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Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 1 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
“To preserve and protect the pension and benefits that we earned.” — AUSWR Mission
CenturyLink To Continue Retiree ‘Cap” for Post-1990 Medicare Management
5-Year Agreement “To Not Reduce Health Benefit”
2012 ISSUE 2
Mary Ann Neuman, AUSWR NWB leader, and Glen Post, President and CEO of Centu-ryLink meet at the 2012 Annu-al Shareholders’ meeting at the company’s headquarters in Monroe, Louisiana, in May.
Thanks to CenturyLink’s Tam-my Matthews for the photos. For the full story and more photos, go to page 3.
In what is called a “partnering proposal,”
AUSWR and CenturyLink announced that man-
agement Medicare-eligible retirees (and eligible
spouses and dependents) who retired after 1990,
now have their health care subsidy payment
(known as the Cap) protected through March 31,
2017. Non-Medicare management who retire
after 1990 are included in the Agreement.
The post-1990 Medicare-eligible man-
agement retirees were eliminated from the Com-
pany health care plan in the 2012 Open Enroll-
ment period at the end of last year and shifted to
the Medicare open market to select a plan avail-
able in their area.
CenturyLink provides a reimbursed
monthly subsidy for the Medicare costs of the
selected plan.
The Company and AUSWR worked to
create this proposal and together stated that they
believe the Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Manage-
ment Retirees “will be pleased and will appreci-
ate the joint efforts to provide some stability in a
climate of increasing changes to health care.”
For the detailed Questions & Answers for this
agreement, go to page 8.
INSIDEINSIDEINSIDE
Page 2 AUSWR President Appreciation Pages 3 and 4 CenturyLink Annual Shareholders Meet-ing 2012 Page 5 Help to Access the Service Center Page 6 A Tale of Two HRA’s Page 7 Q & A on “The 5-year Agreement” Page 8 Retiree Advocate State Listings Pages 9-12 Local Pages
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 2 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
Retiree Guardian Staff
AUSWR Regional & Arizona Editor: Kitty Kennedy
Tel: 520-883-8272 / cell 520-444-6617
Email: [email protected]
Barbara Wilcox, AUSWR Colo/Wyo, reports retiree health care issues — Email your health care questions to: [email protected]
Colo/Wyo/New Mexico Editor: Pamela Davis
Tel: 303–932-7533
Email: [email protected]
Utah/Idaho/Montana Editor: Susan Johnson
Tel: 801-963-6220
Email: [email protected]
Oregon/ Washington Editor: Gary White
Tel: 253-952-4612
Email: [email protected]
IA/MN/NE/ND/SD Editor: Jerry Miller
Tel: 763-424-3524 Email: [email protected]
AUSWR President’s Message
Appreciation is the theme of my message for this edition.
First —thanks for the good working re-lationship that our AUSWR leadership team has developed with the leaders of CenturyLink. Witness “the Agreement” that we mutu-ally hammered out working together over the past months that will protect the health care subsidy (known as the Cap) for post-1990 management retirees, spouses and dependents
and the $10,000 Life Insurance until March 2017. Now those retir-ees will know how to plan for the immediate future. Read the details of this Agreement on pages 8-9. (Of course the pre-1991 retirees continue to be protected by the Phelps Settlement and are not affected by this new Agreement.)
Next thanks for the AUSWR leaders: Mary Ann Neuman, Ha-zel Floyd, Jim Heinze and Curtis Kennedy, who attended the Centu-ryLink Annual Shareholders’ Meeting in Monroe, Louisiana, on May 23. That’s no easy trip from Denver or Minneapolis. AUSWR was very well represented by well-spoken voices acting on behalf of our membership. Read their report on pages 3-4.
Last, my thanks goes to the CenturyLink staff led by Marina Pearson, Vice President of Compensation & Benefits, who have worked so closely with our organization to help retirees make the transitions that followed the 2012 Open Enrollment. The change of the post-1990 management Medicare-eligible re-
tirees to the open market and the associated reimbursement process seems to be working well.
Recently we fixed a mistake for those pre-1991 retirees who ex-pected a full Medicare Part B monthly reimbursement but found their payments short. Read about the fix on page 6 —and if you are affected take action.
And PLEASE take action on continuing the “missing” beneficiary problems as described below.
