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@ Western Electric VALLEI' VOI~E Merrimack Valley Works Summer, 1982 Presiden t's Sa fety Avvard returns to the M errimack Valley Photo by Roger Culliford WE President lauds Contents safety at the Works "This award is for events that did administrator of the Occupational Summer 1982 not happen - events that would have Safety Health Act, union officials and How HR 5158 affects caused pain and suffering to our a number of employees representing 3 WE employees employees." the work force here. With those words company The challenges to Western Electric, Pioneers president Donald E. Procknow Procknow said, include the House of Record number of smiles 4 presented the prestigious President's Representatives Bill 5158. Procknow New Chapter 78 President Environmental Health and Safety called the legislation a "bad bill" and 5 Pioneering Personified Award to employees of the a threat to Western Electric and the Merrimack Valley Works on June 23 , entire Bell System. ESP a day proclaimed "Merrimack Valley He praised employees who have 6 Employee Phone Discount Works Day" in Massachusetts by written to their Congressmen to urge Governor Edward J . King in opposition to HR 5158 and appealed 7 Retirements recognition of the Works' outstanding for continued letter-writing. Other safety record. challenges include competition, domestic and foreign, as well as the 8 etc. The presentation concluded competition among 38 Western general state of the economy. Electric entries for the coveted Procknow asserted the challenges On The Cover honor. Merrimack Valley first won would be countered by lowering costs the 1963 award, and this year became and increasing productivity in the On the upper right, General one of only five locations to win the manufacture of reliable, high quality Manager Robert E. Cowley, Jr. award more than once since it was products. accepts the 1981 President's instituted in 1961. Despite those challenges, Procknow Environmental Health and Safety was optimistic and cited several Award from company president Accepting the award on behalf of Donald E. Procknow. Bob Cowley employees was General Manager opportunities for Western Electric. If then escorted Don Procknow on a Robert E. Cowley, Jr. who said, "I approved, the Modified Consent tour of the Works which included a would not have believed the goals as Decree would permit the company to stop at the A-Line where they looked we set in January of 1981 could be sell outside the company's traditional at the work being performed by met and exceeded. It proves that markets. Procknow stressed highest Patty Delisle and Clement "Lefty" when we do set goals and work priority would still be service to the Berthiaume. All other guests at the together with total commitment that operating telephone companies and to presentation also toured the plant. anything is possible. AT&T Long Lines, the AT&T Some of the employees touring the "We not only did it last year but subsidiary handling long-distance Works were Bennie Cordischi, Tony we're doing even better this year. I'm calling. Muribito (retired department chief of Safety), CWA Local 1366 President proud of all the employees who made it possible." Wally Silva, Paul Matt Safety Performance Comparison The safety achievements included a (headquarters), Audrey Catton, 1980-1981 George Desell and Doug Locy who 46 percent reduction in the number of narrated the tour through Thin Film. job-related accidents last year from Index/ l00 Employees Edna Dalton is operating the SIC 1980. Accidents requiring days off Improvement bonding machine. from work decreased by 59 percent Total Accident Cases 46 % in addition to large reduction in all Lost Time Cases 59 % VAtLEY VOICE other safety categories. Lost Work Days 70% This year employees are improving Work Restriction Cases 49% Tim Donovan, editor on the 1981 award-winning record. In Work Restriction Days 67 % Published for employees and retired the first five months of 1982, employees of Western Electric's accidents were down by 51 percent Safety Performance Comparison Merrimack Valley Works and lost time accidents dropped by 56 for first five months of 1982 1600 Osgood Street percent. Total Accident Cases 51 % N. Andover, Massachusetts 01845 At the presentation Procknow also Lost Time Cases 56 % (617) 681-2307 spoke of the company's challenges Lost Work Days 41 % and opportunities to an audience of Work Restriction Cases 46% @ Western Electric Massachusetts Safety Council Work Restriction Days 55% representatives, a regional 2 Valley Voice The challenges to Western Electric, Procknow said, include the House of Representatives Bill 5158. Procknow called the legislation a "bad bill" and a threat to Western Electric and the entire Bell System ... Despite those challenges. Procknow was optimistic and cited several opportunities for Western Electric. Western Electric, he said, is now Procknow toured the Works and Pocknow said that if the trend in also diversifying uses for greeted many employees