Embarq Abandons Retirees, Seeks to End Health Care Coverage

CWA is prepared to do whatever it takes to make certain that Embarq Corp., formerly Sprint Corp.'s local telephone operations, lives up to its commitments to active and retired workers. CWA represents about 4,000 active workers at Embarq.

The company announced that it would eliminate health care coverage for Medicare eligible retirees beginning January 1. In meetings with Embarq officials, CWA has stressed that this breaks a clear promise that Sprint and Embarq made to workers about their health care coverage in retirement. Retirees and their families will face higher costs and a likely reduction in services covered, depending on their medical needs. 

"Sprint and Embarq actively pressed workers to retire within certain timeframes and said that retiring workers would maintain their health care coverage. Those workers not choosing to retire on the company's timetable were shifted into another health care plan. Clearly, Embarq is reneging on its commitment to workers and CWA isn't going to let that happen," said Jimmy Gurganus, vice president for telecommunications at CWA.