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Former Accuride workers represented by Unifor Local 27 have won a major court victory that will see approximately $4 million in pension surplus funds returned to members after the company went bankrupt and closed the plant.
"This victory shows what unions can accomplish when we refuse to back down," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "These workers earned these pensions through years of hard work. When Accuride walked away, Unifor and Local 27 stood up and fought to make sure members got what they were owed. This is about dignity, fairness, and making sure corporations can't raid pension funds that belong to workers."
The court decision awarded all surplus funds in the company's Defined Benefit pension plan to members, rejecting Accuride's claim that the money belonged to the corporation.
The legal fight began after Accuride declared bankruptcy and closed the plant, leaving workers without access to surplus pension funds initially estimated between $2.7 million and $2.9 million. The final surplus amount reached approximately $4.7 million, with an expected payout of around $4 million after administrative and disbursement costs.
"Our members deserved better than to be abandoned after giving years to that company," said Brian Chapman, President of Unifor Local 27. "We knew this fight would be expensive and difficult, but we weren't going to let Accuride walk away with money that belonged to our members. This victory shows what a strong union can do when it's willing to invest its resources to defend workers, even after a plant closure."
While this decision represents a significant victory, the union says the fight continues. Outstanding issues still include vacation pay, severance pay, and SUB pay top-up monies held in trust.
