Frequently Asked Questions

Who can become an LRO member?

LRO membership is open to current retirees with a Lucent pension, a person vested for a Lucent pension, or the spouse of any such retiree or vested person.

Do LRO leaders receive compensation for serving in their positions?

No. All LRO officers and directors participate on a volunteer basis with no compensation for their efforts. Monies collected in the form of dues are used to pay expenses directly related to the furtherance of the LRO Mission. The LRO is a non-profit organization and its financial records are audited by the CPA firm of Malesardi, Quackenbush, Swift & Company LLC located in Englewood, NJ.

What can LRO members do to help the organization?

A. In addition to providing your support through your financial contribution, here are a few things that with a little effort will yield big rewards:
--Recruit new members;
--Volunteer to help with LRO projects like investigating healthcare issues; dig into information on the pension plan, or moderate a message board on the LRO website. Respond to one of the "Job Ads" on this website or notify your Regional Director about your interest in helping;
--Write or call your Congressman, Senators and the President to urge their support for HR 1322. Ask them why they are allowing Lucent and many American companies to break their commitments to their retirees.
--Send a "Letter to the Editor" of your local newspaper about the need for protecting retirees' pensions and benefits;
--Voice your opinion through letters to Lucent executives and Board members, such as Patricia Russo and Henry Schacht. Tell them your concerns about the security of your pension and the reductions in your benefits;
--Spread the word about the LRO at Pioneer meetings and rally their support on issues the LRO is endorsing or opposing;
--If you are a member of the AARP, contact officers in your area and urge them to partner with the LRO.

Why should I become a member of LRO?

In recent years retirees from many American companies have found it important to band together to have a stronger voice with companies where they spent most of their careers. Likewise, a growing number of Lucent retirees have become LRO members in order to have a stronger voice for safeguarding their pension and benefits. In addition, the LRO is attempting to help Lucent return to being the global telecommunications leader it once was. Having a financially strong Lucent is the best way to protect our pension and benefits.

When do I need to renew my dues?

Dues for the LRO is on a calendar year basis. LRO members are encouraged to pay their $25 annual dues each January, or as soon as possible thereafter. Over 160 of our members have made lifetime contributions of $350. If you paid dues last year, you will receive an email reminder on the twelve month anniversary of your payment. Send your check or money order to: LRO Inc, P O Box 1535, Cranford, N.J. 07016; or, if you prefer to pay by credit card through the LRO Website at www.lucentretirees.com . Please do not send cash.

Why is it necessary to pay an annual $25 membership fee to be an LRO member?

While the annual $25 membership dues or a lifetime $350 contribution is not mandatory to be an LRO member, all Lucent retirees who can afford to pay the dues or make the contribution are requested to do so. We will accept any amount of donation. There must be funds to cover certain expenses associated with operating the organization, such as the LRO website, postage for mailings to retirees, conference calls among LRO leaders to make decisions, occasional trips for officers to meet with Lucent executives, and fees to gain legal advice/support from attorneys. All LRO officers and volunteers provide their time and talents with no financial gain.

When I try to verify my membership, the system does not recognize me.

The real key to access is your registration id that is in the confirmation email that you receive when you join or change information. If you don't know your registration id, your last name and email address must match the information in our database. In most cases the problem is that the member has changed email addresses. Please use the last email address that you gave us and then update your address. If you continue to have difficulty, email registration@lucentretirees.com.

When I verify membership, change my data, or pay my dues, I do not receive a confirmation email.

Confirmation emails are sent automatically in all these instances. They are sent to the email address in our record and they are sent from registration@lucentretirees.com. Make sure you have that email address in your address book. Otherwise, your mail program may reject the message or put it in a spam file.

To prevent spam filters from filing your reservation confirmation emails as bulk or junk mail, follow these quick steps:

* Hotmail, Yahoo and AOL Users: Click the "Add Address" or "Save Address" button or link beside the "From" address at the top of the LRO message.

* Outlook Users: From the Actions menu, select Junk E-mail and "Add Sender to Safe Senders List"

* Users of Other Email Systems: Please follow the software or service-provider's instructions for adding registration@lucentretirees.com and lro_message@lucentretirees.com to your "safe senders list" or "whitelist."

I can't read Adobe .pdf files.
Adobe .pdf files are very slow coming up.

Make sure you have the latest edition of the Adobe Reader. Its faster.

The latest edition can be downloaded free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

If you use Internet Explorer, its also a good idea to update to version 7, which is compatible with Adobe and has better security features. If you are an AOL user, make sure you are using version 9.

How can the LRO represent retirees who were represented by unions prior to retirement?

The LRO in no way presents itself as being an organization that usurps any of the powers that the CWA, IBEW or other unions have to speak for their retirees. The LRO is finding that in most cases it is in concert with the unions on issues important to the well being of retirees. Approximately 13% of our membership is represented by unions.

