March 11, 2011: The Central States Pension Fund’s Financial and Analytical Report for 2010 reveals that the fund is in just about the same shape as a year ago, with assets of $19.9 billion. This is slightly higher, by about $300 million, than a year ago, thanks to the big run-up in the stock market. Central States made 14.4 percent on its investments in 2010, with a whopping 71 percent of assets in stocks. The...

January 24, 2011: The Central States Pension Fund will totally eliminate retirement before age 57, effective July 1. A Central States bulletin, available here, states that “No participants, including those covered by a collective bargaining agreement under the ‘Primary Schedule’ of the rehabilitation plan, will be allowed to retire prior to achieving age 57” (unless they retire before July 1, 2011). Most Teamsters want to work past age 57, but this change will be disastrous...