Pension Case Before the Supreme Court Could Impact Millions

The Takeaway | Mar 24, 2017

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. 

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in a case with the potential to impact millions of American workers employed by church-affiliated organizations.

The case is Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton and at the heart of the matter are pensions for employees that work for organizations with church-related affiliations — places like hospitals and schools that are exempt from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), which sets federal pension requirements and protections for employees.

Norman P. Stein, a professor at the Kline School of Law at Drexel University, says the court will be ruling on a decades-long exemption that was initially intended for literal churches, but has since morphed to include loosely-affiliated larger institutions which benefit from the church plan exemption while putting employees retirement funds at risk.

 

 

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

Agita over the AI apocalypse

Who’s Running This Place |

In wake of Legionnaires' outbreaks, a debate over NYC's water and industry influence

An advocacy group backed by cooling tower companies wants the city to filter all the city’s drinking water. Some experts say it would be a waste of money.
Gothamist |

An American Journalist Imprisoned as a Spy in Russia

Evan Gershkovich, a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal who was convicted on false charges of espionage, talks about his time in a Russian prison.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

Trump's Guide to Stealing an Election

The attempts, successful and not, to turn election conspiracies into policy.
On the Media |
YOU ARE ONLINE