2014 Issue 4 Former Qwest/U S WEST executive appointed to PBGC’s Advisory Committee
by Curtis L. Kennedy, NWB Litigation Attorney retirement benefits to nearly 750,000 retirees in pension plans that ended in failure, leaving the In October 2014, the Pension Benefit Guaranty PBGC to take over their asset management. The Corporation (PBGC) announced that retired Qwest/ future pensions of about 1.5 million people in those U S WEST executive, Donald J. Butt, was appointed same failed pension plans are deferred to the PBGC to the PBGC’s Advisory Committee. Butt worked for to manage. Qwest/U S WEST for 40 years, with his focus from 1987 to 2010 on retirement plan No funds from general tax revenues investments, becoming finance the PBGC’s operations. It is known as an expert on 401(k) plans. financed by insurance premiums set by During his three-year appointment to Congress and paid by the sponsors (think be a member of the PBGC’s advisory CenturyLink) of defined benefit plans, and committee, Butt’s primary role will be to the investment income received from represent the interests of the general pension-plan assets taken over by the public. One of the biggest challenges PBGC. Sometimes the PBGC litigates in facing Butt will be to help guide the PBGC order to recovery monies from companies into a state of solvency. formerly responsible for the failed pension plans. In recent years, the PBGC has During the past year, there have been become one of the most active participants many published reports addressing the in bankruptcy court committees of PBGC’s profound financial problems, Don Butt, Former unsecured creditors, and has vigorously although the PBGC has succeeded for 40 Qwest/U S WEST litigated numerous bankruptcy issues straight years. The takeaway from those executive appointed before many courts to recover pension and reports is that, unless some significant to PBGC Advisory benefit assets. changes are made, there is a heightened risk that U.S. taxpayers will be called The PBGC board of directors consists of upon to bail out the whole PBGC private pension the Secretaries of Commerce, Treasury and Labor, insurance system within the next decade. with the Secretary of Labor as the lead director. The Advisory Committee guides the PBGC and is The PBGC manages almost $75 billion in pension comprised of seven members, each appointed by the assets which pay over $5 billion monthly in (Continued on page 3)
INSIDE THIS EDITION— 2 Colo and Wyo Presidents’ messages 5 Negotiate Medicare drug prices 9 Telephone people tell their stories 3 5 reasons to support our association 6 Answers to retiree questions 10 Angus’ Bell System “Spirit of service” 4 NRLN met with Congress in September 8 “What to do when a retiree dies” 11 Update: Qwest pension plan $98 loss OUR MISSION: “To maintain a point of contact and information for telephone Retiree Guardianretirees — 2014 onIssue health 4 care and other Page benefit1 issues.” — AUSWR Colorado—Wyomin CO/WY g Edition Colorado News I would like to thank Don McCullough, the President’s Message president of the NWB U S WEST Qwest Retiree Association, for attending and addressing our The 19 th Annual Meeting of the membership. AUSWR CO/WY association was held in Lakewood October 11, , Please plan to attend next year’s meeting 2014, with an estimated 150 scheduled in October 2015, which will be held members in attendance. The again in Lakewood. The Annual Meeting is always meeting was called to order, the a chance to meet old friends and find out what’s Pledge of Allegiance recited and going on with your retiree association. last year’s minutes approved by the membership in attendance. Nominations and As we look at 2015, there will be challenges that elections of board members to 2-year terms of will have to be addressed in the areas of office are as follows: membership, leadership and, as always, financial —Pat Wood, Vice-President Membership responsibility. I can assure you that your board of —Bill Campbell, Treasurer-Receipts/Budgets directors is committed to the tasks and to going —Pat Finley, Secretary. forward. Your continued support is appreciated.
Following the financial, membership and health Veterans’ Day occurred recently. On behalf of care reports and the business meeting, a Q&A myself and the board members, we want to say session was led by our benefits experts, Jim “thank you” for your service to our country. God Heinze and Barbara Wilcox. Eddie Ortega and Bless. Friends provided delightful musical entertainment, followed by lunch. __Rommel
Retiree Guardian, and their wanting to keep up-to- WYOMING NEWS date with our association.
President’s Message We are planning a meeting in Cheyenne to exchange information with our members soon. We It has been a busy October for Jean and me on the will keep you posted on the exact date going road. We made it to the AUSWR Colo/Wyo annual forward. meeting in Lakewood on October 11, where I At the Cheyenne meeting, we hope to have a addressed the attendees about what is going on Medicare SHIP representative, as well as a CWA with retirees in Wyoming. representative, to help answer questions from our On October 15, we traveled to Casper for a members. meeting to share what we learned at the annual Well, that’s it for now. Wishing you and yours meeting concerning health care and other Happy Holidays. ‘Til next time —take care. information which was of interest to our members.
