The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) was enacted 39 years ago to protect the pension benefits of American workers in the private sector.  Yet today, only half of the active workforce actually has employer-provided retirement benefits and only 20% are accruing benefits under defined benefit pension plans.  Moreover, some of those pension plans are in danger of insolvency.  The situation probably will become even worse.  This lunch and learn program sponsored by the LELS will examine some of the reasons why ERISA has failed to achieve its objectives and will discuss some of the current legislative proposals to reform the system. 

Chuck Wolf has practiced labor and employee benefits law at Vedder Price, P.C. since graduation from the Law School in 1975.   He will be teaching Employee Benefits Law at the Law School during the winter quarter in 2014.