Kaiser v. Alcoa USA Corp.

Plaintiffs filed a purported class action lawsuit asserting a claim under the Labor Management Relations Act to stop the defendant from terminating the healthcare benefits that they were entitled to under their deceased spouse’s collective bargaining agreements. The district court granted the plaintiffs’ class certification order and granted partial summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs on the issue of liability and defendants appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed the order granting class certification but reversed the order granting partial summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that the district court erred when it concluded that the doctrine of judicial estoppel barred defendant from contesting liability in the case. (PRYOR and KOLAR, concurring)