DETROIT -

Daimler AG and Cerebus, two companies that owned Chrysler prior to its bankruptcy, are facing a class-action lawsuit that 450 former employees and managers filed late last week.

One news report indicated that Lee Iacocca, a former chairman at the automaker, was among the plaintiffs.

The suit was filed in Wayne County Circuit Court in Michigan.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say these employees and managers lost their supplemental pensions when the automaker went through bankruptcy and reorganization in 2009.

A news report put the total losses at $100 million.

They claim that the pensions never got moved to the new Chrysler, so "each of the plaintiffs lost large percentages of their earned retirement pensions." 

Farmington Hills, Mich.-based attorney Sheldon Miller, along with Birmingham, Mich.-based attorney Mayer Morganroth, are leading the class action. Both attorneys indicate it doesn't appear the new Chrysler will be involved in the lawsuit.

"Everybody involved in this suit loves that company and like everybody else wants to see it succeed," Miller said, referring to the new Chrysler. "The plaintiffs in our case are trying to assure that there won't be similar hardships for Chrysler's current employees, many of whom worked for and with the people involved in this suit. Nobody wants to hurt them or the new company's chances for success."

Commenting on the lawsuit, Miller claimed: "The Chrysler bankruptcy was devastating to virtually everyone involved. Many of the men and women participating in this lawsuit worked their entire lives at the company under the repeated promise that these pensions would be there and intact for their retirement years.

He went on to allege, "The direct financial loss, in combination with the serious reduction in medical, health care and auto benefits resulting from the bankruptcy, is causing them to make drastic changes to their retirement plans at a time when they can't go out and find other jobs to supplement their incomes. These are good, hard working people who are being severely punished through absolutely no fault of their own."