The Bell Effect

Today, we are joined by Edward Stone, BellTel's Special Legal Counsel and the Executive Director of Retirees for Justice. Stone joins us to discuss PHL Variable, a large regional insurance company that recently filed for liquidation. He walks us through what policy and annuity holders should expect, what caused the issues in the first place, and what retirees and policyholders from other insur...

Today we are joined by Una Kelly, one of the first women in New York City to work in electronic switching. Now Treasurer of the Association of BellTel Retirees, Una tells us why she got off the sidelines in retirement and joined the fight against the corporate erosion of retiree and worker pensions, healthcare, and other earned benefits. Una explains what actions retirees and current employees ali...

On this episode of The Bell Effect, we hear from Laura Whitlock, a former Executive Director of the Pioneers. Since departing the Pioneers, Laura has become an active and dynamic volunteer with the Association of BellTel Retirees, serving as a board director of our Association for the past two years and counting. Laura speaks about the rich history of the Pioneers as well as why retirees in the te...

Welcome to the reboot of The Bell Effect, a podcast dedicated to the generations of workers who helped build this country’s great communications infrastructure. In this episode, we will hear from leaders of the Association of BellTel Retirees about the fallout from Verizon’s massive 2024 pension risk transfer deal, a $5.9 billion transaction that offloaded the pensions of 56,000 retirees to Pruden...

On this episode of the Bell Effect podcast, we interview Association of BellTel Retirees Chief Financial Officer, Frank Bruzek, who will speak on the non-profit Association's 2024 shareholder proxy campaign at Verizon. The second item he will address is the Senior Executive Compensation Clawback Proxy, which is Item #6 on the ballot. Please note that the Verizon annual meeting will be held vir...

On this episode of the Bell Effect podcast we interview Association of BellTel Retirees Chief Financial Officer, Frank Bruzek; who will speak about the non-profit association's 2024 shareholder proxy campaign at Verizon. The first item he will address is the Lead-Sheathed Cable Proxy, which is Item #9 on the ballot. Please note that the Verizon annual meeting will be held virtually on May 9th...

The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here: https://fnblipayments.com/#/person/create/target/0J9YR7PQTKMMU61W/ You can find more information on our website: Bel...

The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here: https://belltelretirees.org/Donate-Now/ You can find more information on our website: BellTelRetirees.org Send any q...

The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System.

The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here: https://fnblipayments.com/#/person/create/target/0J9YR7PQTKMMU61W/ You can find more information on our website: Bel...

The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here: https://fnblipayments.com/#/person/create/target/0J9YR7PQTKMMU61W/ You can find more information on our website: Bel...

Association Chairman Thomas Steed gives his winter report. The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here: https://fnblipayments.com/#/person/create/target/0J9YR7PQ...

Don't forget to check out our Newsletter on the BellTel website! The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here: https://fnblipayments.com/#/person/create/target/0J...

Association Chairman Thomas Steed makes his Summer Chairman's Report. The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here: https://fnblipayments.com/#/person/create/targ...

The Association of BellTel Retirees partnered with Barasch & McGarry, lawyers for the 9/11 Community, to bring you a Webinar on the Toxic Connections between the 1975 NY Telephone Company Fire and 9/11.  Webinar Speakers:  Dr. James Dahlgren, Environmental Scientist and Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA School of Medicine Tom Steed, Association of BellTel Retirees, Chairman Dan No...

Association Chairman Thomas Steed announces the quarterly Newsletter, which should be hitting your mailboxes right now! Make sure to give the Spring Newsletter a read online here: https://belltelretirees.org/spring-2022-newsletter-now-available/ The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the curren...

New Chairman Thomas Steed speaks to the membership and looks ahead to 2022. The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the current and future beneficiaries of the companies derived and evolving from the original Bell System. You can Donate to the cause here. You can find more information on our web...

Welcome back to the Bell Effect! Our final episode in this miniseries covering the 2021 Association of BellTel Member Meeting will highlight Edward Stone, retiree advocate and BellTel Special Counsel. Stone has been working with the Association for over a decade and is also leading the non-profit, Retirees for Justice. Retirees for Justice is focused on legislative and government issues and causes...

This episode we are spotlighting Assistant Treasurer Thomas Steed and his presentation from the 2021 Association of BellTel Retirees Annual Member Meeting. Thomas Steed outlines two different Sickness Death Benefits you might not have known were available to you. In retirement these benefits will be essential for your would be widowers or children and grandchildren. The Association of BellTel Reti...

Retired FDNY Chief Richie Alles and 9/11 Legal Advocate Michael Barasch address retirees about benefits they may be entitled to if they were in New York City on or after 9/11 at the Association of BellTel Retirees at their annual member meeting 2021. The Association of BellTel Retirees are dedicated to promoting the protection and enhancement of the pensions and benefits for all retirees and the c...

We continue our miniseries highlighting speakers from the Association of BellTel Retirees 2021 Annual Member Meeting. This next speaker is Laura Whitlock, Interim Executive Director of the Pioneers, a Retiree non-profit volunteer organization, pledges partnership with The Association of BellTel Retirees to boost each other's membership and support each other's interests. The Association of BellTel...

Thousands of members have participated so far in the Association of BellTel Retirees 2021 virtual annual membership meeting. The full presentation is available for viewing on the BellTel YouTube Channel. In the next few episodes, we will be highlighting key speakers from this year's meeting. The first of the key speakers from the event is Jack Cohen who is introduced by Acting Association Chairman...

Join BellTel Chairman Jack Cohen as he previews the upcoming Fall Months, including the 2021 Members Meeting, which will be held "virtually" on October 13th!  ____________________________________________________________________  This year, we are planning to hold a virtual Q&A session where you, the members, can ask questions to the Board about the key issues and concerns that you wa...

In this spotlight of one of our retirees, we sat down with AT&T retiree, John Suhr, as he discussed his story starting with the company at a young age and many of the career similarities and concerns that come with being a Bell System retiree.

Highlights from this newsletter, which should arrive in mailboxes by mid June,  include 2021 proxy season results and BIG TIME national media impact including front page coverage in Crain's New York Business, Marketwatch and others, a piece on what to do if you are thinking about retiring, a call for YOU to get involved in YOUR Association, and continuing to look back on our 25th anniversary!