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The above defines carefully defines the changes for the year. Read both carefully to fully understand changes that may affect you and your family. Sears-Benefits will not issue a new Plan Booklet for 2001, thus you are urged to keep both pieces of the above with the year 1999 booklet. If you wish to make changes to your Sears medical choices as outlined in your Summary, you must contact the Sears Retiree Service Center at 1-800-762-7327 or at Sears retiree web site (www.retirees.sears.com) no later than Nov. 5, 2000. You do not need to call if you do not want to make changes. We will be referring to several web sites and if you do not have access to a computer, you may wish to ask a friend or visit your local library to assist you in your search. The BIG news is that many who were previously enrolled in an HMO, you may find yourself without a HMO in year 2001. Many plans are skipping out...again! And those in a Sears supported PPO or Plan "E" may find they do not have an HMO available. Costs have increased due to: HMO increases and Sears 1996 freezing of their portion of your health care contribution. Don't let anger color your better judgment! Your attention is further called to N.A.R.S.E.'s September 2000 edition of "STRAIGHT TALK" which offers further illumination. MEDICARE, POST- 65 years of age and over If a managed care plan leaves Medicare, your current plan will expire on December 31, 2000. You will then be covered by the original Medicare Plan. But if you want "extras" not covered in the Medicare program, you'll need to locally determine available Medicare managed care or supplemental plans. PLAN "E" Changes WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? 1. Original Medicare Plan 2. Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) 3. Medicare Managed Care 4. The proceeding is not to be
considered a solicitation or support of AARP by N.A.R.S.E., but intended
as resource information only. 5. Sears has added a new retiree web
site that offers excellent links to appropriate areas. PRE-65 PPO Plan- ages 50 to 64 It is particularly troubling for those who are pre-65, and who did not previously continue with Sears PPO. Hopefully if you are not with Sears PPO Plan, you are able to research and locate a compatible HMO in your region. The following comment is not to be considered a solicitation nor support of AARP by N.A.R.S.E., but you may wish to call AARP at: 1-800-523-5800 to review Group plans they have available or visit their web site at: www.aarphealthcare.com/screen.asp?ReturnURL=hoption/options.asp Sears PPO Plan changes Sears has made some good enhancements to this year's plan. While there has been dropping of coverage's by some carriers, Sears-Benefits has lowered the Annual Deductible for individuals from $300 to $150 and cut in half the Annual Maximum of Pocket Deductible individuals from $2,000 to $1,000 and family from $4,000 to $2,000. Again, drug costs for name brand has increased by $5 with generic being held at the prior cost. Suggestions to look for before you join a plan Ask if your current physicians are in the network. Call the health plan's customer service for that Information, as most directories are outdated. Ask your doctors whether they are satisfied with the plan they are in and how long the contract runs. Doctors move in and out of networks depending on their level of satisfaction. Ask about prescription coverage or
discount drugs. A word of caution - Some HMO's have been
dropped by Sears.
Watch for the "Sears Retiree News" which the company is now in the process of mailing its Fall issue. It contains very important information which you will want read carefully and retain regarding the upcoming annual election period and Sears Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Group Medical Plan E. Sears-Benefits has advised that there will not be a new booklet this year, thus you should retain and mark any changes in the latest booklet issued in October 1999 upon receipt of your election kit. Annual election kits will be sent out in three waves commencing on October 9 through the 26th and some area elections can be made until Nov. 17. They are working on enrollment over the web. Allow for sufficient mailing time to your area. If there are questions regarding the Plans, please do not call the Retiree Service Center until you receive your package and had an opportunity to thoroughly review. There are some good enhancements in the Pre-65 PPO Plan. But, some HMO's for Post-65 Medicare have increased the rates so significantly that they have been dropped. Prescription drug prices from the manufacturers are skyrocketing. Those in Plan E will find an increase in prescription drug rates. 30-day supply retail over the counter will increase to $15 for generic and $20 for brand name, 90-day supply through the mail will increase to $20 generic and $25 for brand name Again, as we recommended in NARSE's
September issue of "Straight Talk", it is
strongly recommended that you attend local meetings or secure
information relevant to all HMO's that are currently being offered in
your respective areas. It may prepare you for any possible needed future
changes. Check for coverage, hospitals, physicians and specialist
available under their plans. Again, HMO's have vacated many markets.
