Rockwell Automation Retiree Seeks Class in Pension Math Dispute

A Rockwell Automation Inc. retiree who says the company shortchanges the pensions of certain married workers by using outdated lifespan data asked a Wisconsin federal judge to certify his case as a class action covering 438 people.

The case turns on whether Rockwell properly calculates the benefits of retirees who choose pension formats that allow their surviving spouses to receive payments after their deaths, plaintiff Mark Berube said in a Sept. 9 class certification motion. This question involves legal and factual issues that are common to all class members receiving these joint and survivor annuities, Berube says.

“Proof of each ...