We did pick up several new members in Casper __Bob & Jean Rucker because of the good information included in the Regional Retiree Guardian team: Colorado/Wyoming Barbara Wilcox ([email protected]) Regional & Colo-Wyo Editor: Kitty Kennedy John Rommelfanger ([email protected] ([email protected] NWB
Don McCullough ([email protected]) Copy editor: Irene Chavira ([email protected]) Clyde Just ([email protected]) Copy editor: Eve Mary Verde ([email protected]) Editor: Jerry Miller ([email protected])
Copyright - Fair Use Notice: The Retiree Guardian is the newsletter of the AUSWR Colorado/Wyoming and the NWB U S WEST Qwest Retirees associations. Copyrighted material is reprinted, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues to our members. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U S Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is available without profit. For more information go to: Cornell University Legal Information Institute at: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 2 Colorado—Wyoming Edition Why support our retiree association in 2015? by Kitty Kennedy, Regional Editor 3) The Retiree Guardian keeps you informed. January 2015 begins the 20 th year of the As many retiree organizations disband, why publication of our newsletter. We have become should our association continue? And why do we nationally known for quality reporting and need your support in 2015? informing our members. Our Retiree Guardian Consider these 5 Reasons: newsletter is shared with thousands of retirees, media reporters and editors, and state and 1) Lots of benefits are at stake in April 2017 . Congressional members and staffs.
Our organization negotiated the 5-year health insurance reimbursement for Think about this: 4) Retiree Advocates “cut the red- tape.” post-1990 Medicare management retirees and spouses in April 2012. ONLY our Communications with CenturyLink, based on our common goals to help Eligible retirees have assurances that association Medicare health insurance can be retirees are mutually respectful and affordable. advocates with beneficial to all. When retirees are unable to resolve questions or If you breezed over the paragraph CenturyLink problems at the CenturyLink Service above because you think you are not for all Center, then Retiree Advocates make affected…think again . the calls to help. (see list on page 7) Qwest/U S WEST The 5-year agreement negotiated by legacy retirees. 5) Knowledge of national retiree actions. former AUSWR President Mimi Hull and Litigation Attorney Curtis No one else does it! We support the NRLN, based in Kennedy ALSO includes the 5-year Washington, D. C., to monitor, lobby continuance of your $10,000 Group Life and advocate with Congress and the Insurance . The future of that agreement may administration because both continually propose rest with our future as an organization. and often make changes having heavy impacts on retirees. The NRLN Grassroots sends members to 2) Curtis L. Kennedy. Washington, D. C. two times a year to meet, Curtis Kennedy remains an overseer to review educate and lobby legislators and agency staffs. and report to us about CenturyLink pension plan As 2015 approaches, be sure to add support of this and benefits, including statements filed with retiree organization in your commitments. federal agencies, including the Security and Exchange Commission. Through Curtis Kennedy, We welcome your letters and opinions. we also stay informed about cases in the federal Please send them to: courts which impact retirees. Kitty Kennedy, Retiree Guardian Editor
E-mail: [email protected]
(Continued from page 1) pension plans’ monies and gives advice about whether President of the United States to represent the a pension plan that is subject to being terminated interests of labor, employers and the general should either immediately be liquidated or continued public. The advisory committee’s primary job is to in operation under an appointed trustee. provide confidential advice to the PBGC on policies Most recently, the PBGC issued and published its and procedures for its investments, the general annual report which is posted at the PBGC’s administrative management of taken-over pension website: www.pbgc.gov/documents/2014-annual- plans and any other matters as determined by the report.pdf. Not surprisingly, the PBGC reported PBGC. The Advisory Committee recommends that it ended its fiscal year on September 30, 2014, candidates for appointment as trustees of pension plans in termination proceedings, makes with a much higher deficit, now at about $62 billion. recommendations with respect to investments of such
Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 3 Colorado—Wyoming Edition NRLN top priority:
Allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices Excerpts from the October 14, is the law that prevents Medicare from negotiating 2014 NRLN news release by for lower prices. Bill Kadereit, NRLN President “This is unique to the United States. If you look anywhere else in the world, there are negotiations either by the government or by different regulatory “The NRLN has for a long time bodies that regulate the price of the drug,” Dr. advocated legislation to allow Kantarjian said. Medicare to negotiate for lower prices for prescription drugs. “And this is why the prices are 50–80 percent lower anywhere in the world, compared to here, for the “In a report October 5, 2014, on 60 Minutes entitled same drug. American patients end up paying two to “The Cost of Cancer Drugs,” three doctors were three times more for the same drug, compared to critical of high prescription drug prices, with one Canadians or Europeans or Australians and others. doctor believing that the law preventing Medicare “Leonard Saltz, MD, chief of the gastrointestinal from negotiating for lower prices must be changed. oncology service at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, said on 60 Minutes , “We are starting “We need members of Congress to pay attention to to see the term ‘financial toxicity’ being used in the three doctors interviewed by 60 Minutes reporter literature. Individual patients are going into Lesley Stahl. bankruptcy trying to deal with these prices. “The doctors were courageous to speak out about how “Medicare has to pay exactly whatever that drug the high cost of prescription drugs are causing tens company charges,” said Dr. Peter Bach, director of of thousands of Americans to go without lifesaving the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at treatments or sending many of them into bankruptcy Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. when they pay for the high-priced medicines. “He noted, ‘we have a pricing system for drugs that “While the 60 Minutes report focused on the high is completely dictated by the people who are making cost of cancer drugs, Kadereit said the often the drugs.’ exorbitant prices apply to drugs for many diseases. “Bill Kadereit noted that his organization, which “The NRLN is advocating the passage of the represents the interests of more than two million Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation retirees, also advocates: Act . • legislation for the importation and re-importation “There are identical bills in the House [ H.R. 1102 ] of safe, lower-cost prescription drugs, and the Senate [ S. 117 ] that, if enacted, would direct • funding of the Federal Drug Administration to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) reduce generic drug approval backlogs, and to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the • preventing drug companies from colluding to prices that may be charged to the Medicare Part D control pricing in what is known as pay-for-delay. prescription drug plan. “It appears to many retirees that the multimillions of The authors of the bills, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT-01) dollars that the pharmaceutical industry pours into and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), contend that the election campaigns of many Representatives and passage of their bills that have been held up in Senators —both Democrats and Republicans —allow committees since early 2013 would mean more ‘Big Pharma’ to charge extremely high prices for affordable prescription drugs for seniors and would many drugs with no fear of action by Congress,’ save Medicare up to $156 billion over the next 10 Kadereit said.” years. To read the NRLN White Paper on prescription “Dr. Hagop Kantarjian, Chair of the Department of drugs and for more information about the NRLN’s Leukemia at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in work on drugs and other retirees issues, go to the Houston, is correct that one thing that has to change website www.NRLN.org.
Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 4 Colorado—Wyoming Edition NRLN Grassroots leaders tell members of Congress:
“Protect our pensions ”
Cindy Hadsell, NRLN Liaison advocates. In the first edition of 2015, we will show for NWB—U S WEST—Qwest you the legislative positions of the members of the Retiree Association U. S. House. This “score card” display got immediate E-mail: [email protected] interest from members of Congress. I let them know
The 2014 General Elections are that while sponsoring or co-sponsoring a bill is finally over! This report is about important, what’s most critical to us is to have hearings to get these bills moving towards a vote. the National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN) meeting that I Three weeks after our “Fly-In,” Senators Tom attended in September in Washington, D.C. Other Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) wrote a retiree groups represented there included AT&T, letter to the Departments of Treasury and Labor, the Detroit Edison, John Deere, Lucent, Chrysler, and PBGC, and the Consumer Financial Protection NRLN state chapter members from Arizona, Utah Bureau. The letter urged them to provide regulatory and Washington. guidance to protect retirees because of the growing
Experts Spoke and Listened— threat to retirees due to pension “de-risking” by Two guest speakers kicked off the meeting. Connie companies. The advocacy of these Senators is great Donovan, Advocate from the Pension Benefit news. The NRLN has been the leader among a Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), heard our concerns group of retiree advocates to develop proposals for the requested guidance, as outlined in the letter. about the recent bill in Congress (MAP-21), that allows companies like CenturyLink to put less Lobbying and Advocating for Us— funding into pension plans. We also explained our Hundreds of smart, young staffers among several demand for better protection of retirees if a company groups are working in tiny offices in Washington, offers pension buyouts or off-loads pension assets to D.C., eager to help members of Congress study and an insurance company – the now infamous “de- act on important legislation to help us. What a risking” of pensions. waste of their talent and passion when nothing is moving forward! The timing is right to start anew to The second speaker was Karen Friedman of the push our agenda. The election cycle is over. Let’s be Pension Rights Center (PRC). She monitors the a strong voice to urge action that can help so many national scene to spot trends that may harm citizens. retirees. We discussed the For more reality that pension plan Go to www.NRLN.org and send your message to Congress. information— lump-sum buyout offers It’s easy...just enter your Zip Code— are often good for the Be sure to check out the company, but not the NRLN website at retirees who must manage www.NRLN.org or the money to last a contact me. Several of lifetime. The teamwork the legislative between the PRC and initiatives that need our NRLN helps keep our advocacy are: legislative efforts in focus. protecting pensions, better disclosure in our What We pension plan Annual Accomplished— Funding Notices, reform The reason for the of pension calculations September “‘Fly-In” was to used by the PBGC, carry the NRLN agenda to the members of Congress, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, eliminating and to solicit their support on issues of concern for the Medicare 3-day inpatient rule, and extending the retirees. In the last edition of the Retiree Guardian , same Affordable Health Care Act provisions about a chart for the members of the U. S. Senate showed pre-existing conditions and out-of-pocket limits to their positions on the bills for which the NRLN seniors.
Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 5 Colorado—Wyoming Edition Answers to retirees’ questions Answers are by Retiree Advocate Ombudsman Q. I am a post-1990 management retiree, and I'm Jim Heinze and Health Care Specialist Barbara confused about the dental insurance. In my enrollment Wilcox. Thanks to Pat Finley for recording questions at the packet, the 2015 premium for the dental insurance seems AUSWR CO/WY Annual Meeting October 11, 2014. You can much higher than what I'm paying this year. e-mail your questions to Barbara Wilcox at [email protected]. A. For post-1990 management retirees on Medicare (and
HEALTH REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNTS spouse also on Medicare), the premium shown in the (HRAs) Different Health Reimbursement Accounts enrollment packets is the total premium of $32.11 per (HRAs) exist for CenturyLink retirees, depending on person, including the CenturyLink subsidy of $20/ when you retired, whether you retired as management or month/person. The subsidy amount is added to your occupational, and whether or not you are Medicare- HRA in a lump sum at the beginning of the year, and then eligible. The HRA accounts vary by the amount of money, is withdrawn each month to help pay the dental what you can get reimbursed for, and whether unspent premium. You pay the remaining $12.11/person directly monies rollover to the next year. or as a deduction from your pension check. • All pre-1991 and ERO 1992 retirees are guaranteed Q. How long will CenturyLink provide HRAs for health care for life, the result of a lawsuit ( known as the post-1990 retirees? Phelps settlement ) negotiated by Curtis L. Kennedy with A. The agreement between our retiree association and the former U S WEST. CenturyLink offered two new CenturyLink on behalf of management, Medicare-eligible options for 2015: a United Healthcare Medicare retirees and spouses, and those who will retire, is Advantage PPO and a HRA. effective from April 2012 until April 2017. (Note that this Q. Is the new Health Reimbursement Account agreement includes continuance of the Group Life (HRA) option of $300 per month for the retiree, plus the Insurance of $10,000 for the same time). spouse, or just the retiree? The occupational retirees’ HRAs will continue A. The $300 is per eligible person. If you and your spouse through the current CWA contract, which is scheduled to are both on the plan, it is $600 per month. expire in October 2017. Q. Can pre-1991 retirees who selected one of the Q. Do I qualify for the reimbursement with new options during Annual Enrollment change back to Kaiser? the company plan? A. Yes, you can choose any Medicare-related health plan, A. Pre-1991 or 1992 ERO retirees will always be able to including Kaiser or other HMO, and be reimbursed. change back to the company plan during the following Q. I was told that as a post-1990, non- year’s Annual Enrollment. management retiree, I will lose Medicare. Q. Will pre-1991 or 1992 ERO retirees who A. No one can take Medicare away from you, as long as receive the Medicare Part B reimbursement lose it with you pay the Part B premiums. Medicare is a federal one of the new CenturyLink health plans? government program available for you at age 65.
A. No, the Medicare Part B reimbursement is protected • Post-1990 not-yet-on Medicare for your lifetime. Q. My spouse and I are not yet Medicare-eligible. Q. I am a pre-1991 retiree, and I am having We’re on the company CDHP plan, and we have separate trouble getting the company health plan to pay anything HRA accounts. Will that change when we both become after Medicare pays. Medicare eligible? A. You should irst check to see if the Company plan A. Your CDHP HRA continues as long as there is money received the claim after Medicare paid. In many cases, left in it. You can continue to use that money under the there is no automatic crossover, which means Medicare CDHP rules until it is exhausted. The irst one of you to does not send the claim directly to the Company plan, become Medicare eligible gets a new HRA to use for leaving it to you to ask your doctor or health care Medicare-related insurance expenses. When the second provider to send the claim to the Company plan after person becomes Medicare eligible, the HRA is increased Medicare pays. to the amount for two people. The Medicare HRA can be • Post-1990 Retirees used for one person or both people, in any combination Q. When I received the letter from CenturyLink you choose, as long as you adhere to the rules for your telling me how much I'll have in my HRA in 2015, the category of retiree. (The rules are different for amount was not the same as last year. Are they changing management than for occupational retirees.) the HRA, or was there a mistake in the letter? A. HRA amounts are unchanged for 2015. Correction letters are being sent. (Continued on page 7)
Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 6 Colorado—Wyoming Edition (Continued from page 6) A. The dental plan is separate from the health plans, • All Retirees and continues for everyone in 2015. If you drop the Q. Both my spouse and I are retirees and have Company dental plan, you can return in a future separate pensions. Should we each be given an Annual Enrollment. individual HRA? PENSIONS and ADDRESS CHANGE A. Amounts for both of you are put into a single HRA. Q. I moved, and had the address change This is good because you can spend the money activated on my pension. Do I have to call to change however you choose, within the rules for your HRA. my address on other benefits? You can even spend it all on one person. A. Yes. There are different offices for different
Q. I’m having a problem with the benefits. Start with the CenturyLink Service Center reimbursement, and haven’t received any 1-800-729-7526, select “2” for retiree, then select each reimbursement since August. option in turn and report your address change. A. All HRA reimbursements for retirees on Medicare Repeat the process for your other benefits. For are handled by “Your Spending Account” (YSA), an example, after you dial the main number and press AON Hewitt company. If you need help after call the “2” for retiree, the prompt says “If you are calling Service Center, contact your Retiree Advocate listed about Medical, Dental, Life Insurance, press 1, if you below on this page. are calling about your 401(k) press 2,” etc.