Equal
Benefits for Retirees A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules that under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), a company may not provide heath insurance for Medicare-eligible retirees that is inferior to that provided for younger retirees. Based on the act's legislative history, employers traditionally assume the ADEA applies only to active workers, not retirees. Therefore, many employers have reduced or eliminated retiree heath care benefits at age 65, when Medicare kicks in. Now, if the ruling stands, employers could be faced with the choice of increasing benefits for older retiree, slashing them for younger retirees or terminating them for all retirees. Gordon's Comments:
Envelope Stickers: Bumper Stickers: Send
your check to:
Articles
from NARSE Straight Talk
Medicare
Managed Care Plans In the recent surveys conducted by narse, the top burning concern of Sears retirees was the issue of health care. You and your spouse may be one of the thousands of seniors and / or disabled persons whose current Medicare managed - care HMO is not available next year. HMO's say they are leaving because they are not reimbursed enough by the HCFA. Medicare managed -care HMO plans have a one-year contract with the Health Care Financial Administration (HCFA), the federal agency that administers Medicare. HCFA reimbursements are difficult to understand as they vary by counties. For example in King County where we reside in Bellevue, WA the managed care plans currently receive approximately $482 each month for each Medicare member. Adjoining counties receive less. Other examples of the disparity are: California; Los Angeles - $640, Orange - $604; San Diego - $555, Florida; Broward - $636, Dade-$738, New York; New York - $777, Westchester $584. According to the Congressional Research Service, the average reimbursement to HMO's is $559. One has to question why it costs so much more to care for seniors and disabled in other areas? In our personal case over the last five years, because of HMO Plan changes, we've had to locate four new primary care physicians. Most of the notably good physicians already had a full patient load, thus you take whoever is available. One of the selected primary physicians was moving so fast in the office that he was out the door before you had an opportunity to fully describe your condition. One has to ask, "Where is he continuity of your health care"? "Who is ultimately responsible for your health care"? It has become abundantly clear that the individual has to take charge of their own health care. I've got some suggestions: B. Make a photocopy of your spouse's Medicare and current HMO Plan card. C. Keep these readily available for the next visit to the doctor or hospital. D. Regularly exercise, eat well-balanced meals, keep your mind and body active. E. Medigap. If you are currently enrolled in a managed care plan and may wish to purchase a Medigap plan now. Do not leave your current plan but maintain the coverage through December 31, no matter how frustrated you may be otherwise, you may lose the opportunity to purchase a Medigap plan. Shortly you should be receiving a letter stating your plan is leaving. A final notification letter should be received by Oct. 2. The letter will explain your rights to purchase a Medigap policy without fear of rejection. You should be aware that Medigap plans cost more than a managed care plan. F. When should you make a decision about a managed-care plan? You should review those Plans offered by Sears if you are still enrolled in Plan "E". If you've dropped Sears Plan "E" and its sponsored plans, review others plans available in your area and enroll by Nov. 30 to insure that coverage will begin Jan. 1, 2001. One word of caution is that if you are dropping a Medicare HMO to enroll in the traditional Medicare Plan, 30 to 60 days are required for the necessary paperwork to be handled by Medicare. It is a good idea to attend local HMO meetings checking coverage, physicians and specialist available under their respective plan. G. Sears Plan "E". However, if you retained Sears Plan "E", the current year 2000 program has an Annual Deductible of $250 per person per Plan year, an Annual out-of-pocket maximum of $2,000 per person per year, and a Maximum Lifetime Benefit of $150,000. Plan "E" will pay 80% of the covered expenses less the amount paid by Medicare or other primary plan. Prescriptions for 90 days through the mail is currently available at a $20 co-pay and is very inexpensive. A Summary Plan Description Booklet for calendar year 2001 is expected to be sent out through the Retiree Service Center in late September. H . Some feel that "Sears Plan "E" is getting very expensive". Would you recommend dropping it in favor of a locally HMO who offers a low out-of-pocket expense? Absolutely not unless you are opting for a Sears sponsored HMO! If nothing else, you will lose forever the opportunity to participate in Plan "E's" valuable prescription medicine plan unless you participate in a Sears sponsored HMO. You've dropped Sears Plan "E"; can you get back into it? If you've dropped "Plan E" to join a Sears sponsored Medicare HMO, you can rejoin "Plan E". Once you've dropped Plan "E" for those other than sponsored by Sears, you are out forever. There have been some retirees expressing concern about Sears and its retiree medical insurance. A Feb. 22, 2000question to Sears-Benefits was replied, "Although Sears intends to continue the retiree medical Plans, as always, we reserve the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Plans at any time". I. What if I do nothing? If you do nothing, the government will put you back into the original fee-for-service Medicare. This means Medicare will pay 80 percent of medical bills it approves, and you will be responsible for the remaining 20 percent. J. About HMO's. You should remember that signing on to an HMO you will be restricted to choosing a physician that has signed with your specific plan. If you like your current primary care physician and he/she is not a member of the Plan, you have no choice but to switch. If your HMO primary care provider believes that you don't need a certain test or referral to a specialist, but you still see the specialist, you cannot be reimbursed for that treatment. In some cases, HMO physicians might be provided with financial incentives (or disincentives) to limit the services they provide the patients. They might have to play the role of "gatekeepers" to care, and, in the past, they have been restricted even in what they can tell their patients. Such policies limit the treatment options that physicians have at hand. These policies might diminish the quality of care provided within an HMO. K. For additional information, you can
reach Medicare by calling 800-633-4227 (hearing impaired 877-486-2048),
or visit their web site at www.medicare.gov or call Sears Retiree
Service Center at 800-762-7327 or visit the web site at http://resources.hewitt.com/sears
http://resources.hewitt.com/sears.
