Published June 1994 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Well Done, West Virginians
West Virginia's outstanding workforce is a key pillar in the state's economic foundation and a crucial component in my effort to expand and diversify our state's economy. Two recent events in West Virginia in which I participated underscored just how valuable our West Virginia workers are, and how they serve as one of our state's strongest selling points to federal agencies and private-sector firms looking to expand or relocate. Most recently, I attended an awards ceremony in Parkersburg in which eight public service employees were honored for their community service activities. At an earlier gathering in Charleston, I joined with AT&T employees to celebrate their company's decision to retain its Kanawha County Customer Sales and Service (CSS) office-- a decision largely based on the remarkable productivity and high quality of work performed by the men and women who staff that facility. Both functions allowed me to shine the spotlight on the contributions of our workers to West Virginia's economic prosperity. A case in point is the expansion of the Bureau of Public Debt operation in Parkersburg. In response to my repeated urgings, the Bureau of Public Debt, in 1991, began the process of consolidating its offices at its Parkersburg facility, which boasted exceptionally high productivity and low turnover. The Bureau explained its decision this way: "Our [Parkersburg] computer center is highly regarded as a modern, efficient, and well managed installation. A primary reason for that is because of our well-trained and experienced staff .... Two-thirds of our employees have more than 15 years of service with the Bureau. This is a very unusual and desirable level of data processing experience .... Our employment and retention experience in Parkersburg has been very positive and is one of the most dramatic differences between our Parkersburg and Washington locations." Employee excellence was also cited as a key factor in AT&T's reversal of an earlier decision to close its Charleston CSS office. After AT&T announced plans to eliminate its Charleston operation, the employees there refused to quit. In fact, they put their shoulders to the wheel and increased the facility's productivity-- and their high sense of dedication was rewarded with a decision by AT&T to remain in Charleston. Such a reversal does not come easily to a large national company, but AT&T officials demonstrated that they understand that a firm is only as good as its employees. The experiences of AT&T and the Bureau of Public Debt are just two examples of the numerous success stories attributed to West Virginia's strong work ethic. West Virginians understand the meaning of hard work and a job well done, and the rewards of that attitude are being felt across our state. June 1, 1994