___Mimi
2011– 2012 AUSWR Officers
President —Mimi Hull (Colorado)
Treasurer —Roger Sanger (Arizona)
Secretary —Eve Mary Verde (Utah)
Retiree Advocate Ombudsman — Jim Heinze (Colorado)
Litigation Attorney — Curtis L Kennedy
Retiree Guardian Regional Editor —Kitty Kennedy (Arizona)
2011-2012 Board of Directors and State Leaders:
Arizona President
Kitty Kennedy — tel 520-883-8272
Email: [email protected]
Colorado/Wyoming Presidents
Hazel Floyd — tel. 303-455-1535
Email: [email protected]
Bob Rucker — 307-632-8470
Email: [email protected]
New Mexico President Irene Chavira —tel. 505 352-6666
Email: [email protected]
IA/MN/NE/ND/SD Chair
Mary Ann Neuman —tel. 763-535-3865
Email: [email protected]
OR/WA President Judy Stenberg —tel. 425-746-5248
Email: [email protected]
UT/ID/MT Chair
Donnetta Mitchell —tel. 801-269-9997 Email: [email protected]
Mimi Hull
AUSWR President
Life Insurance Beneficiary “Missing”
PLEASE check and confirm the Life Insurance beneficiar-ies on your Group Life Insurance. We continue to hear that about “lost or missing” beneficiary problems. Be sure to make contact with the Service Center or go on-line and confirm that your beneficiaries are the right ones. Easy instructions to access the Service Center are on page 5.
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 3 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
CenturyLink Annual Shareholders’ Meeting On May 23 in Monroe, Louisiana, at 10
o’clock in the morning, the first Centu-
ryLink annual meeting since the mer-
ger with Qwest convened in the corpo-
rate headquarters. There to see and
hear it all were AUSWR leaders, Mary
Ann Neuman (NWB Chairperson), Ha-
zel Floyd (Colorado/Wyoming Co-
President), Jim Heinze (Retiree Advo-
cate Ombudsman) and Curtis Kennedy
(Litigation Attorney).
Below is a collabora-
tive report from our
AUSWR attendees.
Upon entering the
“conference room” it
became obvious that
this was more than an
annual shareholder
meeting as almost all
of the 500+ chairs in
what appeared more
like a hotel grand
ballroom were occu-
pied. It became fur-
ther obvious during
the presentation by
CenturyLink Presi-
dent and CEO Glen
Post III that it was
more like a pep rally for the employees, who filled most
of the chairs, than a report to shareholders. It can be as-
sumed that the employees are probably shareholders as
well.
William Owens, non-executive Chairman of the
Board of Directors presided over the meeting and was
joined at the dais by Glen Post, Stacey Goff, Executive
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; and Mark
Asbury, Judge of the Election.
Owens did the introductions and called the meet-
ing to order, describing aspects of the proceedings to be
followed, recognizing various shareowners with long-
standing ownership and asking the employees present to
raise their hands – leaving few others in attendance. This
process was a noticeable difference from past U S WEST
and Qwest annual meetings.
Stacey Goff, as Secretary for the company, gave
his necessary report on materials available for the meeting
and verification that a quorum of ownership was repre-
sented, and identified the four candidates to be elected at
this meeting for one-year terms. It is note-
worthy that only one member of the Board
of Directors is a former Qwest director,
Michael Roberts, a former officer of the
McDonald’s corporation.
Owens then introduced the other
members of the Board of Directors who
were present with only two of them unable
to attend and concluded the introductions
by having the nine leaders of the company
stand for individual recognition.
Then the eight agenda matters re-
quiring a vote of the share-
holders were presented by
Owens. He started with
the first five proposals
which were recommended
for approval by the Com-
pany. Next on the agenda
were the proxy proposals
submitted by shareholders.
The first share-
holder proposal was pre-
sented by Ralph Maley,
national CWA Vice Presi-
dent on behalf of the CWA
Members’ General Fund,
which dealt with a bonus
deferred policy for the
senior executives. Maley
is familiar to AUSWR
leaders because he is a
NRLN Board member with Mary Ann Neuman and Judy
Stenberg.
The next shareholder proposal was presented by a
representative for the Trillium Asset Management LLC
requesting a semi-annual report dealing with the corporate
political contributions.
The final shareholder proposal was presented by
Hazel Floyd, President of AUSWR Colorado. Her pro-
posal would require that future grants of long-term incen-
tive awards to senior executive officers in the form of per-
formance-based restricted shares will vest and become
payable only if Total Shareholder Return equals or ex-
ceeds the median performance of the company peer index
selected by the Board of Directors.
There were no questions following the presenta-
tion of the first five agenda items but after each of the
three shareholder proposals, Owens gave a response of the
company’s position recommending a vote against each
(...continued on the next page…)
CenturyLink’s Stacey Goff (center) with AUSWR attendees Mary Ann
Neuman (L), Jim Heinze, Hazel Floyd, and Curtis Kennedy at the Annu-
al Shareholders’ Meeting May 23
CenturyLink Corporate Headquarters
Monroe, Louisiana
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 4 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
(...continued from the previous page…)
one. He then asked if anyone present was voting in person
whereupon twelve CWA representatives (each wearing a
red shirt with the CWA logo) proceeded to register their
votes with the Secretary and Judge of the election.