DENTAL INSURANCE Continue until you have made the changes for Q. Is dental coverage going away? all benefits.
Retiree Advocates can help you if you have questions or problems AFTER you call the CenturyLink Service Center at 1-800-729-7526 If you live in: Your Retiree Advocate is: Arizona Martha Deahl 602-504-6774 [email protected] Colorado, Nebraska, Jim Heinze 303-442-1831 [email protected] North or South Dakota " or Wyoming " Idaho or Montana Shirley Moss 208-342-3449 [email protected] Iowa or Minnesota Barb Hermanson 763-757-4985 [email protected] New Mexico Cassie Kelley 505-298-8666 [email protected] Oregon or Washington Shirley Jones 206-368-8686 [email protected] Utah Dick Johnson 801-963-6220 [email protected] “ or Byron Lemmon 801-295-4653 [email protected] Denver-area Medicare 101 Classes in 2015 Plans are being made for The first Medicare 101 class of 2015 (SHIP). They are free of charge. Medicare 101 classes in the CenturyLink Human Resources staff is scheduled for: Denver area in 2015. members are often present to Thursday, January 8, 2015 These classes are geared towards answer questions, depending upon Post-1990 retirees who will be 9:30-11:30 a.m. their availability. 65 soon or are going on Medicare Prince of Peace Lutheran Church We plan to schedule a class each for other reasons, such as being 2400 South Colorado Blvd. quarter in 2015: January, April, July on Social Security disability for and October. The April class will two years. Denver, CO 80222 probably be in Thornton, at a Anyone interested in Medicare, To sign up, contact : Barbara Wilcox community center on a Monday and how it interfaces with 303-377-5761 or e-mail: [email protected] afternoon, but arrangements are CenturyLink retiree health still pending. bene its, is welcome. We are trying to move around to different parts of the Denver metro area for future classes. If you have The classes are a collaboration between AUSWR CO/WY suggestions for a place to hold a class, please contact and the State Health Insurance Assistance Program Barbara Wilcox. Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 7 Colorado—Wyoming Edition Your CenturyLink/Qwest retiree bene its
What to do when a retiree dies
GENERAL DIRECTIVES: Each retiree should share this SURVIVOR’S ANNUITY: Retirees who selected the information in a conversation with dependents, family Survivor’s Option at the time of retirement should make members, estate planners, investment and legal advisors, certain the spouse is aware of this bene it. The surviving such as a certi ied elder-law attorney. spouse may arrange for direct-deposit or provide a
mailing address to receive the annuity payment. This is a summary of certain earned bene its to which a —If the retiree outlives the spouse, the deduction surviving spouse or quali ied dependent(s) may be from the retiree’s monthly payment to pay for the entitled, including those bene its due to the designated survivor annuity should be cancelled by calling the bene iciary at the time of the retiree’s death. Service Center. The amount of the cancelled deduction NOTE: It is important to notify the Service Center of would then be added to the retiree’s regular monthly the retiree’s death as soon as possible after the death, pension payment.
