Some IBM Workers Step Up Union Push After Supreme Court Ruling

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday to not hear an appeal of a lower court decision dismissing a lawsuit against IBM over its “cash balance” pension plan did not quiet dissent within the ranks of Big Blue workers.

Alliance@IBM/CWA 1701, an organization of IBM employees, said on its Web site that the “power of a union” was needed to provide “a voice” for workers.

IBM’s move to a cash balance pension plan affected thousands of IBM employees. IBM employs more than 11,000 people in the research Triangle Park area.

“It was truly unfortunate news that the Supreme Court has declined further review of Cooper vs. IBM,” wrote Linda Guyer, president of the Alliance@IBM, in the Web statement.

“The results truly hurt every employee that was forced into the Cash Balance pension plan. I can only say that our court system cannot be the only path to fairness for IBM employees. The courts interpret the laws; to have fair laws we must work with our elected officials.

“But mostly we need more power as employees, power to demand the fairness and justice that we deserve,” she added.

“We should not be summarily forced to give up benefits, as happened with the Cash Balance switch. We should not be forced to work overtime week after week; we should not be forced to retire just because we are older; we should not have to hide in our offices just hoping to hold on to our jobs.

“The power of a union is the only true power that can fight back on these fronts. We must insist on a voice, our voice, the people who do all the work that creates the profits at IBM.”

In the event IBM had lost the suit, it had set aside $1.4 billion to pay plaintiffs.

Lee Conrad, a 26-year IBM veteran who left the company in 2000 to start the Alliance@IBM effort, told the Journal News in suburban New York City that the Supreme Court decision was a “black day for a lot of IBM employees and retirees.”

IBM implemented the pension plan change in 1999.

The suit was named after Kathi Cooper, a former IBM employee, who was the lead plaintiff. The class-action suit against IBM was filed on behalf of 250,000 workers.