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Release Date: 10/29/2001
Release
Number: 01-179
Contact Name: Jeannine Lupton
Phone Number: 206.553.7620 |
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San Francisco, California - The U.S. Department of
Labor announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court
for the Eastern District of Washington in Spokane against the pension plan
trustee and former owner of a defunct Spokane-based company. The suit alleges
violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act for failing to
properly forward money withheld from employees’ paychecks to their 401(k)
plans. |
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According to the complaint, DWP Trucking, Inc.,
and Jerry Kuisti, its former owner and trustee of the DWP Trucking, Inc.,
Profit Sharing Plan, are being sued for unpaid employee elective contributions
to the plan. The complaint alleges that the company and Kuisti failed to remit
to the plan approximately $4,825 in voluntary employee contributions from
January through September 1996. |
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The suit alleges that the money was held in the
general assets of the company rather than being remitted to the plan. The
department is seeking payment of these amounts, plus lost earnings on other
deposits that were made late, totaling approximately $7,870. Amounts restored
to the plan will be distributed to the accounts of the affected former
employees. |
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The complaint is the result of an investigation
conducted by the Seattle District Office of the Pension and Welfare Benefits
Administration. |
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“We are committed to protecting workers’
hard-earned benefits,” said Bette Briggs, regional director of PWBA’s
San Francisco Regional Office. “Workers can help us protect their benefits
by contacting our Seattle District Office at 206.553.4244 if they have
questions or suspect abuse of their pension, health or other benefit
plans.” |
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(Chao v. DWP Trucking, Inc.) |
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U.S. Department of
Labor news releases are accessible on the Internet. The information in this
news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large
print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the Central Office for Assistive
Services and Technology. Please specify which news release when placing your
request. Call 202.693.7773 or TTY 202.693.7775. |
