RIETH-RILEY CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.; SCOTT D. MEADE; DANIEL RANGER; MICHAEL J. COURTNEY v. TRUSTEES OF THE OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 FRINGE BENEFIT FUNDS; OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 324 HEALTH CARE PLAN; OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 PENSION PLAN; OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN; OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 VACATION AND HOLIDAY FUND; OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 324 JOURNEYMAN AND APPRENTICE TRAINING FUND; OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 324 RETIREE BENEFIT FUND; ROBERT ADCOCK; KEVIN BESONEN; TODD DOENITZ; KENNETH DOMBROW; MATTHEW EVERLY; ERIC GARCIA; LEE GRAHAM; SCOTT HART; BRIAN HOFFMAN; ROB KRUEGER; LISA LAUZON; MIKE MALLOURE; JEFF MCCARTHY; BRANDIE MEISNER; KEN NOWICKI; RYAN O’DONNELL; JAMES OLEKSINSKI; BRANDON POPPS; DEVEN RAU; HEATH SALISBURY; DOUGLAS STOCKWELL; M.E. WOODBECK, JR.; BLAKE ZAPCZYNSKI; TONY BOLANOWSKI; JOSH GRAVES - Articles

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RIETH-RILEY CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.; SCOTT D. MEADE; DANIEL RANGER; MICHAEL J. COURTNEY v. TRUSTEES OF THE OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 FRINGE BENEFIT FUNDS; OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 324 HEALTH CARE PLAN; OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 PENSION PLAN; OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN; OPERATING ENGINEERS’ LOCAL 324 VACATION AND HOLIDAY FUND; OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 324 JOURNEYMAN AND APPRENTICE TRAINING FUND; OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 324 RETIREE BENEFIT FUND; ROBERT ADCOCK; KEVIN BESONEN; TODD DOENITZ; KENNETH DOMBROW; MATTHEW EVERLY; ERIC GARCIA; LEE GRAHAM; SCOTT HART; BRIAN HOFFMAN; ROB KRUEGER; LISA LAUZON; MIKE MALLOURE; JEFF MCCARTHY; BRANDIE MEISNER; KEN NOWICKI; RYAN O’DONNELL; JAMES OLEKSINSKI; BRANDON POPPS; DEVEN RAU; HEATH SALISBURY; DOUGLAS STOCKWELL; M.E. WOODBECK, JR.; BLAKE ZAPCZYNSKI; TONY BOLANOWSKI; JOSH GRAVES

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 3, 2026

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Philip Gutwein II, FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH, LLP, Indianapolis, Indiana, for Appellants.

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Daniel G. Levan, WEISMAN, YOUNG & RUEMENAPP, P.C., Bingham Farms, Michigan, for Appellees.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Philip Gutwein II, Brian J. Paul, Emily A. Kile-Maxwell, FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH, LLP, Indianapolis, Indiana, Kristina F. Salamoun, FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH, LLP, Washington, D.C., for Appellants.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Daniel G. Levan, Nancy H. Pearce, WEISMAN, YOUNG & RUEMENAPP, P.C., Bingham Farms, Michigan, for Appellees.

Judge(s): CLAY, GIBBONS, and HERMANDORFER, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at Ann Arbor

CLAY, Circuit Judge. Plaintiffs Rieth-Riley Construction Company, Inc., Scott D. Meade, Daniel Ranger, and Michael J. Courtney filed these suits under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq., against Defendants Operating Engineers’ Local 324 Health Care Plan, Operating Engineers’ Local 324 Pension Plan, Operating Engineers’ Local 324 Defined Contribution Plan, Operating Engineers’ Local 324 Vacation and Holiday Fund, Operating Engineers’ Local 324 Journeyman & Apprentice Training Fund, Operating Engineers’ Local 324 Retiree Benefit Fund, and Fringe Funds’ Trustees. Plaintiffs allege that Defendant Fringe Funds Trustees violated their fiduciary duties under ERISA. The district court dismissed Plaintiffs’ complaints after finding that Plaintiffs’ ERISA claims were preempted by the Garmon doctrine, denied Plaintiff Rieth-Riley Construction Company, Inc.’s motion for leave to file an amended complaint, and denied Plaintiffs’ motions for preliminary injunction. Plaintiffs now appeal the district court’s dismissal of this case and denial of those motions. For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM the district court’s judgment.

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