Does the LRO intend to file any lawsuits against Lucent to restore benefits that have been taken away from retirees?

Legally, the LRO cannot file a class action lawsuit against Lucent. Only retirees who feel they have been harmed by a Lucent decision can be parties in a class action lawsuit. However, the LRO, in certain situations, may assist retirees in dealing with attorneys, developing the case, and providing some financial support toward expenses associated with a lawsuit.

Does the LRO encourage retirees to file lawsuits against Lucent to recover lost benefits, such as the Death Benefit?

The LRO has been instrumental in bringing together retirees and attorneys who have an interest in exploring the potential of a class action lawsuit to restore the Death Benefit. LRO leaders are interested in having a dialogue with any retiree who is considering legal action against Lucent.

What type of influence does the LRO hope to have with government officials who create laws and policies that impact Social Security, Medicare and other retiree benefits?

With the leadership provided by the LRO’s Government Affairs Director, we are staying abreast of legislation in Washington, D.C. and in state capitals. In addition, the rule making activities of government agencies such as the Department of Labor and the Securities and Exchange Commission are being monitored. When necessary, we have asked our members to write their government leaders to support or oppose proposed legislation or policies. In addition, we regularly partner with other retiree organizations to take stands on issues. When we tell an elected official that the LRO addresses the interests of 127,000 retirees, their spouses and dependents, they tend to pay attention.

What was the "Death Benefit" that Lucent cancelled?

In a letter dated January 2, 2003, Lucent notified U.S. management retirees—regardless of their retirement date—that their Death Benefit would be eliminated on February 1, 2003. The Death Benefit was, to quote the pension plan,

"In the event of death by accident, the maximum Accident Death Benefit specified in Paragraph 1 of this Section, or in the event of death by sickness, the maximum Sickness Death Benefit specified in Paragraph 2 of this Section, shall be paid, subject to the provisions of Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph 4, to the spouse of the deceased employee if living with him at the time of his death, or to the unmarried child or children of the deceased employee under the age of 23 years. . . or a dependent parent. . . "

Retirees currently still have their Life Insurance Benefit. The Life Insurance Benefit is the equivalent to one year’s salary at the time of retirement until age 65. Thereafter, the Life Insurance Benefit declines 10 percent per year until age 70 when it stabilizes at 50 percent of the annual salary.

Because competition is supposed to, in theory, lead to lower prices, why has Lucent reduced the number of sources for purchasing prescription drugs?

Retail Pharmacy Network has been established through Medco Health. This network was established with the objective of obtaining the deepest possible discounts while ensuring that all Lucent prescription drug plan participants have reasonably convenient access to a retail pharmacy. Once the access is established, the most effective way to obtain deep discounts is to restrict the size of the network, according to Lucent. Pharmacies are more willing to agree to a discount if they get some measure of exclusivity. The competition really takes place when the network is created, discounts are negotiated and set and the participating pharmacies are determined.

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Some American cities are placing its employees under health care plans that allow participants’ prescriptions to be filled cheaper via mail order from Canadian pharmacies. Why doesn’t Lucent offer this option to its retirees?

Lucent’s response to this question is that it is still illegal to import prescription drugs from Canada. Individuals may do it voluntarily, but as a company, Lucent says it can’t condone it. (Although the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would allow prescription drugs to be imported from Canada, the U.S. Senate must still act on this issue.)

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As a way to reduce its health care costs, why doesn’t Lucent offer its retirees a choice of: (a) high premiums and low copays, or (b) low premiums and high copays? This question is based on the premise that copays are so cheap with a 3rd party paying most of the bill that people excessively and unnecessarily visit doctors.

Lucent says it is creating alternatives for retirees, but not exactly as the one in this question. Lucent acknowledges that when people have a greater financial interest, they are more attentive to how they spend money. Lucent maintains it is aware of the motivating power of the pocketbook and takes that into consideration in the design of its health care plan for retirees.
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Why should I consider using a generic drug when my doctor has prescribed a specific name brand drug?

Since the LRO is always seeking ways to reduce health care costs without impacting the quality of care that retirees receive, we asked Lucent and Hewitt Associates to provide us information on the issue of generic drugs. Please click here and here to read two very informative documents about generic drugs.

I have received emails from LRO containing a virus. What's going on?

A few members have asked about viruses in e-mails with the LRO return address.
Click here for the full story.

I can't log in to the Member Message Board!

No login is necessary to read messages. In order to post messages, the Member Message Board requires a separate login id and password. This is unfortunately necessary to make it more difficult for spammers. For help, go to login help on the message board. Or click here.

What happens to my pension if Alcatel-Lucent can not afford the pension plan?
This question is explained in the Benefits tab on our website. Go to Benefits Advice to LRO Members, and look for Pensions.

Suggestions and comments about this website should be addressed to webmaster@lucentretirees.com
Last modified: July 13, 2008
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