Facts
Support Sears Retirees Shock & Concern Regarding Health Care Changes Following are statistics obtained from a number of different sources that show major health care issues are not unique to Sears retirees. Health Care Facts for Total U.S.
Population: Health Care Facts for Medicare Eligible Population:
Nearly 327,000 Medicare beneficiaries had to find new health plans as of January 1, 2000 because they were dropped by their HMO (41 HMOs withdrew from Medicare + Choice and 58 plans reduced the geographic areas they cover). Most of the affected enrollees - 248,000 - were able to join other HMOs in their area. Unfortunately, many will have to change doctors or travel farther for care. The remaining 79,000 beneficiaries live in places where no other HMOs are available and must enroll in the traditional Medicare fee-for-service plan which does not cover prescription drugs. (The upside to this is they have more choice of medical practitioners and an opportunity for better care than from a cost cutting HMO.) What Does All This Mean to Sears
Retirees? Hopefully Sears Benefit Administrators have enough leverage to negotiate the lowest possible premiums for us, and are able to provide reasonable alternatives when cost increases become exorbitant. The good news is, nobody age 65 or older can be turned down for Medicare, even if they were previously enrolled in a Medicare HMO that discontinued coverage. If you are dropped by a Medicare HMO, you are guaranteed the right to buy Medigap policies to cover some of the costs not covered by traditional Medicare (plans are not required to cover prescription drugs). If you are a member of a Sears offered Medicare HMO (pay premiums to the Retiree Service Center), you have the option to enroll in Sears Plan E which includes prescription drug coverage. (If you Sears offered HMO drops your coverage, and no other suitable HMO is available, you can enroll in Plan E and Medicare. For your future well being you should take the following actions:
Take charge of your own health care:
Health care is a major concern for all of
us and there is much more that needs to be addressed. Please let us know
what topics you would like to have covered in future STRAIGHT TALK
issues.
Lawsuit
Update All motions have been filed relating to the lawsuit regarding Sears' breach of fiduciary duty. As reported in the last issue of STRAIGHT TALK, it may take the court several months before the court issues its ruling. When issued we will post a copy on the NARSE web site location at www.narse.org. Fiduciary Trust Relationship
Explanation Such a relationship exists when a person
or entity, such as Sears, acts primarily for another's benefit and well
being. An example might be administering a life insurance program as a
benefit to attract and retain employees, or as an inducement to retire.
This status gives rise to certain legal obligations including to act in
the best interests of the other person, and, in lay terms, don't screw
him! In other words, when one places his/her trust and relies upon
another to their detriment, such relationship is breached and the person
or entity breaching this relationship, such as Sears, may be held
legally accountable.
And
the Planes Keep Our Message in Front of Arthur and Others Those of you residing or who have friends
in the Chicago area, are cordially invited on Sunday September 3, 2000
from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to look up into the sky along the lakeshore
during the "Jazz Festival" as part of Grants Park festivities.
The plane will fly between Navy Pier and the Adler Planetarium. NARSE is
again sponsoring a plane flight over Chicago trailing a banner
"SEARS UNFAIR TO RETIREES". It again reiterates the fact that
the National Association of Retired Sears Employees will not go away
until our long promised retiree benefits are restored!
