SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) June 25, 2004
SPRINT RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN
FOR BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Kansas 1-04721 48-0457967
(State of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
6200 Sprint Parkway, Overland Park, Kansas 66251
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (913) 624-3000
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
P. O. Box 7997, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66207-0997
(Mailing address of principal executive offices)
Item 4. Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant.
The Sprint Retirement Savings Plan for Bargaining Unit Employees (the
"Plan") filed its Annual Report on Form 11-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2003 (the "Form 11-K") on June 25, 2004. As previously reported, on October
14, 2003, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Sprint Corporation
("Sprint") determined that Ernst & Young LLP ("Ernst & Young") would be replaced
by KPMG LLP ("KPMG") as the independent auditor for Sprint and for the Plan for
the year ending December 31, 2004. This action effectively dismissed Ernst &
Young as Sprint's and the Plan's independent auditor for the year ending
December 31, 2004; however, Ernst & Young continued as the Plan's independent
auditor for the audit of the Plan's financial statements as of December 31, 2003
and the fiscal year then ended until the filing of the Form 11-K.
Also as previously reported, KPMG was engaged as independent auditor for
Sprint and for the Plan for the year ending December 31, 2004 on December 1,
2003.
Ernst & Young's reports on the Plan's financial statements as of December
31, 2003 and 2002 and for each of the two fiscal years in the period ended
December 31, 2003 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion
and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting
principles. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003 and through
the filing date of the Form 11-K, there were no disagreements between Sprint or
the Plan and Ernst & Young on any matter of accounting principles or practices,
financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, which, if not
resolved to the satisfaction of Ernst & Young, would have caused Ernst & Young
to make reference to the matter in their report. None of the "reportable events"
described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K of the Securities and Exchange
Commission have occurred during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2002 or 2003
or through the filing date of the Form 11-K.
Sprint has requested Ernst & Young to furnish the Plan with a letter
addressed to the Commission stating whether Ernst & Young agrees with the above
statements. A copy of Ernst & Young's letter is attached as Exhibit 16 to this
Form 8-K.
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2001 and 2002 and through the
date Sprint and the Plan engaged KPMG, neither Sprint nor the Plan nor anyone
acting on their behalf consulted KPMG regarding (1) either the application of
accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed,
or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Plan's financial
statements or (2) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement with
Ernst & Young on accounting principles or practices, financial statement
disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, which, if not resolved to the
satisfaction of Ernst & Young, would have caused Ernst & Young to make reference
to the matter in their report, or a "reportable event" as described in Item
304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1
Item 7. Exhibits.
16. Letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission from Ernst & Young.
2
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
SPRINT RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN
FOR BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES
Date: June 25, 2004 By: /s/ E. J. Holland, Jr.
E. J. Holland, Jr.
Co-Chair Employee Benefits Committee
3
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number Description Page
16. Letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission
from Ernst & Young.