While Goff and the election judge were tabulating
the updated results of the votes cast, Post gave a presenta-
tion on the company’s past year performance and plans for
the future – the focus going forward to be in three recently
formed Groups: Enterprise Markets, Regional Markets
and Wholesale Markets. Slides depicting numerous statis-
tics detailed the company’s four key strategic initiatives:
Broadband expansion, Prism TV, Fiber to Tower service
and Managed Hosting & Cloud services. He then made
brief mention of the company’s past three major acquisi-
tions: Embarq, Qwest and on July 15, Savvis, Inc
At the end of his presentation Post entertained
questions and comments from the floor:
—Five CWA employees asked for his response to issues
dealing with the increases in healthcare costs and concern
over existing bargaining negotiations. His response to
each was, not surprising, along company lines of protect-
ing the competitive position in the marketplace, and intent
to bargain in good faith.
The final person to address Post at this point in the meet-
ing was our own Mary Ann Neuman who delivered a
statement commending the company’s top management
and Board of Directors for their willingness to listen to our
concerns – both as retirees and as shareholders, expressing
appreciation for the amendments to the benefit plans stated
elsewhere in this issue of the Retiree Guardian.
Neuman went on to request the company continue
to work with AUSWR and be mindful of the cost of
healthcare increasing each year and that as a result of the
cap being stabilized a higher share of the costs will be
borne by retirees each year.
Neuman concluded her statement by further com-
mending the Board for at least partially adopting the share-
holder proposal she had submitted on behalf of AUSWR
concerning the ‘Golden Goodbye’ severance agreements.
AUSWR withdrew the proposal in December 2011 at the
request of CenturyLink after the Company Compensation
committee announced a new severance policy stated in
their proxy statement.
Neuman did state that AUSWR still has a mission
to protect retiree interests and would continue to author
proxy proposals in the future that would benefit retirees
and shareholders.
The meeting was then turned back over to Owens
who called for the results of the voting tabulated by Goff
and the election judge. All of the company recommended
proposals were approved and adopted.
The three shareholder proposals all failed includ-
ing our own; voting results are as follows:
CWA proposal: 28.85% in favor 70.18% against
AUSWR proposal: 27.16% in favor 71.89% against TAS Mgmt. proposal: 37.75% in favor 54.14% against
(Note: Some shareholders abstained)
At this point the formal meeting was adjourned.
However Owens asked if there were any general com-
ments on matters not presented during the meeting.
Curtis Kennedy eloquently expressed the concern
over the under-funded status of the pension fund, citing
specific company-provided data in the CenturyLink Annu-
al Financial report, noting the “unfunded gorilla is more
like a monkey on the backs of the retirees”.
In year 2011 CenturyLink contributed $500 mil-
lion to pension plan funding. However, this year Century
Link reports it plans to contribute less than $50 million,
even though there is a huge deficit of $1.7 billion, includ-
ing over $900 million under-funding with the Qwest Pen-
sion Plan. Curtis pressed CenturyLink leaders not to turn
away from this huge problem, one that received hardly any
attention in the company’s annual report and proxy state-
ment, and is a matter rarely discussed at shareholder meet-
ings. Both Owens and Post gave a response to Curtis’s
plea for more attention to pension plan funding by agree-
ing that the Board would re-look at the situation.
Ralph Maley restated the benefits concerns ex-
pressed during the meeting by the CWA attendees who
represented the 18,000 union members nation-wide.
Miscellaneous Notes of Interest
- This annual meeting began with a prayer. (Not done in
previous U S WEST, Qwest annual meetings)
- Following the prayer Owens paid tribute to the 100 em-
ployees who had died during the past year, especially not-
ing the close relationship the Board had to one of them
who had been their van driver.
- Post and Owens gave some attention to keeping the for-
mat somewhat friendly to the attendees by including a few
humorous remarks and even a joke at the expense of two
of the senior executives.
- The CenturyLink corporate headquarters is a beautiful
structure inside and outside.
- There were no disruptions of any kind during the meet-
ing, but there were several CWA members from across the
country who picketed outside of the building in their red
shirts.
- After the meeting we were able to arrange a “photo op”
with Goff and Post. It was at that time of meeting them
individually that we were able to complement Marina
Pearson and her staff for the cooperation and partnership
we have with them and our Retiree Advocacy program in
resolving retiree benefit issues and each of them responded
that they were very much aware of the valuable services
AUSWR provides.
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 5 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
Service Center: Here’s How to Access It Report by Martha Deahl, Arizona Retiree Advocate
First, I’d like to thank all of the retirees for
their patience during my first couple of months as the
new Arizona Retiree Advocate. Jim Heinze,
AUSWR Retiree Advocate Ombudsman, shares his
knowledge, experiences, and dedication —and makes
the RA job a lot easier. I have found the CenturyLink
Service Center representatives and the staff in Centu-
ryLink Human Resources to be very responsive and
helpful.