Circuit
City to Cut 1,000 Jobs, Remodel; Shares Fall Richmond, Virginia, July 25 (Bloomberg) - Circuit City Group, the second-largest U.S. consumer-electronics chain, said it will close eight distribution centers and cut 1,000 jobs, or 1.7 percent of its workforce, as it remodels most superstores and quits selling appliances. "Circuit City should have never been in the appliance business in the first place, because too many people sell appliances,'' said Fredric Russell, president of Fredric E. Russell Investment Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which owns shares of retailer Dollar General Corp. ``The market for personal computers and wireless phones is so large, they don't need to distract themselves.'' Circuit City's warning also points to a slowdown in consumer spending, said Russell. News that Circuit City will exit the appliance business sent shares of appliance makers Maytag Corp. and Whirlpool Corp. lower. Shares of Circuit City fell 6 1/2 to 26 1/8 in New York Stock Exchange trading after dropping to 25 1/4, a 52-week low. The stock has fallen 42 percent this year. ``Appliances are the short-term reason, but the real reason for the problems is an aging store base they haven't remodeled and a nimble competitor in Best Buy,'' said John Glass, an analyst at Deutsche Banc Alex Brown, who today cut his Circuit City rating to ``market perform'' from ``strong buy.'' Best Buy Co. is the largest U.S. retailer of consumer electronics. Circuit City's inventory-turnover rate, which measures the number of times a retailer must replenish a store's inventory, lags Best Buy's, according to Bloomberg data. Circuit City is exiting appliance sales as Home Depot Inc., the world's largest home-improvement retailer, this year began selling appliances. McCollough told analysts and investors during a conference call that Circuit City also saw more aggressive competition recently in appliance sales from Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Lowe's Cos. Whirlpool and Maytag are major appliance suppliers to Circuit City and will lose business, said Justin Maurer, an analyst at Merrill Lynch & Co., who has a ``near-term neutral'' rating on Maytag shares. Whirlpool shares fell 8.1 percent and Maytag shares dropped 2.4 percent. Circuit City's exit is a $800 million to $1 billion opportunity for Sears, said Arthur Martinez, chairman of Sears, which has 35 percent of the appliance-retail market. `I'm going to be asking our team to devise the most aggressive selling and marketing plan we can,'' Martinez said. Circuit City will close six distribution centers by year-end, and two more centers in the next 12 months. The company said it will take three years to remodel its superstores. The new stores will have about 20,000 square feet of customer-accessible space, the company said. Distribution centers to be closed are located in: Atlanta; Brandywine, Maryland; Chehalis, Washington; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Des Moines, Iowa; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Richmond, Virginia-based Company also
operates 43 mall- based Circuit City Express stores and owns a 75
percent stake in the CarMax chain of used- and new-car dealerships.
Bob
Gurnee, NARSE Director We are very sad to inform the many
friends and co-workers of Bob Gurnee that he passed away in July in
Wilmington, Delaware. Bob's long service to Sears included officer
positions as Treasurer of Sears, Roebuck and Co. and President of SRAC.
Bob's family has our sincere condolences.
Membership
Update... Membership has grown
steadily but not as rapidly as it can. We again are requesting your help in locating retirees that may not have heard about NARSE. Look over your address lists. Ask your friends. And forward names and addresses (phone number if possible) to NARSE. We will gladly provide them with information that they would like to have about restoring and preserving the promised Sears retiree benefits. Thanks to you plus a lot of volunteers and donations, membership has grown, mailings approach 20,000 and Retiree Clubs are 233! Our goal set over a year ago was to locate at least 50,000 of the 133,000 (we think) Sears retirees. We started with only a few names, and Sears would provide none. While we have come a long way, "baby", you can see that we need an effort to get to 50,000. But with your help we can reach that number. We are all aware of the awesome strength of numbers! Clubs, we need your membership lists if you have not already sent it. I do want to assure every retiree that
the NARSE membership database is held in very strict confidence. It is
never shared or sold, nor even considered. And that includes Sears!
After member data is entered into our database, all applications and
envelopes are shredded before disposal. WE NEED YOU AND YOUR HELP.
