About

       History of the CenturyLink Retirees                                                                                                                        (Previously the Association of U S west Retirees)

The 14-state regional Association of U S West Retirees (AUSWR), representing over 49,500 retirees and surviving spouses of CenturyLink/Qwest, U S WEST, and their predecessor companies formed in 1995, with the Mission statement: “To preserve and protect the pension and benefits that we earned,” and dissolved in 2013, leaving two affiliated state organizations which continue to represent telephone retirees in all states. The AUSWR Colorado/Wyoming and NWB Qwest-U S WEST associations continued on with the the challenges of representing retirees to companies of Qwest, CenturyLink, and now Lumen as In 2021 our name changed to the CenturyLink Retirees, but we remain committed to our primary goal of being “a point of contact for retirees concerning pensions, benefits and health care.” 

In 2021 our name changed to the CenturyLink Retirees Association, but our goals and commitment to the retirees remain the same!

Health care and life insurance protections are hallmarks of success for the CenturyLink Retirees Association and affiliated groups.

If you retired after 1990... the Mimi Hull 5-year Agreement

Mimi Hull

In April 2012, former AUSWR director Mimi Hull successfully negotiated an agreement with CenturyLink Officers that provides Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA) for Medicare-eligible retirees and spouses. These monthly reimbursements make health care secure and affordable. The protection of our $10,000 Group Life Insurance for five years is included in the agreement. Drafting this agreement for the HRA and life insurance was given to Curtis L. Kennedy, litigation attorney, who created the language that CenturyLink officers quickly approved. Now we look forward to working with CenturyLink executives to extend the agreement beyond its expiration in 2017.

If you retired on or before 1990... the Nelson Phelps Health Care Settlement

Nelson Phelps

Nels realized by 1992 that as a 1990 retiree, health care “promised” by U S WEST could change because of benefit-plan language allowing the company the discretion to make changes. Who did he call? Curtis Kennedy, of course, to file legal action that guarantees ALL retirees who retired in 1990 or before (plus ERO retirees) would keep their promised health care benefits for life. Curtis’s legal action agreement is binding on all future mergers of Qwest and CenturyLink.    It’s health care for life!

We are affiliated with the NRLN. Go to http://www.nrln.org/

The CenturyLink Retirees (previously AUSWR) is a founding member of the National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN). The NRLN is a nonpartisan, grassroots federation of retiree organizations working at the national level, lobbying Congress to protect and enhance retiree health and pensions benefits.