Many retirees seem to be having difficulty
understanding the menu options when calling the
CenturyLink Service Center at 1-800-729-7526.
Hopefully, the following instructions will help
you, the retiree, when making your call. If you are
unable to make the call yourself, another person may
represent you. But, you must be available in person
or on the phone to give the Service Center representa-
tive permission to access your private information
and discuss it with your representative.
Before you call have the following infor-
mation at your fingertips:
-Your Social Security Number
-Your Date of Birth
-Your Current Address and Zip Code
And… -Your password
If you are unable to locate your password or
you don’t know it, don’t worry. When prompted for
your password just say “I don’t know it”. Hint: Your
password must be 8 digits.
If you are using the CenturyLink web site:
www.centurylinkhealthandlife.com your call-in
password will be the same as the one you use on-line.
After reaching a Service Center representa-
tive, you may need to establish a new password to
access certain information.
The service Center representative will send
you a postcard to reset your password which will take
about 5 days.
After you receive the postcard, call the Ser-
vice Center (1-800-729-7526) and when prompted
enter the temporary password.
You will be able to create your own personal
password with the Service Center representative on
this call.
Reminder: Keep your password in a safe place with
your other documents for future use because without
your password, it may delay accessing your important
information.
To call the CenturyLink Service Center: Dial 1-800-729-7526
Press 2 – For Former CenturyLink Employee (includes all retirees)
Press 1 - For Medical, Life, Dental, Vision,
—Choose this option if you want to report a Retiree’s Death,
or access your HealthCare Reimbursement Account (HRA)
Press 2 - For 401K
Press 3 – Pension or Pension Payroll After making your selection you will be asked to enter the following:
The last 4 digits of Your Social Security number
Your Date of Birth in this format XX/XX/XXXX
Now you will be asked what you are calling about:
Healthcare, Life or Disability, Commuter Benefits,
Healthcare Reimbursement Account, Report a Death,
or other benefit questions?
—You will be asked to please hold and a representative will join your call.
CL
IP &
SA
VE
TH
IS P
AG
E
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 6 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
‘A Tale of Two HRAs’ by Barbara Wilcox, AUSWR CO/WY Health Care Specialist
[REMEMBER: HEALTH BENEFITS ARE
PROTECTED BY THE PHELPS SETTLEMENT
FOR ALL PRE-1991 AND ERO RETIREES ]
When CenturyLink offered new health care options to
Post-1990 Management Retirees for 2012, we were intro-
duced to Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs), some-
thing that U S WEST/Qwest retirees had not seen before.
Those not on Medicare had the option to choose between
two Company plans, either a Preferred Provider Organiza-
tion (PPO) plan or a Consumer-Driven Health Plan
(CDHP).
The CDHP provides an HRA to help pay out-of-pocket
expenses, such as coinsurance or co-pays for doctor visits,
prescription drugs, etc.
Post-1990 Management Retirees who are on Medicare
were given an HRA to help pay premiums for plans they
enrolled in to replace the Company plan.
These two HRAs work differently from each other, which
has caused some confusion.
In this article, I’ll give some background information on
HRAs and lay out the differences between the two HRAs
CenturyLink is offering to Post-90 Management Retirees.
Q. What is an HRA?
A.The Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) is one of
several programs set up by Congress to give individuals
and employers tax advantages for health care costs. The
HRA is funded entirely by the employer. It is available
only to present or former employees and their qualified
dependents, who receive reimbursement tax-free for quali-
fied medical expenses. See IRS Publication 969 for more
information.
Q. Who decides things like, how much money goes
into the HRA, what medical expenses will be reim-
bursed, whether any unspent balance will roll over in-
to 2013?
A. The employer.
Q. What decisions has CenturyLink made about
these features of the HRAs it offers Post-90 Manage-
ment Retirees?
A. CenturyLink has set completely different rules for
the two different HRAs. The table below gives a sum-
mary of how they differ from each other.
Note: I have compiled this information from documents
issued by CenturyLink, however this article is not an
official CenturyLink document. If you have questions,
call the Service Center and ask about your Benefits.
CenturyLink HRAs for Post-90 Management Retirees CDHP-Related HRA HRA for Medicare-Eligible
Who is eligible Post-90 Management Retirees not on Medicare
who choose the CDHP medical plan
Post-90 Management Retirees on Medicare
Administered by The insurance company Your Spending Account division of Aon Hewitt
Amount for 2012 $1000 – Retiree only
$1500 – Retiree + spouse or partner or child
(children)
$2000 – Family
$1740 for each Medicare-eligible adult (retiree,
spouse, and/or dependent)
Reimbursed for Covered medical expenses, e.g. office visits,
prescriptions, lab tests
Premiums for Medicare Advantage, Medigap or
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
Debit card Yes – Consumer Account Card (CAC) No
Unused balance car-
ried over to next year
Yes, if you continue in the CDHP No
Reimbursement and
payment processes
1. Automatic payment to provider when claim
is approved.