NARSE
Chairman's Letter: It's hard to believe that almost two years have passed since Arthur Martinez made the fateful decision to renege on the Sears promised life insurance benefit for retirees. Arthur has stated that this decision was carefully considered for a year. A Senior Vice President whose legacy is one who takes away from others apparently heavily influenced Arthur in his decision. This VP employed a "benefits expert" who was given a personal choice of either the Sears' or the Allstate retirement benefit package. This choice was not available to the rest of us. We know of no retiree that was asked for input. So a person with choices was the "expert" in making decisions about earned benefits that meant so much to Sears retiree families. The previously offered excuse of "faulty advice" for another decision may be very appropriate and accurate in this case. The Sears retiree life insurance take-away decision made by Arthur Martinez severely damages many retiree families in a very real, practical and financial way, but he hurt us all just as badly in another way. Arthur also took away from all retirees and employees the life long trust and love for the Company and belief in the honor of management in making benefit decisions for employees and retirees. He ignited a "family feud" that has created a negative atmosphere, severely damaged relationships and forced retirees, their families and friends to choose other retailers for their many purchases. It is clear to all retirees and Sears associates that our battle is NOT with Sears the Company but with Sears current management, namely Chairman Arthur Martinez. He made the decision to convert "widow money" to a P&L profit. A decision that when reversed will allow Sears retirees to again be Sears Best Customers and most loyal friends. Arthur's unwarranted action has resulted in one plus for retirees ... the formation of the National Association of Retired Sears Employees (NARSE), the Sears retiree group dedicated to the retiree benefits. NARSE publishes four Straight Talk newsletters each year, maintains a web site at www.narse.org, provides speakers to bring information to local retiree clubs, and has a database of nearly 20,000 retirees that is growing monthly. It has reunited thousands of retirees with former associates and friends! One big plus and response! NARSE is also developing a strong coalition with organizations of other retirees. We continue to contact and build support with Federal and State elected officials. We have earned substantial support from organizations such as AARP and national church groups. NARSE enjoys a remarkable relationship with print and electronic media. We are very fortunate to have a large cross section of current Sears associates quietly supporting our goals Please allow a personal observation as I enjoy the privilege of serving Sears retirees and the NARSE organization. Like you, I am uncomfortable pointing out the causes and results of bad decisions that reflect poorly on the fine company that allowed me to send my kids to college. Sears the Company provided me with a work lifetime of pride, joy and dignity. But my discomfort pales by comparison to the obvious retiree rights and needs ... and the absolute necessity of the return of the life insurance that belongs to your family and mine. NARSE leadership gets a singular sense of purpose from your letters, your phone calls, your words and reactions as we meet or speak with retiree clubs. Our satisfaction is representing proud retirees in a fight that is right. I dedicate myself and the other volunteers at NARSE to the important task that Arthur created by his take-away decision. I sincerely thank you for your supportive words and actions that are the backbone for me and all of NARSE. We
all will continue to fight for a just cause.
A
Note of Appreciation I wish to extend to all of the fine folks at NARSE, my sincere thanks for the high honor granted this Appalachian. I will always cherish your faith in permitting me to be the first chairman of NARSE. I especially want to thank all of you who made my job so easy and spiritually fulfilling. Within the short history of NARSE much has been accomplished and there is much still to be done. I will fully and completely support our new chairman, Ev Buckardt, as he leads us to achieve our mission - the restoration of the promised life insurance and protection of our retirement benefits. The indomitable spirit of NARSE will succeed and we will prevail - the last few lines of Tennyson's Ulysses could easily have been written about Sears Retirees: Though much is taken, much
abides, Sincere thanks, Claude Ireson Editor's Note:
Club
Feature . . . About 1986 group of Sears retirees on the North side of Chicago were meeting rather regularly for breakfast. As a result of their mutual Sears backgrounds and enjoyment of being together, the Sears North Chicago Retirees Club was formed with Bob Wozny as president. They now have a mailing list of over 100, with 40 to 50 regularly in attendance at their meetings. The Sears North Chicago Retiree is a service club with their efforts directed toward improving the well being of its members. In the past, guest speakers have been attorneys (wills, trusts, etc.), urologist, chiropodist, HMOs hospice care, retirement homes, accountants, mortician, and so on. On the lighter side, presentations by Eli’s Cheesecake, Fannie Mae Candies, Mars Candies, Matt’s Cookies, American Airlines, our own NARSE George O’Hare ... you get the idea! The
Sears North Chicago Retirees Club meets for breakfast and a short
program on the first Thursday of each month at the Skylark Restaurant at
Higgins and Harlem, just off the Harlem exit from the Kennedy
Expressway. On occasion
they may skip a month. But
not August this year as Harry Volkman, a Chicago TV weatherman with a
great sense of humor, was the featured speaker with 47 in attendance. At their December meeting, a turkey or two are won by drawing.
