After a two-year
struggle to receive the pension benefits of his late
partner of five decades, a Hayward, Calif., man is able to
collect his rightful compensation.
"I am overwhelmed
and excited that I will receive what Bill promised me
in case he passed away before me," Marvin Burrows said.
"Finally our community is being recognized, and my 51 years
with Bill will mean something to others, not just me.
I know Bill is smiling down on me today."
The 71-year-old
man's partner, William Swenor, died in March 2005 at the
age of 66. Before his death the couple registered as
domestic partners and then married in San Francisco in
February 2004, though the California supreme court
later nullified their union.
Swenor was a
member of the Industrial Employers and Distributors
Association for 35 years, paying into the pension fund
regularly. After his death Burrows filed a claim to
receive his benefits, but his request was turned down
twice. As a result, he was forced to leave his home and
was left completely destitute, according to a statement
released by the National Center for Lesbian Rights,
which took his case in 2005.
After the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union became aware of
Burrows's plight, it renegotiated its pact with IEDA to
grant benefits to domestic partners, making the change
retroactive to benefit Burrows.
NCLR Elder Law
Project coordinator Joyce Pierson said in the statement
that this situation is becoming all too common as the
population grows older. "For surviving heterosexual
spouses, marriage automatically ensures access to
pension and retirement benefits," she said. "We
applaud the ILWU for doing the right thing. We should not
forget, however, that the vast majority of same-sex
partners in California still do not have this
protection." (The Advocate)