2. Use CAC at time of payment.
3. Submit receipts and claim form.
1. Automatic reimbursement if you signed up for
your Medicare plan through Aon Hewitt Navigators
or Extend Health.
2. If you signed up directly with the insurance com-
pany, submit proof of payment and claim form each
month.
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 7 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
2012: Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retiree Company Health Care Caps
(Dollar Amounts are “Rounded”)
Medical Dental
Eligible Non-Medicare Retiree $390/mo $20/mo
Eligible Non-Medicare Spouse $390/mo $20/mo
Eligible Medicare Retiree $145/mo $20/mo
Eligible Medicare Spouse $145/mo $20/mo
Eligible Child(ren) $275/mo $15/mo
Questions and Answers …
to the “Proposal To Not Reduce Certain Benefits For A Limited Group of Legacy Qwest Retirees
From April 1, 2012 To March 31, 2017” Q. What does the Outline of Proposed Benefit Plan Changes Mean?
A. It means that CenturyLink intends to amend the CenturyLink Retiree and Inactive Health Plan and the
CenturyLink Life Insurance Plan (the “Plans”) to provide that for the 5 year period from April 1, 2012 to
March 31, 2017, the Company will make no changes to the following benefits provided to Legacy Qwest Post-
1990 Management Retirees (as this term is defined in the Plans_: (1) the Company’s subsidy or “Cap” on its
contributions, as set forth below under the Retiree Health Plans, or (2) the $10,000 life insurance benefit cur-
rently available under the Life Insurance Plan. The Cap is the amount of subsidy or money the Company con-
tributes towards the premium cost of a Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retiree’s health care coverage;
the balance of the premium cost of the health care above the Cap is paid for entirely by the Legacy Qwest Post
-1990 Management Retiree. The Chart below sets forth the amount of the Company’s proposed subsidy to-
wards the cost of health care coverage for eligible Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retirees (as this
term is defined by the Plans) for the period April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2017:
These Plan amendments will not apply to any other retiree populations. All costs in 2012 and future years that
exceed the Company’s Cap, will be the obligation of the current and future Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Manage-
ment Retirees.
Q. What happens after 5 years?
A. The 5-year period will expire on March 31, 2017. After that date, the Company may amend, change, or
eliminate: (1) the Cap, or (2) the $10,000 life insurance benefit.
Q. Will the amended Plan documents allow the Company to make any changes to the CenturyLink Re-
tiree and Inactive Health Plan and/or the CenturyLink Life Insurance Plans during these 5 years? A.Yes, those documents will continue to allow the Company to change carriers, administrators, health benefits
and co-pays and deductibles, coinsurances, etc. during the 5-year period.
Q. I am a Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Occupational Retiree. Does this proposal apply to me?
A. No, it does not. The Company is required to negotiate with the legacy Qwest Unions for the benefits the
Company provides during the term of the Collective Bargaining Agreements to its Union-represented employ-
ees who retire during the term of the Collective Bargaining Agreements. While the Company does not negoti-
ate with the Unions for retirees, the Company negotiates the Cap, which is the amount of premium subsidy it
provides to occupational employees who retire during the term of the Collective Bargaining Agreements and
who become Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Occupational Retirees. (...continued on the next page…)
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 8 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
Retirement Age Term of Employment
Any Age at least 30 years
50-54 at least 25 years
55-59 at least 20 years
60-64 at least 15 years
65 and older at least 10 years
(...Q&A continued from previous page…)
Q.Will Legacy Qwest management employees (non-represented) who are eligible to retire as Legacy
Qwest Post-1990 Management Retirees (as defined by the Plans) after 4/1/2012 also be covered under
the proposed Cap and $10,000 Life insurance benefits freeze?
A Yes, if a Legacy Qwest employee retires from the Company after April 1, 2012 but before March 31, 2017,
and he or she is eligible for retiree coverage as a Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retiree (as defined by
the Plans).
Q. Will the “Cap” freeze under the Retiree Health Plan apply to the eligible spouses and dependents of
Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retirees? A. The Company’s Cap on the amount of premium subsidy it provides on behalf of eligible spouses and de-
pendents of Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retirees will be frozen for the 5-year period as represented
on the Chart in Answer 1 above.
Q. Who is eligible to be a Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retiree?
A.A Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retiree is a Retired Employee who retires on or after January 1,
1991 and who is a former non-represented employee with the following age and service combinations:
A Legacy Qwest Post-1990 Management Retiree also includes a Retire Employee who is a “Protected Em-
ployee” or “Protected Participant,” which is a non-represented employee. If you believe that you are included
in this group and are not receiving the Cap, contact the Service Center or call your state Retiree Advocate.
