AT&T retirees were surprised when the company recently sent information related to open enrollment for the retiree medical benefits. Retirees under the age of 65, who are not eligible for Medicare, saw premium increases of hundreds of dollars a month for coverage under the standard PPO plan. Retirees on Medicare saw a jump in premiums of about 500% for supplemental insurance. CWA and the Alliance believe that the company should have done more for retirees, as AT&T enjoys healthy profits and significant dividends for shareholders. “Corporate executives should do more to assure that former employees who built the company have quality, affordable health care, and don’t flounder in unilateral, drastic and unprecedented increases,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance For Retired Americans..
Some in the company told retirees that the reason for the extraordinary increases is the Affordable Care Act. Nothing could be further than the truth. In fact, there are two provisions of the Affordable Care Act that would impact AT&T’s retiree health plan. First, it improves Medicare by including full coverage of preventive care and recapturing overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans. Second, the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program set aside funds for employers who offer retiree health benefits, rebating $213.8 million to AT&T between 2011 and 2012 to offset the cost of claims from early retirees. Both these provisions eased the company’s cost burden, but AT&T has chosen not to share that cost relief with retirees.
In 2012, AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson earned $22.23 million, 642 times the average worker’s pay ($34,645). Please take action and tell him that passing down increases to the tune of 500% in monthly premiums for supplemental health care is uncalled for. Send him an email by using this link: [http://bit.ly/1cKhZ3m] or send him a letter: Randall L. Stephenson / Chairman, Chief Executive Officer / AT&T Corporation / 208 South Akard Street / Dallas, Texas 75202-4206.
well it seems like when they took back over from bell south we got screwed again at&t has never treated its employees fairly and will continue to treat them unfairly unless its employees tell them they have had enough and walk out the door , I was medically retired from bell south after 35 years and felt I was treated fairly by the company until AT&T took back the reigns the current employees cant wait to get out they are digusted with the current company and so are the retirees
This is not AT&T that is doing this to us. This is some rinky dink soutwest co bought at&t just like if you buy a maytag you are really getting a whilpool. The days of protest are over the companies can do whatever they want to their employees. We need to find another form of protest.
Don’t accept unfair contracts. As usual the Company throws Millions at unworthy management higher ups (the money takers), while at the same time screwing the lower end management personnel (big surprise). The craft side of the Company, the workers, the money makers are also taking it in the end, doing more with less on less than desirable schedule’s. If that wasn’t enough, in they’re efforts to be fair and spread it around, they decided to screw the retiree’s. So don’t be too narrow minded come contract time, remember the screwing we’ve all been taking, and don’t accept more of the same. Protect you and your families today’s and tomorrow’s and get a fair contract. look to the future, someday hopefully we’ll make it to retirement and need the benefits we worked our whole career’s to get. Don’t let the Company continue to screw us now and into the future. Don’t accept a short term offering to a long term problem. Job security, wage and benefit improvements, and retiree benefits need to all be a part of a package. Anything less is another screwing with the only happy ending being with the Company. Both sides should come together and have a mutual happy ending. Fair contract or walk! Remember we may need to sacrifice now and walk into a better future.
If they decide to go out on strike I for one willgo walk with the employees and can only hope that other retirees will do the same.