A lawsuit filed by three city of Duluth retirees will proceed as a class action, a judge ruled today, opening up the case for more than 1,000 retirees.
Both sides agreed to push the case toward a class action; they also agreed to file motions in June with Judge Kenneth Sandvick on whether retirees should be allowed to keep their current health care, or whether the city can trim the benefits to mirror those of current employees.
A trial had been scheduled for June. But Tuesday's ruling meant that a trial, if needed, wouldn't happen until at least after Nov. 30.
Because of Tuesday's class-action agreement, all city employees who retired between Jan. 1, 1983, and Dec. 31, 2006, are eligible to participate in the lawsuit. The judge's ruling would apply to all city employees who retired between those dates.
Don Bye, who is representing the retirees, said letters will be sent out to them soon notifying them of their options.
