EAST ST. LOUIS — An electrical workers union and the trustees of a multi-employer retiree benefit plan allege two electrical construction businesses have failed to make contributions under a collective bargaining agreement.
The Trustees of the Southern Illinois Electrical Retiree Welfare Plan and Local Union No. 702, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO filed a complaint Aug. 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois East St. Louis Division against MVMA Inc., doing business as Old Field Tree Service, and MVMA Electric Company Inc., doing business as Oil Field Electric, alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and a labor agreement.
According to the plaintiffs' suit, the defendants signed collective bargaining agreements with the American Line Builders Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 702. They allege that under the labor agreement, the defendants are required to file monthly reports and pay monthly contributions to the Retiree Welfare Fund. The plaintiffs claim Oil Field Tree Service filed the required reports but failed to pay contributions and working dues for "hours worked and waged earned" by bargaining unit employees from April 1 to the present. The plaintiffs further claim that Oil Field Electric also filed reports but failed to pay the contributions and working dues since May 1.
The plaintiffs seek monetary and all other just relief. They are represented by Matthew Leppert and Natalie Teague of Schuchat, Cook & Werner in St. Louis.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois East St. Louis Division case number 3:21-CV-1075