Louis CK Health Plan Ruling Goes Against Comedian

Louis CK must pay health and pension contributions to three union-industry plans for work done on his show "Louie" on FX, even though he did most of the work himself, according to a federal judge.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Failla ruled the comedian, who holds multiple roles as producer, writer and director for his award-winning sitcom "Louie" on FX, and his production company Pig Newton, still owed contributions to those unions, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Pig Newton, which the comedian solely owns, employs him and the cast and crew of "Louie" under collective bargaining agreements with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts, according to Fortune.

The ruling stated that collective bargaining agreements were clear about hourly rate contributions while trust agreements showed how those plans are administered, even though Louis CK performed all the roles himself, noted The Hollywood Reporter.

The comedian's attorneys filed a lawsuit in October 2013 against the boards of the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan, the Motion Picture Industry Individual Account Plan and the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan, saying that he was not required to contribute funds pursuant to "controlling employee" provisions, noted The Hollywood Reporter.

At that time, Variety reported, the comedian whose actual name is Louis Szekely was trying to block $28,000 he was required to make to the health and pension plans, saying that the "controlling employee" provisions did not apply in his cases.

Failla disagreed in her ruling handed down in New York on Thursday.

"Here, it is indisputable that the Controlling Employee Provisions appeared in the Trust Agreements as of the date that Plaintiff became a party to the CBAs and the Trust Agreements," Failla wrote.

She said the comedian's company "cannot claim that the directors have engaged in any attempts to expand their power to collect contributions after Plaintiff’s execution of the myriad relevant agreements."

Louis CK won an Emmy in 2014 for outstanding writing for a comedy series for "Louie" and the show was nominated for four other Emmy Awards, including outstanding comedy series.

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