Kent Winterrowd v. David Freedman And Company, Inc.

724 F.2d 823 5 Employee Benefits Ca 1221 Kent WINTERROWD, Office Administrator of the Juan De La Cruz Farmworkers Pension Fund, Plaintiff-Appellee-Cross-Appellant, v. DAVID FREEDMAN AND COMPANY, INC., a California corporation; Travertine Vineyard Associates, a partnership, Defendants-Appellants-Cross-Appellees. Nos. 82-6114, 83-5528. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted Oct. 3, 1983. Decided Jan. 25, 1984. George C. Lazar, Scales, Ellsworth & Corbett, San Diego, Cal., for plaintiff-appellee-cross-appellant. David E. Smith, Indio, Cal., for defendants-appellants-cross-appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Before KENNEDY, SKOPIL, and PREGERSON, Circuit Judges. KENNEDY, Circuit Judge: 1 Here we decide whether the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), 29 U.S.C. Secs. 1001 et seq., applies to agricultural workers. We must also determine whether an award of punitive damages is proper under ERISA for an employer's wanton and willful failure to make required pension fund contributions. We hold that ERISA applies, that punitive damages may be awarded in some cases, and that the…