Trustees of U.A. Local 38 Defined Benefit Pension Plan v. Trustees of Plumbers & Pipe Fitters National Pension Fund

MEMORANDUM

Trustees of the U.A. Local 38 Defined Benefit Pension Plan (“Local 38”) appeal the district court’s dismissal of its declaratory judgment action against the Trustees of the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters National Pension Fund (“National”). We dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

In its complaint, Local 38 asserted that the district court had subject matter jurisdiction over Local 38’s claims pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 1132 (e)(1), Employee Retire ment Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) § 502(e)(1), and 28 U.S.C. § 1881 , because ERISA completely preempts National’s underlying state-law breach of contract claim. If a state-law claim is completely preempted by ERISA § 502(a), then federal courts have federal question subject matter jurisdiction. See Fossen v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mont., Inc., 660 F.3d 1102, 1107 (9th Cir. 2011) (“Conflict preemption under ERISA § 502(a) ... confers federal subject matter jurisdiction for claims that nominally arise under state law.... [S]tate-law claims may be removed to federal court if the ‘complete preemption’ doctrine applies.” (citations omitted)); Marin Gen. Hosp. v. Modesto & Empire Traction Co., 581 F.3d 941, 945…