AUSWR Retiree Advocates —Here To Help YOU! If you have questions about your benefits, FIRST contact the: Service Center at 800-729-7526
—Select Option 2, then select the appropriate options. If you are unable to resolve your problem or get
an answer to your question, THEN call your state AUSWR Retiree Advocate:
State Tel. No. Email State Tel. No. Email
ARIZONA: 602-504-6774 [email protected]
NEW MEXICO: 505-298-8666 [email protected] Martha Deahl Cassie Kelley
COLORADO: 303-442-1831 [email protected]
NO. DAKOTA: 763-757-4985 [email protected] Jim Heinze Barb Hermanson
IDAHO: 208-342-3449 [email protected]
OREGON: 503-628-0555 [email protected] Shirley Moss Jim Haynes
IOWA: 605-332-3670 [email protected]
SO. DAKOTA: 605-332-3670 [email protected] Vikki Farrand Vikki Farrand
MINNESOTA
763-757-4985 [email protected]
UTAH:
[email protected] [email protected]
Barb Hermanson Dick Johnson 801-963-6220 Byron Lemmon 801-295-4653
MONTANA: WASHINGTON: 206-368-8686 [email protected] Shirley Moss 208-342-3449 [email protected] Shirley Jones
NEBRASKA: WYOMING: 303-442-1831 [email protected] Jim Heinze 303-442-1831 [email protected] Jim Heinze
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 9 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
By Don Warsavage
Back in the mid ‘70s Mountain Bell hired a very un-usual man. He had two childhoods; one he was born into and the other he chose. This man was also blind from birth.
He had many roles in his adult life and he became quite famous. There is much about him on the internet today. He produced a show in Minneapolis called, “Stories and Stuff.” In that show he described some of his experiences of early childhood. Like the times his Dad came home drunk and beat his Mom. When that happened he would roll out of bed and find the tele-phone. Then he would curl up on the floor and listen to dial tone. It was always there for him. It was steady and it was safe.
He was sent off to a school for the blind when he was still a child. While there, he was both physically and sexually abused.
His name was Joe Engressia, a name he later changed to Joybubbles.
Joe had an IQ of 172 and he also had perfect pitch. It was so perfect, while in college, he could whistle at the precise frequencies that unlocked the telephone system allowing him to call anywhere in the world—for free. He did it for his classmates and charged them a dollar. The college took notice and suspended him.
Joe loved the telephone system and wanted to be a regular working man—a telephone man. Through an elaborate plan of using the long distance network, ille-gally, he deliberately got himself arrested. The tele-phone companies took notice and he received four job offers.
Mountain Bell hired him as a network trouble shooter. One of his supervisors said he was a hard worker and everyone liked him.
Hard worker? In fact everyone thought he was nothing short of amazing. After new switching systems
were turned over to Mountain Bell by Western Electric, Joe could find errors in them by just listening to their tones. He was so good at it he could find the specific location of the trouble among all the wires and switches of the network.
Some of his workmates said he would tease and joke with them often making fun of himself. He didn’t think of his blindness as a handicap. Someone thought his dog’s name was Popcorn. His cane’s name was Edith.
Once a pregnant clerk on the switching staff al-lowed Joe to listen at her tummy just as the baby moved. The Network Technicians, who were there, said his an-gelic smile lit up the room. Each day after that Joe asked about her and the baby’s health.
There were often school tours of the switching cen-ter in Denver back then. No tour was complete without taking the kids to see the “Whistling Marvel.” Joe would go out of his way to delight them.
He moved to Minneapolis in 1982. He loved chil-dren. He remained active with them in unique ways: with his shows, his volunteer readings at the library and setting up telephone calls to terminally ill children around the world. He was an avid fan of Mr. Rogers and listened to all his programs.
He decided to return to the childhood he never had. He wanted to remain five years old forever. He once said, “When you’re playing and you’re just you, powerful things happen.” He changed his name to Joybubbles be-cause, he said, “it made people smile.”
Those retired Telephone Company people who con-tributed to this article and had lost track of Joe ex-pressed a sincere sense of sorrow when they were told that he died in 2007.
Some of them remembered Joe very well and when they were told he’d changed his name to Joybubbles—some laughed and some just chuckled.
JOYBUBBLES
Gone But Not Forgotten: Deaths thru May 2012
COLORADO DEATHS
Barber, Patricia Carol
Burchett, Irene
Burnett, Meribelle
Burns, Robert Gordon Jr
Ferguson, Ronald W.
Gillespie, C. Douglas
Heath, Rodman H. (Rod)
Humphrey, Margaret
(Marge)
Keller, Albert S.
Leonard, Albert (Al)
Lester, Linda Diane
Pastore (Schuett), Linda L.
Patterson, Tom
Pimple, William D.
Romsos, E. Duane
Smith, Merlin E. (Smitty)
Soli, Douglas Warren
Unger, Clay
Wilkison, Rodney (Rod)
Wisner, Richard E.
