What authority does a court have to approve and enforce a settlement agreement?

4 At the time that the parties entered into the settlement, the district court had jurisdiction to decide whether to appoint an arbitrator and the case was properly pending before it. See Ader v. Hughes, 570 F.2d 303, 306 (10th Cir. 1978). Consequently, it had the authority to approve and enforce the settlement. See Decanay v. Mendoza, 573 F.2d 1075, 1078 (9th Cir. 1978) ("courts have inherent power ... to enforce a settlement agreement with respect to an action pending before it; the actual merits of the controversy become inconsequential.").

5 A structural violation occurs when a trust fund as originally written or amended does not comply with the statutory standards contained in 302(c)(5) of LMRA, 29 U.S.C. 186(c)(5). See Alvares v. Erickson, 514 F.2d 156, 166 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 874, 96 S.Ct. 143, 46 L.Ed.2d 106 (1975).