Here's an official bulletin with some great news from Pacific Bell's holding company. It will affect some 50,000 employees of Pacific Bell and other Pacific Telesis subsidiaries in California.
Pacific Telesis is itself owned by SBC Communications, of San Antonio, Texas, which is not covered by this announcement.
Pacific Telesis today announced it will expand benefit coverage to include the domestic partners of management employees of Pacific Telesis Group companies that operate in California.
Changes pertaining to pensions, leaves, adoptions and dependent life insurance will be effective as soon as administrative procedures are in place, but no later than January 1, 1998. Expanded coverage under medical, dental, vision and medical- or dependent-care spending accounts will be effective January 1, 1999.
Changes in benefit plans for non-management employees are subject to negotiations under existing union contracts.
To demonstrate that his or her domestic partner qualifies for coverage, the employee must submit evidence of registration through a state, county or city at the time of enrollment. If a registry is not available where the employee lives, he or she may consider other registries that allow non-residents to file.
A domestic partner is a person of the same or opposite sex who resides in the employee's household, and who:
Managers will receive additional information as details are finalized.