but NO LATER THAN ONE YEAR. HEALTH CARE COVERAGE (COBRA): The health care coverage for the surviving spouse and any eligible How to apply for survivor bene its: dependent(s) will be the same as that provided under the • Call 1-800-729-7526 , and select Option 3, then retiree’s coverage at the time of death and will be Option 1. You will speak with a representative administered by COBRA. from AON Hewitt, the bene its management NOTE: CenturyLink currently subsidizes the irst six company contracted by CenturyLink to months’ COBRA health care coverage; then the administer the Service Center. surviving spouse and dependents must pay the full cost e dies”e (REVISEDNOVEMBER 2014 • You must ask the Service Center representative for continued coverage for the next 30 months; to provide you with information regarding the followed by a slightly reduced monthly premium (-2%) Group Life Insurance payout, the Survivor to the end of 36 months, when coverage for any spouse Annuity Option (if applicable) and continued or dependent(s) is terminated. —If you are an occupational retiree, the 2012 CWA health care insurance. contract makes changes for retirees who retired after • You must provide the following information January 1, 2014. Consult your union local for details. about the deceased retiree: Full Name of the retiree, Date of Death, DENTAL: The surviving spouse may continue dental Social Security Number, Address coverage for 36 months, as long as the monthly premiums are paid. • You must provide several certi ied copies of the Death Certi icate to collect the survivor bene its. TELEPHONE CONCESSION SERVICE (also known as “discounted service”): If the retiree received concession GROUP LIFE INSURANCE: The Group Life Insurance telephone service provided by Century Link, it will policy is administered by MetLife and is not taxable terminate after two monthly billing periods from the date income. This bene it was originally based on the annual of the retiree’s death. pay of the retiree. Qwest reduced the value of the group
policy to a lat $10,000 for all retirees. You will be asked by the Service Center representative to provide the last OTHER IMPORTANT CONTACTS: 4 digits of the retiree’s Social Security number, date of SOCIAL SECURITY: Notify Social Security of the birth and a password as recorded with the Service retiree’s death by calling 1-800-772-1213, or at the Center. (If a password has not been established, a website: www.SSA.gov . Hearing Impaired number is temporary password will be setup, so a permanent one 1-800-325-0778. Social Security noti ication of the can be established). retiree’s death will end Medicare bene its.
CUT-OUT KEEP THIS& PAGE: “What to retire do a when NOTE: It is important to have current bene iciary VETERAN’S ADMINISTRATION: If the deceased retiree information recorded at the Service Center: was a veteran, the Veteran’s Administration should be (1-800-729-7526, select Option 2; then Option 1). contacted to advise them of the retiree’s death and to —Consider calling now —and verifying that determine if there are any eligible survivor bene its by you have your current bene iciary on ile. calling 1-800-827-1000 or at the website: www.VA.gov .
Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 8 Colorado—Wyoming Edition “Telephone people” stories: Person-to-Person by Don Warsavage, AUSWR Colorado/Wyoming the next page), standing on his snowshoes in a blizzard, E-mail: [email protected] truly re lected the “spirit of service” of those who Phone: 303-776-7782 helped build and maintain the Bell System. In doing our jobs, we created many interesting stories. Not all Three young boys running through their grandpa’s as famous as Angus’s, but creating the culture we all house skidded to a stop when one of them said, share. “Whoa, what is that?” “It’s a phone, dummy,” said his pal. Mom and toddler in crisis? “Yeah, right. There’s no buttons or screen… A woman, pregnant with her second child, watched so how does it work?” horri ied as her irst born toddler pulled a vaporizer “It’s what they used in olden days.” over, tipping the scalding water all over him. It was in the 1950s. The Northglenn community near Denver, Remember when there was no 9-1-1? Just the where she lived, had been built and populated before operator? In small towns, it was often someone many the telephone service could be supplied. She had no people knew by “her” irst name. phone, so she scooped up her She could get you help in a hurry I know about these stories personally. screaming infant and ran outside if you were in need. The And I know there are many more out where she saw a parked operators gave up every there. You know them or know about telephone truck. Christmas and Mother’s Day, so them. The Retiree Guardian would like to Two installers were in the area, the rest of us could talk to our putting advanced wiring in loved ones on special holidays. publish these human-interest stories homes, to be used when service On those days, the switchboard about the adventures —and was brought to their area. Nearly positions were all illed with a misadventures of “telephone people,” hysterical, the mother ran to woman at each place, and the doing their work. If you will tell them them and begged for them to do lights lighting up the boards like something, shoving her scalded Christmas decorations, all calling to me, I will be happy to write them. screaming baby at one of them. for service. The room was illed Call me on 303-776-7782 or Her husband was at work, and with crossing conversations: e-mail me at: [email protected] she had no car.
