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7 February, 2000The United Auto Workers and Ford have announced that as of this spring U.S. employees will receive their personal computer at home.
USA: In a sign of our modern times, as well as the future, Ford Motor Company has announced its plans to put a personal computer, printer and access to Internet in the homes of all its 350,000 employees worldwide. The offer became official on February 3 at a joint press conference held in Detroit at the United Auto Workers' headquarters, Solidarity House, at which the UAW president, Steve Yokich, was joined by Ford Motor Company chairman, Bill Ford, and the company's CEO and president, Jac Nasser.
The UAW president declared that the programme was "a tribute to the collective bargaining process and to our solid relationship with Ford Motor Company." It will be launched later this Spring in the U.S. and extended globally in the next 12 months, costing users in the U.S. the nominal fee of $5 per month. In what will be an enormous boost for its computer business, the U.S. company Hewlett-Packard will be supplying the over 300,000 PCs and printers.
The union says that helping its members "stay on top of new technology has always been a UAW priority."
According to Ford's Jac Nasser, he maintains that "this programme keeps Ford Motor Company and our worldwide team at the leading edge of e-business technology and skills. Having a computer and Internet access in the home will accelerate the development of these skills, provide information across our business and offer opportunities to streamline processes."
Both the UAW and the company have said that there will be no monitoring of how the PCs and Internet are used. The intention is to integrate the employees into a fast-changing world. More than likely, the precedent established by Ford's move will be followed by other companies.
The UAW president declared that the programme was "a tribute to the collective bargaining process and to our solid relationship with Ford Motor Company." It will be launched later this Spring in the U.S. and extended globally in the next 12 months, costing users in the U.S. the nominal fee of $5 per month. In what will be an enormous boost for its computer business, the U.S. company Hewlett-Packard will be supplying the over 300,000 PCs and printers.
The union says that helping its members "stay on top of new technology has always been a UAW priority."
According to Ford's Jac Nasser, he maintains that "this programme keeps Ford Motor Company and our worldwide team at the leading edge of e-business technology and skills. Having a computer and Internet access in the home will accelerate the development of these skills, provide information across our business and offer opportunities to streamline processes."
Both the UAW and the company have said that there will be no monitoring of how the PCs and Internet are used. The intention is to integrate the employees into a fast-changing world. More than likely, the precedent established by Ford's move will be followed by other companies.