NEW MEXICO DEATHS
Bailey, Jerry Don
Long, Ray E.
Smith, Jean (Gigi)
York, Jimmy Frank
OTHER DEATHS
ARIZONA
Schwede, Agnes S. (Aggie)
CALIFORNIA
Barber, Marjorie
Koester-Adams, Helen R.
UTAH
Taylor, Merle
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 10 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
Upcoming Medicare 101 Classes If you are turning 65 this year, or if you want to get a head start on Medicare Open Enrollment for 2013, then you may want to attend a Medicare 101 class. These classes are of-fered free of charge by the state SHIP (Senior Health Insur-ance Assistance Program) WYOMING Wyoming Senior Citizens, Inc. will offer the following spe-cial classes for CenturyLink retirees. Call Jean Drucker at 307-632-8470 to sign up. Cheyenne: June 19 at the Country Buffet located at Fron-tier Mall at 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM Casper: July 2, at the Casper Senior Center, 1831 E. 4th Street at 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM COLORADO Denver: Special classes for CenturyLink retirees will be held August 1, and October 31 at 9 AM at the Health Pass-port office, 4200 W. Conejos Place, Suite 200, Denver. To sign up, call Barbara Wilcox at 303-377-5761. The following classes are open to anyone: Boulder: June 7, July 5, Aug. 2, Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6, 2:00-4:00 PM, 3482 N. Broadway (Sundquist Building). Call 303-441-1546 to register. Colorado Springs: June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17. Senior Insurance Assistance, Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, 14 S. Chestnut St. Call 719-635-4891 to register. Denver Metro: Call 720-321-8940 to register. Every third Friday, 1:00-2:00 PM, Belmar, 463 S. Vance
St., Lakewood Every second Tuesday, 9:00-10:00 AM, Health Passport
Office, 4200 W. Conejos, Suite 200, Denver Every fourth Thursday, 2:00-3:00PM, St. Anthony
North Hospital, 2551 W. 84th Ave, Westminster
Every first Wednesday, 6:00-7:00 PM, Van Gordon Of-fice, 34 Van Gordon, Suite 220, Lakewood
Estes Park: June 19, 1:00-2:30 PM, Estes Park Senior Cen-ter, 200 Fourth St. Call 970-495-8560 to register. Fort Collins: June 13, 6:00-7:30 PM. Poudre Valley Hospi-tal, Cafe F. Call 970-495-8560 to register. Grand Junction: The first Wednesday in June, July, Aug. and Sept. RSVP offices at 422 White Ave. lower level. Call 970-243-9839 to register. Greeley: June 12, 6:00-7:30 PM, Greeley Senior Center, 1010 6th St. Call 970-495-8560 to register. Lafayette: Aug. 24, Nov. 9, 1:30-3:30 PM, 103 S. Iowa Ave. (Senior Center). Call 303-665-9052 to register. Longmont: June 18, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, Dec. 17, 10:00am-noon. Also July 3, Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Dec. 11, 5:30-7:30 PM. 910 Longs Peak Ave. (Senior Center). Call 303-651-8411 to register. Louisville: Sept. 13, Dec. 13, 10:00 AM to noon. 900 W. Via Appia (Senior Center). Call 303-666-7400 to register. Loveland: July 31, 6:00-7:30 PM, Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave. Call 970-624-1860 to register. For further help with Medicare, call Colorado SHIP at 1-888-696-7213 or Wyoming Senior Citizens, Inc at 1-800-856-4398. For further information about your company benefits and how they may change when you go on Medicare, con-tact the CenturyLink Service Center at 1-800-729-7526. Barbara Wilcox Health Care Specialist 303-377-5761
Medicare Part B Reimbursements ‘Fixed’ Pre-1991 Medicare recipients and their eligible spouses receive monthly reimbursement for their Part B pre-
miums which are deducted from their Social Security. Beginning in 2012 when the Part B premiums in-
creased, a ‘glitch’ was found that continued reimbursements at the 2011 amount.
AUSWR Retiree Advocate Ombudsman Jim Heinze reports that working with CenturyLink staff has fixed the
problems. All reimbursements are now current and at the correct amount. If you are a pre-1991 retiree and
have questions or believe your reimbursement is not correct, please contact Jim at 303-442-1831.
