The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett, 574 U.S. ____ (2015) that ordinary principles of contract law should govern the interpretation of provisions for retiree healthcare benefits under collective bargaining agreements. In so holding, the Supreme Court rejected the “Yard-Man presumption,” pursuant to which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has long presumed that retiree healthcare benefits provided under a collective bargaining agreement vest for life absent specific language to the contrary in the collective bargaining agreement. The Supreme Court remanded the case at hand to the Sixth Circuit to (1) in the first instance, review the agreement and determine whether the parties intended the retiree healthcare benefits to vest and (2) if a determination is made that the agreement itself is ambiguous, review extrinsic evidence to determine the intent of the parties. Our prior alert, which discusses the significant implications of the case for employers, is available here.