I'm forwarding a reply I received from Agilent 'corporate' yesterday after writing to express my dismay at our loss... pretty much what I expected.

"Lauralee,

Your message to Janine Oravillo regarding Agilent's decision to discontinue the Retiree Survivor's Benefit was forwarded to me for a response. I can appreciate that the news of this decision was disappointing to you. Let me try to give you some context behind the decision.

As you are no doubt aware, Agilent, like other companies has been weathering the worst economic downturn in decades. In managing the difficult economic conditions, we have been diligent in reviewing all company programs worldwide for both active employees as well as retirees. As a part of this process, we have had to make difficult trade-offs in order to help secure the long-term health of the company. After careful consideration the Retiree Survivors' Benefit is one of a number of programs that we have suspended, discontinued or redesigned. I am sure that this is not what you hoped to hear, but I appreciate having the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

Best regards,

Wendy Macias

Wendy M. Macias
Global Benefits
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
5301 Stevens Creek Blvd., MS 1A-20
Santa Clara, CA 95051
Tel 408-553-3884 Fax 408-553-7606"

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