However, the US District Court for the Central District of California dismissed the suit. The plaintiffs appealed, and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed down a mixed ruling. The appellate court reinstated the plaintiffs’ claim under ERISA Section 510 for interference with their pension benefits, but affirmed the dismissal of their claim for interference with their welfare benefits. Noting that, unlike pension benefits, welfare benefits do not vest, the Ninth Circuit concluded that “employers remain free to unilaterally amend or eliminate welfare plans,” and that “employees have no present ‘right’ to future, anticipated welfare benefits.”