Class action lawsuits require extensive preparation. Bella and attorney Jerry Hogarth met individually with Old Joe and others to discuss and consolidate their demands. They wanted the elderly’s pensions to be paid on time and in full in the future. If the acquiring company disagreed with this payment method, they were open to a lump-sum payment given the elderly’s health conditions.
However, the question of what would happen to the jobs of current employees if the steel factory was relocated to Vietnam remained unanswered. The cheaper labor costs in the East are an irrefutable attraction for capitalists; they wouldn’t choose the more expensive option without a compelling reason.
This represents a substantial societal issue. Even the Twitter-savvy president would struggle to find a solution. The best a government could do might be to offer tax incentives to encourage companies to employ domestic workers, but whether capitalists heed this is another matter.
Unable to solve such deep-rooted social issues, Bella knew she was no savior. It was up to the workers themselves to figure out their next steps.
After days of negotiations, Bella secured the signatures of fifty-nine elderly workers, including Old Joe, Old Willie, and Old Al, authorizing a class action lawsuit against Wexler Steel Company and the Phoenix branch of Stark Industries, which had acquired the steel company.
Despite not receiving all her fees, attorney Hogarth began visiting the elderly with Bella to prepare for the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Natasha organized many elderly people to protest in the city’s old and newer parts.
Lacking memories from her previous life, Bella didn’t know anyone from her past, making her a pseudo-local. She left the organization of protests to Natasha.
Since elderly people couldn’t stand under the sun for hours, they were simply asked to walk around each morning. The protests included young students and relatives of the workers.
Given the age of the protesters, slogans like “bread and work” were inappropriate; instead, they focused on demanding uninterrupted pension payments.
They quickly made a significant impact with a dual approach of legal action and public protests. Unlike the isolated incident of Flight 180, they were now representing a community and challenging a multinational corporation, thereby amplifying their social influence.
In Los Angeles, California, Tony Stark, a super-genius known for his early contributions to technology and business, faced a new kind of media frenzy. As he exited his mansion, he was bombarded with personal questions and now inquiries about his company’s handling of pension funds—accusations of seizing pensions to fund his luxurious lifestyle.
Stark, usually unfazed by media scrutiny, found these questions nonsensical. Used to deflect criticism, he quickly retreated to his car and left, dismissing the issue due to its geographical distance from his immediate concerns.
Thousands of industrial workers became alarmed as the issue slowly spread from Arizona to California. Retired workers were worried about their pensions being discontinued, while those still employed fretted about the future—if their pensions disappeared suddenly upon retirement, it would be unbearable.
The concerns of the workers did not garner sufficient attention from the management. There were simply too many lawsuits against Stark Industries, and if the management had to respond vigorously to every case, they wouldn’t be able to do their jobs.
A lawsuit against us? Okay, hand it over to the legal department for handling!
Stark Industries might have been indifferent, but their competitors were quite pleased. One could see their influence behind the protests in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado.
Even Bella received an anonymous check for ten thousand dollars, presumably meant to encourage her to ramp up her efforts.
Phoenix Court.
Bella, dressed in formal attire and with a calm expression, sat behind the plaintiff’s table while attorney Jerry Hogarth sat next to her.
The representatives and lawyers for the steel factory and Stark Industries’ Phoenix branch sat on the defendant’s side.
Old Joe and a group of others sat in the spectator seats behind.
Next to the judge and court clerk were the twelve jury members.
The bearded judge announced the start of the session, and Hogarth began her sharp statement.
“I represent fifty-nine elderly individuals formally suing Wexler Steel Company and Stark Industries. History should not be forgotten, and I hope history is remembered today, at this moment.
Our predecessors contributed their hard, selfless labor to the war effort. As they age, these companies are so stingy that they even infringe on the meager pensions our elders depend on. What will we rely on when we grow old?
When I lose the ability to act and can no longer speak up in court, when you, members of the jury, due to illness and age, must step down from your jobs, what if our pensions are frozen then? What do we do? Beg? Kneel at the gates of Stark Industries, asking them to give us a loaf of bread graciously?
Law! The law is an effective weapon to protect our rights and ourselves! We are not asking for charity from Mr. Tony Stark or Mr. Obadiah Stane as if they were saints bestowing bread upon us. We demand dignity, the final dignity of living out our twilight years in a civilized society with respect.”
The young Ms. Jerry Hogarth still showed signs of inexperience, but her tone was sincere and determined.
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