Workers at AT&T Test New Center - Omaha World-Herald (NE) - June 29,

1988 - page 49
June 29, 1988 | Omaha World-Herald (NE) | John Taylor | Page 49

T echnological change doesn't scare employees at the American T elephone & T elegraph's
Omaha Works .

Not anymore. Employees now have their own room and equipment to learn the mysteries of the
computer.

When officials of the plant at 120th and I Streets established a special computer - training center
for union - represented employees, more than 1,500 workers signed up for the sessions.

"T here were so many people who wanted to take it that we had to have a lottery," said Jack
McKinnon, plant manager and vice president of manufacturing.

T he lottery was arranged to ensure an equal distribution of employees with varying seniorities.

T he plant employs more than 3,500, about 3,000 of whom are represented by Locals 1974 and
1614 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

AT &T said that the center is one of four being set up at the company's manufacturing sites. It
was created as part of a collective bargaining agreement in 1986 between AT &T and the IBEW.

McKinnon said the center will prepare employees to step into jobs at the plant that increasingly are
becoming computerized, such as work involved in ordering the millions of dollars worth of
materials the facility needs.

T he Omaha Works ' center was dedicated T uesday by Wayne Weeks, president of AT &T
Network Systems and Jack Barry, international president of the 970,000 - member IBEW.

Barry called the center "a milestone" in cooperation between the company and the union. He said it
was significant that employees are being trained in computers.

"T hat is the place to be right now," he said. "If we're going to be masters of our destiny, we've got
to be able to provide training for it. We have a lot of competition off - shore, but we're not going to
give up."

Weeks also mentioned the competition facing companies like AT &T . "As we move ahead in this
industry, about the best we can hope for, relative to our competition, is parity in technology, quality
and research and development," he said.

"But our competitive edge in the future is clearly the quality of our people. What we are launching
here today is a big step in assuring not only our people's future but the very future of this
business."

Weeks said AT &T plans to continue its efforts to find other ways that organized labor and the
company can work together.

McKinnon said that 240 people are enrolled in the first computer classes.

CIT AT ION (AGLC ST YLE)

John T aylor, World - Herald Staff Writer, 'Workers at AT &T T est New Center', Omaha World-
Herald (online), 29 Jun 1988 49 ‹https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?
p=AMNEWS&docref=news/12E01617CFB1E220›
Copyrig ht (c) 1988 Omaha World Herald