A Wyoming soda ash company faces a class-action lawsuit against over alleged cuts in workers“ pension benefits. US Judge Alan Johnson of Cheyenne in February 2008 authorized the class-action lawsuit …
A Wyoming soda ash company faces a class-action lawsuit against over alleged cuts in workers“ pension benefits. US Judge Alan Johnson of Cheyenne in February 2008 authorized the class-action lawsuit against Solvay Chemicals, Inc., one of south-west Wyoming“s leading soda ash producers. He ruled that the lawsuit can proceed under federal age discrimination laws. Richard Honaker, lawyer for the class-action members, said he hopes all the firm“s employees in Wyoming and elsewhere who were affected by the pension plan changes will join the lawsuit. “We are pleased that Judge Johnson has given the green light for this case to proceed”, Mr. Honaker said in a statement. “We now move on to the next challenge, which is to be sure that all the employees harmed by Solvay“s pension policies are included in the class-action suit and receive increased retirement benefits”, he said. “This is a very important matter”. The class-action lawsuit seeks to recover what the plaintiffs claim are lost pension benefits and to obtain damages for what it calls Solvay“s “willful violation” of age discrimination laws. The lawsuit“s lead plaintiffs are Wade Jensen, a 15-year surface plant operator, and Donald Goff, who worked at the plant for 23 years before being discharged in 2005. The pair claim that their retirement benefits were cut because of their age, in violation of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Houston lawyer Richard Hammett, who represents Solvay, said in a telephone interview that the company “understands that the pension plan change remains an important issue” for a number of employees. “They very much respect the legal process and the right of employees to invoke the legal process, and that“s what“s going on here”, he said. Mr. Hammett said that in past similar lawsuits, rulings had gone in favor of the changes. Solvay“s trona mine and soda ash plant is the fifth largest employer in Sweetwater County. The company employs 415 workers at its soda ash facility, located about 20 miles west of Green River. The company recently expanded its production capacity to about 1.8 million tons of soda ash per year. Solvay Chemicals is a member of the Solvay Group, a group of chemical companies headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The group employs more than 30,000 people in 50 countries. Mr. Honaker said employees at the Green River mine and plant are among the Solvay Group workers most affected by the pension changes.