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 11 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
AUSWR CO/WY New Membership Application or Member Change/Renewal Form
CHECK ONE: New Member[___] Annual Renewal [___] Change(s) Only [___] (Please Print) _____________________________________________ ______________________________________ Last Name First Name _____________________________________________ ______________________________________ Last Name (If Dual Membership (e.g., husband and wife) First Name Address _______________________________________________________________________________
City ______________________________________________ State __ __ Zip Code __ __ __ __ __
Phone _____________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________
I would like to volunteer in the following areas:(you will be contacted)
Area Rep[__] Membership[__] Financial[__] Legislative[__] Media Relations[__] Other (specify) ________________________________________________________________________ I Retired from: (Company) __________________________________ Date ___________________
Spouse: (Company) __________________________________________ Date ___________________
I am an active employee: (Company) _______________________
Spouse active employee: (Company) _______________________
I own CenturyLink Stock (circle one): Y N Spouse (Circle one): Y N Annual Dues: ($20.00 single $40.00 dual membership) $__________ Donation $_________ Mail completed Form to: AUSWR CO/WY, PO Box 27027, Denver, CO 80227-0027
Board of Directors CO/WY
Colorado President Hazel Floyd—303-455-1535
Wyoming Co-Presidents
Bob & Jean Rucker—307-632-8470 [email protected]
Vice President-Communications
LaVerne Lanskey—303-770-4147 [email protected]
Vice President-Membership
John Rommelfanger—303-475-8225 [email protected]
Secretary
Don Warsavage—303-776-7782 [email protected]
Treasurer-Receipts/Budget Bill Campbell—303-988-2800
Treasurer-Disbursements
Pat Wood—303-985-8827 [email protected]
Health Care Specialist
Barbara Wilcox—303-377-5761 [email protected]
Legislative Representative
Pat Finley—303-425-0804 [email protected]
Database Manager
Dale Thompson—303-439-8796 [email protected]
E-mail Editor
Bill Alsdorf—303-659-4189 [email protected]
Newsletter Editor Pam Davis—303-932-7533
CWA/Legislative Rep
Harvey Hoffman—303-733-1955 [email protected]
CO/WY Retiree Advocate
Jim Heinze—303-442-1831 [email protected]
Past President 2007-09
Joe Halpern [email protected]
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 the form above.
ALSO on the back page of this newsletter, your membership expiration date is included
on the mailing address. If your expiration date is near, use the form above to submit your
annual dues unless you have already done so.
IF YOU KNOW of any prospective members who have not yet joined the Association,
please provide them with a copy of the Membership Application form, or have them
contact John Rommelfanger, Vice President of Membership at 303-475-8225. A copy of
the form can also be printed from our web site at www.uswestretiree.org.
IMPORTANT TAX INFORMATION The AUSWR CO/WY is authorized as a
nonprofit tax-exempt organization however, dues and donations are NOT DEDUCTIBLE
on your personal tax return. Records are available via written request at P.O. Box 27027,
Denver, CO 80227.
Wyoming Area Representatives Out of State Members Contact
Casper Area
Gary Overturf—303-527-9005
Lander-Riverton
Jim Reddon—307-856-6833
Cheyenne Area
Dorothy Rhoades—307-235-4501
John Rommelfanger 303-475-8225
Retiree Guardian—2012 Issue 2 June 12 Colorado—Wyoming—New Mexico Edition
AUSWR CO/WY P.O. Box 27027 Denver, CO 80227
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Arvada Betty Moore—303-936-7917
Aurora Pat Finley —303-425-0804
Boulder/Longmont Volunteer Needed
Contact John Rommelfanger 303-475-8225
Broomfield John & Veronica Rommelfanger
303-475-8225—[email protected]
Castle Rock/Monument Charley Heard—303-660-9593
Colorado Springs Ralph Rohrig—719-550-8267
Denver East Ed Arnold—303-321-7766
Denver Southeast Robert Wiswell—720-859-7641
Denver Southwest Jim Hodges—303-798-3213
Englewood
Ed Payne-303-781-2222
Fort Collins/Loveland Chuck Rider—970-267-0817
Fort Morgan John Jump—970-867-7221
Golden
Bonnie Carter—303-279-6902
Grand Junction/Durango Jean Waid—970-256-0606
Greeley
Chuck Rider—970-267-0817
Lakewood Don Hinkley—303-988-0095
Littleton (80220—80222) Ed Dinkins—303-794-6625
Littleton (80223—80225—80227) LaVerne Lanskey—303-770-4147
Littleton (80224—80226—80228)
Tom Spall—303-768-9454
Middle Park Shirley Willis—970-468-0277
Parker/Sedalia Volunteer Needed
Contact John Rommelfanger 303-475-8225
Pueblo/South Park Tony Juarez—719-546-6065
South East Colorado Wesley Colvin—719-384-2436
Thornton/Brighton Volunteer Needed
Contact John Rommelfanger 303-475-8225
Westminster/Wheat Ridge Alice M. Peterson—303-424-7609
COLORADO AREA REPRESENTATIVES 2011
—Change Your Home Address? —Or Phone Number? —Or Email Address? PLEASE CHECK THE MAIL LABEL AND LET US KNOW YOUR CHANGES You can help us save $$$ in return postage, if we have your new address, phone no & email address. Contact Dale Thompson 303-439-8796 or [email protected] Or send a note to: AUSWR PO Box 27027 Denver, CO 80227-0027 Visit your website:
AUSWR.org