (citing Newark Branch, N.A.A.C.P. v. Harrison, 907 F.2d 1408, 1416 (3d Cir. 1990)). While it is true that the dismissal of a complaint without prejudice in some circumstances may not be afinal and appealable order because a court can grant leave to amend a complaint even after dismissal, see id. at 1416, in this case the district court did not dismiss the complaint without prejudice and it did not grant leave to amend. Moreover, Smith has stood on his complaint. See Shapiro v. UJB Fin. Corp., 964 F.2d 272, 278 (3d Cir. 1992). Thus, we have jurisdiction. 2 641 Fund who, by virtue of their positions, owe afiduciary duty to Smith and the other beneficiaries of the Local 641 Fund plan. The Local 641 Fund plan provides an array of retirement benefits to employees covered by the plan. As is relevant herein, the Local 641 Fund pension plan provides for two types of benefits to covered employees upon their reaching their normal retirement age. The first, a Deferred Pension, is available to employees who accumulate at least ten years of vesting service under the Local 641 Fund. See Local 641 Fund plan S 3.15, app. at 27. The second, aPro-rata Pension, is available to certain employees who have been members of other Teamsters locals, but did not attain a minimum of ten years of employment with employers within the jurisdiction of the Local 641 Fund so as to qualify for a Deferred Pension. The Local 641 Fund entered into reciprocal agreements with the pension funds of other locals to provide for Pro-rata Pensions to certain employees who then could accumulate service credits in more than one fund so as to qualify for a pension. With respect to its Pro-rata Pension provisions, the Local 641 Fund plan provides: The Fund has a number of reciprocal agreements with other pension funds under which service in the jurisdiction of any of the reciprocating funds is considered as service under this Fund for the purpose of determining eligibility for benefits under the Fund.