8 • The Flagship • Winter 1998
Training News
The Chinese have a saying that, “nothing in life worthwhile, comes without instruction.” The past few months have given us ample opportunity to check out this theory. We have been audited by the Department of Transportation, had the phone system changed, been introduced to the wonderful world of SAP, and have even implemented a new Safety Program called BST. We have had our capabilities tested, as in “starting up” after a complete power outage, and we have been applauded for our consistent quality. (See the article concerning “Union Carbide” in this issue). It seems like everything is a test, if that is so; then I would say, “we’ve passed.”
The training center has expanded over these months to include a six-station computer center. The SAP implementation team has used it extensively and many of you have had training on cc: Mail, Windows
95, and the SAP/R3 basic course. The center is there to support the introduction of about 40 computers located throughout the Plant that are networked through Corporate. This is all part of the worldwide corporate networking effort and the reason SAP is being implemented. There is significant instruction going on concerning this effort, but as I mentioned earlier it will be worthwhile. Our lives will be a lot easier as a result.
I mentioned that we received a surprise audit by the Department of Transportation. Congratulations to Pat Jamieson and anyone in the Shipping and Receiving Departments. We answered the mail on this one and responded like the well-trained workforce we are.
There is a lot of effort going on right now by the Employee Involvement Committee. They are overseeing a Progress Improvement Team (PIT) on
Chemical Operation Training. The idea is to formalize and write out the training needs of our chemical operators. The knowledge that our senior operators have must be captured and passed down to our new operators if we are to continue the successes we have enjoyed in the past. Our commitment to quality demands nothing less from us.
This may have nothing to do with training but, speaking of quality, congratulations to Mark Labrecque and Karla Phair. Mark is the new Vice President of Local 218 and Karla is the new Secretary/Treasurer. These two outstanding associates will be a welcome help to Dan Cleary, especially during the implementation of BST. Both of these individuals are also on the BST Training Committee with Dan. Let’s give both of them our continuing support.
Getting back to training, some of the associates in the Physical
Testing Lab are participating in weekly sessions in the center. Our neighbors from112 are taking the Lab Technician Course as a refresher training. Eventually everyone in the lab will finish the eight sessions and hopefully suggest improvement. This is the same type of ongoing improvement process that the PIT team on Chemical Operator Training is doing. As we move forward through the first quarter of 1998, let’s remember to commit ourselves to fulfilling our obligatory training needs. Where the system needs improving, lets improve it, like the PIT Team and the associates in 112. Where the system needs changing, lets change it, as in learning to make the SAP implementation work.
Work Safe; Take care of each other out there.
Peter Haines,
Training Manager
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The FLAGSHIP
UNIROYAL CHEMICAL
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