Greetings,

Thursday November 5, 2009

IBEW Local 21 Retiree Benefit Enrollment Trouble at AT&T

If you attended any of the retiree overview meetings, you expected your 2010 Health Care open enrollment form to contain everything our Union bargaining team negotiated and reviewed with you at the meetings. So did we, but AT&T has once again shown their contempt for our Union and retirees by sending out confusing information and omitted retiree benefits that were negotiated.

The IBEW Local 21 benefits department made numerous calls and sent many emails which went unanswered.  After getting, the run around a meeting has been scheduled in an attempt to resolve these omissions and errors made by AT&T.

The following are issues we will be discussing with AT&T:

• There are two open enrollment periods for retiree groups. There is confusion as to which retirees fall into each wave.
• SBC retirees who were not previously "flex enrollees" were included as "flex enrollees."
• No vision care option was included in the open enrollment form.
• Some retiree benefit comparison sheets do not show BC/BS as an available option.
• United Healthcare Network is shown as the only option in some areas under the alternative option.
• Some retiree packages do not show wellness/preventative services being covered at 100% before deductibles.
• Numerous questions need to be addressed on who will administrate or be the provider of the plan if the retiree is on Medicare or has a split family situation.
• We have a dispute with AT&T over the HRA regarding the method in which retirees can access funds for eligible expenses.

In the meantime open enrollment has begun do not delay making your elections, IBEW Local 21 will pursue each of these issues until we get what we bargained.

When we have more information, it will be shared with retirees. 

Solidarity!