“Number, please”; “Please with your stories --and I will do my best deposit eighty- ive cents”; “One Superheroes before Batman moment, please”; “Operator”; to write them. Many years ago, when the town of “I’m sorry, the line is busy”; __ Don Warsavage Morrison, Colorado, was “Will that converted to a dial system, much be person-to-person?” of the open wire in the surrounding foothills supplying 10-party service to the Even back in the “olden” days, it customers had to be replaced with cable. Telephone was the best telephone system in line crews worked for weeks, wrecking-out open wire the world. Hard wires connected and replacing it with cable. all of us together. Men were One lineman was up a pole, on one side of a called out day or night to ix the steep ravine, inishing his work. Another was on the problem when service was other side of the ravine, on the next pole down the line. interrupted by storm or other The cable had been attached to both poles and the disasters. At its peak, there were open wire sagged below, waiting to be winched-out. over a million men and women The man on the second pole yelled at the irst to come who called themselves over and give him a hand. The irst lineman didn’t “telephone people.” want to climb down the pole, then climb down the
The famous picture of Angus steep, rocky ravine and up the other side to help his MacDonald (more about him on mate, so he looped his safety belt over the cable and Bell System icon (Continued on page 10)
Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 Page 9 Colorado—Wyoming Edition (Continued from page 9) And the lineman in the story above who fell into the pushed-out, sliding on the downward slope toward th e ravine, miraculously, he landed in a small area of sand other pole a couple hundred feet away. It was a steep and had only injured his shoulder. His companions incline. He gained speed as a thin column of smoke buried his severed safety belt, and told their foreman streaked up from the friction where the leather safety that he had slipped and fallen while walking through belt slid. He couldn’t slow himself down and the belt the ravine. He escaped punishment for violating safety separated. As he fell, he was spun around by the rules. sagging wires below and his hammer, pliers, and And that phone with only holes… wrenches lew through the air, scattering on the rocks “Hey,” said one of the little boys, “I think I know how below. He fell out of sight of his companion. this works. You put your inger in these little holes The “Rest of the Story…” and ….” The distressed mother and toddler, in my story above, —Tell your stories to Don, and he will write them who called out to the two installers: they (the two for a future edition of our newsletter. installers) took a neighbor’s car (with permission) and Don Warsavage: drove the mom and infant to a doctor’s of ice in the E-mail: [email protected] town nearby, where the baby was successfully treated. Phone: 303-776-7782
The original Bell System “Spirit of Service” At one point, Macdonald and his crew came upon a train
that had been stalled for two days.
They were able to reach town on their snowshoes and return with food and drink for the passengers. No image so faithfully captures telephone employees' devotion to duty as does "The Spirit of Service." The Bell Company recognized an opportunity when it saw one, and commissioned an artist to commemorate the The man who posed occurrence with a drawing of a lineman patrolling the for the sketch was lines. Angus was chosen to be the model. Angus MacDonald, who himself An advertising campaign featuring "The Spirit of Service" epitomized the stressed the dependability and importance of maintaining commitment to the service.
telephone company This demonstration of the stability of Bell lines and and its customers so service resulted in a great number of new orders. In common in the early future years, the drawing (and a later painting based on days of telephony. it) became an inspiration to generations of Bell System
In March 1888, a employees.
severe snowstorm Angus MacDonald was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, threatened the newly on December 13, 1864. At age 20, he moved to Boston, installed long where he found work at the New England Telephone and distance line between Telegraph Company. He was to stay with the Bell Boston and New York Telephone System for the next 50 years. City. MacDonald's crew in West Along with Alexander Graham Bell, Angus became one of the irst Telephone Pioneers when the organization was The “real” Angus MacDonald, Boylston, formed in 1911. chosen for his part in the Massachusetts, and other crews along the heroic story of the 1888 He retired in 1934, and lived an active and vigorous life line, began patrolling blizzard, posing for the until shortly before his death at age 94, in 1958. on snowshoes, now-famous, repairing any downed If you like this story about Angus MacDonald, it’s “Spirit of Service” painting. and broken lines they Courtesy of: Telecommunications History Group, Inc. came across and In the forward to The Spirit of For this and other stories about maintaining service Service , Macdonald, Angus. 1988. “telephone people”, go to their website: throughout the Eleanor J. Macdonald, Houston http:// www.telcomhistory.org/vm/ blizzard.