Sears
Arizona Road Runner Retiree Club Formed in 1986 by Art Levin (Boston) and Bob Hart (Chicago), the club headquarters are in Phoenix. Roughly half are retirees from AZ and half from 29 other States! Each year four meetings are business lunches and four are social events. For the business meetings they have invited Sears officers, local Sears managers, AZ Attorney General, and representatives from insurance, AARP, medical and financial fields. And most recently Ev Buckardt from NARSE! An interesting, and appreciated, idea: at each business meeting they have a "50-50 Raffle". A special collection is taken from all the retirees in attendance. Half is sent to NARSE and the other half are door prize drawings (!st, 2nd, and 3rd). They characterize their social events as "interesting, entertaining and varied." Examples: cruise Canyon Lake, lunch at a Mining Camp, race day at Turf Paradise, bus tour to Indian Casino, plus theater, baseball, etc. And no surprise as Sears Retirees, the Club does volunteer work in several Good Samaritan projects: March of Dimes, Heart Fund, Cancer Fund, Alzheimer's Assoc., Westside Food Bank and the Arthritis Foundation. About greeting Arthur. Winter 1998 and winter 1999 when Arthur brought about 250 of his top executives to The Phoenician, a Five Star Resort, for a week of meetings ... these Road Runners were there with placards "to restore our life insurance." They did the same at the Paradise Valley store when Arthur brought the Board of Directors for an R&R meeting! Thank you, Sears AZ Road Runners for your
many efforts ... and your raffle! They are active ... and welcome
visitors and new members. Call Art Levin at 623/ 584-9410.
Retiree
Feature: After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, Art Levin joined Sears as a trainee. When he retired in December of 1985 he was on the Boston Group Staff and had devoted 35 work years to Sears. It was the only company that Art worked for after college. As he planned to move there, it was only natural that he looked for a retiree club in Arizona. Learning there was none, it was only natural that he found Bob Hart and one was started. After being President of the Club for nine years, he took a break but this year returned for a two year term. Art also organized the AZ Alumni Chapter
of the University or RI and has been the president since 1986. Art has
been involved with NARSE during its entire existence and is the Vice
President for the Southwest Region. Another Sears couple that remains active and involved. Thanks, Art and Laura, for representing all of us well! Editor's Note: This common thread
that we see is not a surprise to long-term Sears people. Family based,
we are active, care for each other and help others. It is why we are
staying with the correction of the life insurance injustice. Arthur, we
will not go away!
Sears
Informs NARSE of Actions Sears Senior Vice President of Human Resources, John Sloan, in a first positive gesture has informed NARSE of the following items/steps by the Company that they feel will better serve Sears Retirees.
Sears presented all of the above items to
NARSE. This is a welcomed step towards communication. Please let us know
how you feel about any or all of these items. NARSE will consolidate and
provide to Sears. Your comments and any Sears response would be in the
next Straight Talk. Retirees can always write directly to the Company. A
copy sent to NARSE would be included in any recap that we do for Sears
and Straight Talk.
Dean
Swift Passing Dean Swift, retired Sears president, passed away Sunday night, August 27, 2000, after suffering a massive cerebral hemorrhage stroke. He was 81. After Dean retired from Sears, he headed the Executive Service Corps of Chicago. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, September 1, at First Presbyterian Church, 700 Sheridan Road, Lake Forest. (at Deerpath). There will be no visitation.
Comments About Martinez Tenure as CEO/President By Gordon H. Muschett, N.A.R.S.E. Communications - Aug. 25, 2000 For almost three years since Arthur Martinez made the decision to take away our long promised paid-up retiree life insurance and freeze Sears contribution to our health benefit, N.A.R.S.E. has attempted to keep you informed about current Sears information either through our newsletter "Straight Talk", our web site, meetings, planned events or email. As you are aware, Arthur Martinez has indicated he plans to retire at the end of this year and the company has hired an Atlanta based executive recruiting firm searching for his replacement. During his tenure, he has lost the faith in Sears of thousands of retiree families, as well as their friends and neighbors through his actions towards Sears retirees. In doing so, he has lost the advantages of not only sales, but a superb public relations asset called "Sears"! In this writer's opinion he's made some good efforts in improving store appearances and moved the company into some new opportunities. However, if you took a piece of paper and made two columns, one plus and the other minus, then list Arthur's accomplishments, you would have good reason to feel that at the conclusion, you'll draw up more minuses than pluses. A partial list in the plus and minus columns could include:
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