Kaiser Aluminum Salaried Retirees Association - P.O. Box 1171, Lafayette, CA 94549 (925) 284-7009 KASRA Nov. 2003 Email: [email protected] RetireeRetiree NewNewss Dear Fellow Retiree: Because no changes have yet been negotiated or agreed to or approved by the Bankruptcy Court, we caution As you know from my October 3 cover note and the against taking any action to replace current coverage. Joint Statement issued by Kaiser Aluminum and the However, as I said to the retiree groups, it is wise to Official Committee of Salaried Retirees (the “1114 be prepared so that you will be in a position to act Committee”) appointed by the Bankruptcy Court, ne- quickly should the need arise. gotiations have begun between the company and the 1114 Committee. I also told the attendees at these meetings that the 1114 Committee will be sending each retiree and sur- The company has indicated in its public filings that viving spouse a second publication, “Shopper’s Guide substantial modification or termination of certain re- to Medicare Supplement Insurance,” prepared by tiree benefits, such as medical and life insurance, will Weiss Ratings Inc. (Weiss evaluates the financial be required. Because substantial modification or ter- strength of more than 15,000 institutions, including life mination of the salaried retiree benefits at some time in and health insurers, banks, savings and loans, and bro- the future is a likely result of the company’s Chapter kerage firms.) Its Shopper’s Guide to Medicare Sup- 11 reorganization process, the company and the 1114 plement Insurance covers providers of so-called Medi- Committee are exploring alternative providers of medi- gap insurance. The guide does not include information cal benefits. on HMO options and, because Medigap coverage is not an option until a person reaches 65, it is not imme- During October, I spoke at retiree meetings in Walnut diately applicable to retirees under 65. However, we Creek, CA, and Mead and Trentwood, WA. Alto- are arranging to have the guide sent to all salaried retir- gether, nearly 400 attended these meetings. I stated ees for present or future use. Each guide is the above points and also told them that the 1114 “personalized.” By that, I mean it identifies you by Committee, with help from KASRA, was developing a name, age and sex, and provides the names of Medigap Medical Plan Review to be sent to all salaried retirees providers in your ZIP code, tells what they charge, and surviving spouses. (By the time you get this news- and attaches a Weiss safety rating to each of them. We letter, you already may have received the Review; if have been able to get a group discount on the purchase not, you will soon.) This Review is designed to help of these guides and will be sending them to you in the you become familiar with the issues involved in shop- near future, free of charge. ping for basic medical, major medical, prescription drug, and long-term care insurance. Upon receiving it I urge you to read both the Medical Plan Review and in the next several weeks, you should study the infor- the Shopper’s Guide to Medicare Supplement Insur- mation it contains carefully. The subject is extremely ance carefully so that, if the need arises to replace the complex, but there are many sources of information coverage you currently have, you are prepared to do and help in becoming a wise shopper in this field, and so -- without delay. the Medical Plan Review will guide you to a number of them. We will continue to keep you informed. Only you can properly assess your health care needs and the nature and extent of the resources you have available to meet those needs. And only you can de- cide what is appropriate for you to do in the event of a substantial loss or termination of retiree benefits. Jed Daniel Think Big: Henry J. Kaiser’s California of the Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent re- Oakland Museum of CA Exhibit search and educational organization focusing on major Jan. 24, 2004 to Aug. 29, 2004 national health care issues. Curator of the exhibition is Michael Dobrin, who An exhibition on the worked in the Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corpora- life of Henry J. Kaiser tion public relations department in the late '60s and at (1882-1967) and his the Oakland Museum of California, where he served as impact on the modern co-curator of the 1996 exhibition Hot Rods and Cus- economic and cultural toms: The Men and Machines of California's Car Cul- landscape entitled ture. Think Big: Henry J. Kaiser's California -- The idea for the exhibition came from a committee will open January 24, chaired by former CEO of Kaiser Aluminum Cornell 2004 at the Oakland Maier and made up of former Kaiser executives. Museum