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CHANGES TO ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER OR E-MAIL ADDRESS If you have a change in your name, mailing address, phone number, or e-mail address, please use this form. • ALSO on the back page of this newsle er, your membership expira on date is included on the mailing address. If your expira on date is near, use this form to submit your annual dues. • IF YOU KNOW of any prospec ve members who have not yet joined the Associa on, please provide them with a copy of this Membership Applica on form, or have them contact John Rommelfanger, Colorado President, at 303-475-8225. A copy of the form also can be printed from our web site at: www.AUSWR.org. IMPORTANT TAX INFORMATION: AUSWR CO/WY is an I.R.S. non-profit, tax-exempt organiza on. However, dues and dona ons are NOT DEDUCTIBLE on your personal tax returns. Records are available via wri en request at P.O. Box 27027, Denver, CO 80227. Qwest Pension Plan lost $98 million in 2009 Westridge money managers ( inally) face sentencing by Kitty Kennedy, Regional Editor pleas in court documents. Among their fraudulent acts
In our newsletters in 2009, we reported to you, in articles with investors’ funds, Greenwood and Walsh, and their by Curtis Kennedy, about a massive Qwest pension plan spouses, used the monies in colorful spending sprees investment loss in which he explained: such as buying upscale houses (e.g. Westchester, NY, for $10 million), a hockey team, race horses, show ponies, “It appears that Qwest Asset Management Company paying off ex-wives, and collecting over $1 million worth (QAM), the group responsible for Qwest Pension Plan of novelty stuffed animals – egregious lifestyles at the investments, gambled over a hundred million dollars of expense of pensioners. your retirement money in the high stakes world of hedge After ive years of negotiations, Walsh was funds, accepted Westridge’s hype, and placed far too sentenced in October 2014, to forfeit $50 million dollars much reliance and faith in spasmodic and lackadaisical and face a 20-year prison term in a plea agreement with governmental regulatory oversight of Westridge. the U. S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. He and Westridge enticed clients, including Qwest, into Greenwood pleaded guilty to swindling investors in a depositing monies with Westridge, which entity would promissory note scheme, in exchange for withdrawing then act as an intermediary and relay funds into WG monies from the clients’ accounts. Greenwood is Tradingʹs exotic investment scheme. Much like a gambler scheduled for sentencing in late November. at a casino, QAM gave huge amounts of pension monies to What was spotlighted about the Qwest Pension Westridge and, in exchange, received promissory notes -- Plan at the time we reported to you was that QAM, those loan agreements stating that Westridge had “borrowed” charged to manage our pension funds, failed to perform from the Qwest Pension Plan and would repay the loans. their investment iduciary responsibilities. Paul Greenwood and Stephen Walsh, money We are unaware of any consequences to those managers for WG Trading, the investment trading arm of employees involved at the time at QAM. The Qwest Westridge, defrauded 26 investors, most of them pension pension plan recovered approximately $8 million in the plans, out more than $1 billion according to their guilty bankruptcy dispersal.
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Board of Directors CO/WY COLORADO AREA REPRESENTATIVES 2014
Colorado President Arvada Denver Southwest Li leton (80224—80226—80228) John Rommelfanger—303-475-8225 Be y Moore—303-936-7917 Jim Hodges—303-798-3213 Tom Spall—303-745-0233 [email protected] bluebe [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Wyoming Co-Presidents Aurora Englewood Middle Park Bob & Jean Rucker—307-632-8470 Pat Finley —303-425-0804 Ed Payne—303-781-2222 Shirley Willis—970-468-0277 [email protected] pfi[email protected] Fort Collins/Loveland Parker/Sedalia Vice President-Communications Boulder/Longmont Chuck Rider—970-267-0817 John Rommelfanger LaVerne Lanskey—303-770-4147 John Rommelfanger clmnrider@a .net 303-475-8225 [email protected] 303-475-8225 Fort Morgan [email protected] Vice President-Membership Pat Wood—303-985-8827 [email protected] John Jump—970-867-7221 Pueblo/South Park [email protected] Broomfield [email protected] Tony Juarez—719-546-6065 Secretary Pat Finley—303-425-0804 Judy Campbell—303-466-5666 Golden [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Bonnie Carter—303-279-6902 South East Colorado Treasurer-Receipts/Budget Castle Rock/Monument Grand Junc on/Durango Wesley Colvin—719-384-2436 Bill Campbell—303-988-2800 Charley Heard—303-660-9593 Sue Berndt—970-263-9008 [email protected] [email protected] cheard@a .net [email protected] Thornton/Brighton Treasurer-Disbursements Colorado Springs Greeley Bill Alsdorf—303-659-4189 Dale Thompson—303-439-8796 Ralph Rohrig—719-550-8267 Chuck Rider—970-267-0817 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] clmnrider@a .net Westminster/Wheat Ridge Health Care Specialist Barbara Wilcox—303-377-5761 Denver East Lakewood Alice M. Peterson—303-424-7609 [email protected] Ed Arnold—303-321-7766 Don Hinkley—303-988-0095 [email protected] Database Manager [email protected] [email protected] Dale Thompson—303-439-8796 Denver North Li leton (80220—80222) [email protected] Dave Felice —303-880-5150 Ed Dinkins—303-794-6625 To volunteer for your area, E-mail Editor [email protected] [email protected] contact Bill Alsdorf—303-659-4189 Denver Southeast Li leton (80223—80225—80227) John Rommelfanger [email protected] Robert Wiswell—720-859-7641 LaVerne Lanskey—303-770-4147 Newsletter Editor 303-475-8225 [email protected] [email protected] Kitty Kennedy 520-444-6617 [email protected] Wyoming Area Reps Cheyenne Area: 303-475-8225
CWA/Legislative Rep Casper Area: Gary Overturf Dorothy Rhoades [email protected] Harvey Hoffman—303-733-1955 307-527-9005 / [email protected] 307-235-4501 Arizona: Ki y Kennedy [email protected] Lander-Riverton: Jim Reddon [email protected] 520-444-6617 CO/WY Retiree Advocate 307-856-6833 Out of State Contacts: kathleen_kennedy Jim Heinze—303-442-1831 Retiree Guardian — 2014 Issue 4 [email protected] Page 12 John Rommelfanger Colorado—Wyoming @earthlink.net Edition