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AT&T Retirees Settle November 25, 2003 Approximately 50,000 Lucent Technologies and AT&T retirees are eligible to receive 700 free long distance minutes due to the settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against the companies. Those eligible are IBEW and Communications Workers of America (CWA) members who retired between 1984 and 1999. All members of the class included in Joseph Ponder vs. AT&T and Lucent Technologies should have received notification of the settlement by the U.S. District Court, said plaintiffs attorney Terrence Goodman. The suit stems from a benefit negotiated by IBEW and CWA with AT&T that entitled members to $25 per month of free long distance. After AT&T spun some of its business units into Lucent, the successor company in 1999 required its retirees to sign waivers that converted the free long distance to a $25 a month pension increase. Under the terms of this settlement, that $25 pension increase will not be affected. But it also entitles all retirees to 700 minutes of free long distance, even those who signed the waiver. "The response has been pretty favorable," Goodman said, "especially when they realized they were going to keep their $25 a month benefit and also get the additional benefit of the 700 minutes." The settlement is the result of a suit brought by CWA member Ponder, who declined to sign the waiver Lucent required for the $25 monthly cash benefit. He and 800 others who refused to authorize the benefit change will be reimbursed retroactively $25 per month since 1999. Those retirees will also being to receive $25 monthly pension increases. The settlement must be approved by the U.S. District Court judge in the case, Goodman said. Goodman said to retirees must complete the claim form and return it by January 5, 2004. Anyone with questions should call the law firm of Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley at 513-621-0267.
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