of California, to run through August The Oakland Museum of CA is located at Oak and 29. After that, it will 10th Streets in downtown Oakland. The museum is reopen in 2005 as a open Wed. through Sat. from 10 am - 5 pm, Sun. 12 - 5 permanent exhibit. pm. Admission is $8 general, $5 for seniors (65 and Described by one his- over), youths (6-17) or students w/ID. For informa- torian as "America's tion, call (510) 238-2200 or check the web site at boldest, most spec- www.museumca.org. tacular entrepreneur", Henry J. Kaiser founded more than 100 companies in his lifetime and was one of the most influential individuals in the history of modern California and the West Coast. What’s Going On The exhibition will present three main aspects of Kai- Jim Simmons and his wife, Selwyn, of Gainesville, ser's work and influence. "Building a Nation" surveys GA, enjoy boating on Lake Lanier and keep fit with the global reach of Kaiser's various industrial ventures, the exercise group at Brenau Univ. Selwyn is a certi- including road construction, building the great dams of fied Yoga instructor. Don Woodward (Oakbrook, IL) the West, wartime shipbuilding, production of metals likes the water, too, but his vacation was at Osage and cement, and Kaiser engineering projects around the Beach, MO, with the entire family of 15. Joe Vosi of world. The "Innovation" section highlights Kaiser's Palm City, FL, automobile and futuristic transportation projects, con- heads for a moun- sumer products, home construction, the Hawaiian Vil- tain cabin in Geor- lage resort hotel complex and Hawaii Kai master- gia for vacation planned community, and the Kaiser radio and TV when he’s not broadcasting network. A third section on his most en- playing golf, fish- during legacy - Kaiser Permanente - includes its ori- ing or swimming. gins as a partnership of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Cruising on the and Hospitals and the Permanente Medical Groups. Caribbean for the second time were Included in the exhibition are a variety of artifacts, Halethorpe retiree from ship models and equipment used in Kaiser indus- Russell Nies and tries to a "Futures" board game put out by Kaiser Alu- wife Sylvia of minum; photographs spanning Henry J. Kaiser's life as Baltimore, MD. well as large photo murals highlighting Kaiser projects; print advertisements for various Kaiser industries; When he’s not designing and fabricating hardware for magazine and newspaper articles; and two videos, one video scanning systems at his company, De Ross En- about Kaiser's large industrial projects and the second gineering, Alan De Ross (Wasco, IL) likes to restore about Kaiser's life. Two automobiles will be on dis- antique Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars. Alan play: a 1954 Kaiser Darrin sports car (one of only plays the dulcimer to keep his joints supple. If you 435 manufactured and the first automobile to have a fi- stop by the Sam’s Club in Parkersburg, WV, you berglass body) and a Henry J (a pioneering compact might see resident and Ravenswood retiree Russell car). Loar there as a product demo rep. Another Ravens- wood retiree Paul Poling (Ripley, WV) divides his The exhibition depicts Kaiser's involvement in politics time between Ripley and Lady Lake, FL, where he and government; the influence of Kaiser's companies also has a home. Spokane, WA, resident Verne Harr on immigration and Bay Area diversity; and the impact is President of the Sundance Homeowners Assoc, and travels to Alaska to visit a daughter. Kaiser Ag Chem Savannah retiree Richard Desso of as swimming keeps Oakland retiree Betty Trumbower Colbery, GA, and his wife took their first trip to in great shape at a retirement community in Santa Europe and visited 10 countries. Surviving spouse Rosa, CA. Violet “Sande” Johnson of Santa Clara, CA, went to Bemidji, MN, for the Sande family reunion. Hello Fly fishing, anyone? Call Kaiser Center retiree John to Jeanne Mary (Micki) Cabral of Oakland, CA. A Fowler (Pleasant Hill, CA) at (925) 933-3159 who Civil War buff, Moe Eskins (Murraysville, WV) vis- welcomes fishing partners in No CA. ited battle fields in Fredericksburg, VA. Newark re- tiree Rod McMillan of Mt. Vernon, OH, attended his Hammie Joe Darling of Bristol, RI, (K1LQH) is still 22nd Army reunion. sailing on Cloud Nine, and rides a Honda scooter for fun. Hope you’re wearing a helmet, Joe. Wow, what Happy Anniversary, love birds. Claire and John a crowd. The Gesser, Jr. of Mandeville, LA, celebrated their 58th 148-person Ro- wedding anniversary. Shirley and Al Schroeck of Ba- meo family reun- ton Rouge, LA together with Bobbie and Marv Sche- ion practically unemann celebrated their joint 55th anniversaries in took over the Hot Springs, AK.