after the accident reduction continues at the telecommunications equipment. In presentation hosted by Jim Meadows, Works, he might be returning to addition, efforts are underway to Director of Production Control and present the 1982 President's increase government sales. Customer Service. Environmental Health and Safety Award. How HR 5 158 affects WE employees Western Electric President Donald E. Procknow has tric. This provision requires that Western Electric urged all employees and retired employees " to express disclose its own technical information. .opposition" to the telecommunications biIl being consid Third, the bill requires Western Electric for a three ered by the U.S. House of Representatives. However, year period to license its patents and technical informa employees are advised to write on their own stationery tion to ANY and ALL companies with manufacturing fa and on their time. Statements on personal stationery are cilities in the United States - including those which are more effective and wiIl not be construed as a lobbying foreign-owned. Thus, our technology would be available by the company. to our competitors. Ironically, HR 5158 does not impose The Public Relations Department would appreciate this requirement on our competitors. In other words, copies of replies from Congressmen in order to gauge technologically, what's ours is theirs and what's theirs is sentiment on the biIl. theirs. The experience of the auto and steel companies with foreign competition should be instructive. Employees of Western Electric cannot enjoy the lux ury of thinking that HR 5158, now under consideration in As if the necessity to divulge our trade secrets were the House of Representatives, is an ordinary piece of not enough, HR 5158 provides that Long Lines cannot legislation that would affect everyone in this nation provide "commercial information" or information on equally. Instead, HR 5158 is a bill that would aid West specifications and technical standards to Western Elec ern Electric's competitors and unfairly affect Western tric without providing it simultaneously, and subject to Electric and its employees. the same terms arul conditions to our competitors. How How? ever, Long Lines could provide this very information to First, contracts that Long Lines enters for the pur any other manufacturer - so long as its name were not chase of Western Electric equipment will have to be Western Electric - without having to provide it to all. filed in advance of the sale with the FCC. These con Finally, at a time when we will be trying to reduce tracts thus would be available to our competitors. This prices so that we can sell competitively, HR 5158 im would give them an insight into our pricing and other el poses on Western Electric further regulatory scrutiny ements of our business and could blunt our competitive which is bound to add to our costs of doing business. No edge. However, we would be given no insight about these such added scrutiny is imposed on our competitors. elements of our competitors' business since HR 5158 does not require other suppliers to file their contracts of HR 5158 , in short, is unfair to Western Electric and its sale with Long Lines with the FCC. employees. It bestows - for the asking - our technol Second, HR 5138 provides that AT&T must "report ogy and technical information on all our competitors. It regularly" to the FCC any significant change in any specifically denies to us the information it provides to technical requirement which will be necessitated by the our competitors. And by singling us out for FCC regula specific design or development of any telecommunica tion it raises our cost of doing business at a time when tions facility or product manufactured by Western Elec- reducing expenses will be a major objective. Summer 1982 Pioneers Every participant not only received a me Pioneer Aline Menasian of Bell Labs serves Ronnie Lacey and Cathy Scherbon. She is dallion but most also received a loving assisted by Michael Mulkern of the Newburyport Group Service. Pioneers sponsored hug. the sports banquet for Special Games participants. Record number of people and smiles "Let me win. But if I cannot win, support and assistance of their Hospital's Employees Association let me be brave in the attempt." members. provided lunch. Participants were particularly That is the Olympic pledge Spectators at this year's Special enthused by the help and advice of a repeated by nearly 100 handicapped Field Games witnessed a number of professional athlete. John Smith of children and adults before the start of records being broken. New records the New England Patriots was the Special Field Games at Northern were set in both the number of honorary chairman of the events and Essex Community College on May 23. volunteers and participants. Possibly came to the Works when contestants The games were again sponsored a world record was set in the number were given a sports banquet here in by the Bon Secours Hospital's of smiles, hugs and kisses if happiness June.