By PETER HUSSMANN
Lawyers for the UAW and Local 997 have been granted a two day extension to file its response to Whirlpool Corporation's request that the federal court grant its motion for summary judgment.
On Tuesday, counsel for the UAW and Newton union filed a motion seeking the two day extension from today's previously set deadline "in order to properly prepare and file their response" to Whirlpool's motion seeking court approval of its claim that it had the right to change the health care retirement plans for approximately 3,300 Maytag retirees without the need for the issue to be decided at trial.
Attorneys for Whirlpool agreed to allow the UAW to seek the extension. Whirlpool will now be given until April 2 to file its response to the UAW opposition to the motion for summary judgment.
Attorney Robert Seltzer, attorney for the UAW, also noted that he "has been impeded by a medical problem during the past several days."
In its motion for summary judgment, Whirlpool contends the retiree health care benefit plan previously in place expired on July 31, 2008 upon the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement between Maytag and members of the UAW Local 997. Further, it says it never agreed not to change retiree health plans at some future time.
"The contractual language at issue in this case, including the benefit plans, supplemental agreements, summary plan descriptions, hourly retirement benefit summaries and benefit certificates are all unambiguous and establish that (Whirlpool/Maytag) never agreed to provide retirees with vested, unalterable health insurance benefits," the motion states.
This is the second extension granted in regard to the filing. A previous story by the Newton Independent on the matter can be found here.
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