Fort Halifax Packing Co. v. Coyne
United States Supreme Court
482 U.S. 1, 107 S. Ct. 2211, 96 L.Ed.2d 1 (1987)
- Written by Abby Roughton, JD
Facts
A Maine statute required employers to pay a one-time lump-sum severance payment to certain employees if the employer’s plant closed. When Fort Halifax Packing Company (Fort Halifax) (defendant) closed its plant in Winslow, Maine, Daniel Coyne (plaintiff), the director of Maine’s Bureau of Labor Standards, brought an action against Fort Halifax in Maine state court to enforce the Maine statute. Fort Halifax argued that the Maine statute was preempted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The trial court found that Fort Halifax was liable under the Maine statute and granted summary judgment in favor of Coyne. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, and Fort Halifax appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Brennan, J.)
Dissent (White, J.)
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