Central Laborers' Pension Fund v. Thomas E. Heinz et al.
Decided June 7, 2004. David Hackett Souter delivered the opinion of the Court.
Docket 02-891 · 541 U.S. 739 (2004) · Cited 173 times
Holding
ERISA § 204(g) prohibits a plan amendment expanding the categories of postretirement employment that triggers suspension of the payment of early retirement benefits already accrued.
The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.
How the Justices voted
Decided 9–0.
Majority · 5
- David Hackett Souter · delivered the opinion of the Court
- Anthony McLeod Kennedy
- Antonin Scalia
- Clarence Thomas
- John Paul Stevens
Concurring · 4
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Stephen Gerald Breyer · filed a concurring opinion
- William Hubbs Rehnquist
“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.
Precedents cited
Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.
- Nachman Corp. v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation · 446 U.S. 359 (1980)
- Christensen v. Harris County · 529 U.S. 576 (2000)
- LOCKHEED CORP. Et Al. v. SPINK · 517 U.S. 882 (1996)
Official text
Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)
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David Hackett Souter’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court
Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2004). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).