Ready or not, Y2K is coming

By Susan Zachem

Bonnie Lindsley, director of the GCIU Data Processing Department, informs local leaders about the year 2000 bug.

Dues, payroll, banking, faxes, burglar and fire alarms and sprinklers, building access, climate control, and e-mail – these are just some of the areas of union business that could be affected if locals don't prepare for Jan. 1, 2000.

In a workshop during the Coordination of Negotiations Conference in Pittsburgh, Data Processing Director Bonnie Lindsley urged local union leaders to act now to make sure the year 2000 computer glitch – or Y2K bug as it is popularly known – doesn't create havoc with local union operations.

"As we head to the year 2000, it ultimately becomes your responsibility because it is your job to serve the members," Lindsley said.

Y2K is a problem for older computer hardware and software that to conserve then-scarce memory used only two digits to record the year. For example, older computers process 1999 as only 99 and assume the century digits to be "19." When the century digits turn to 20, however, old systems will process the year 2000 as 1900.

Predictions are that programs designed to track data by time, as most do, will get confused and shut down. For example, banking programs that calculate interest forward in time would not be able to compute backward from Dec. 31, 1999, to Jan. 1, 1900.

The International began evaluation and preparation for possible Y2K problems more than two years ago.

FPG's Y2K bug by Charly Franklin is available at www.fpg.com.

GCIU Secy.-Treas. Gerald H. Deneau said the evaluation of the GCIU system revealed that its hardware and software were obsolete. Rather than reprogram the existing system to solve the Y2K problems, he said, "we found the most cost-effective and best way to go about that was to scrap the old system and introduce a new system that involves [Microsoft] Windows and a modern bookkeeping system."

Lindsley, who demonstrated a prototype of the International's new Y2K-ready system at the workshop, said the target date for startup is June. She said the International is adapting its new software for use by local unions and will make it available at a relatively low cost. Locals that choose to use this new software will realize advantages in the electronic exchange of data with the International and vice versa, she said.

Lindsley distributed a manual, "Year 2000 – Ready or Not Here It Comes," to workshop participants to help them evaluate and take action on possible Y2K problems. Included was a diskette with the YMARK2000 test for personal computers on Y2K readiness. She noted that the test also can be downloaded from the web at the URL: http://www.nstl.com/ymark_2000.html.

The four steps outlined by Lindsley to prepare for Y2K are awareness, risk assessment, compliance management, and contingency planning.

Awareness basically means knowing if the local depends on computers for business operations, including the electronic exchange of information with banks, the International, or other outside operators; on digital equipment such as fax machines, telephones, answering systems, cellular phones, pagers or mailing machines; or on computerized building systems, such as lighting, fire and burglar alarms, fire control sprinklers, heating and cooling, elevators, or building access.

Risk assessment includes taking an inventory of all computer-related equipment, programs and operations and then finding out if they are Y2K ready or not and classifying each item as ready, in need of modification, unable to be modified and in need of replacement, or no longer required and able to be retired with no replacement.

After the inventory and classification, the object is to define and focus on operations that are identified as critical to keeping the local running smoothly. Operations that are not critical can be put lower on the priority list, Lindsley suggested.

Lindsley recommended keeping a worksheet to track compliance management as vendors are contacted through their web sites or by mail or PC-analyzing software is used to test Y2K readiness. She said many software vendors are supplying Y2K patches through their websites.

The fourth step – which is not necessarily the last – is to prepare for the worst with contingency planning, Lindsley said. This includes keeping backup files and documentation for data recovery of all necessary data, such as bank records, dues records, membership rolls, bookkeeping functions, and payroll records.

Good contingency planning also requires analysis of which operations must be performed daily, which can wait a day or two, and which can wait a week or two, Lindsley said. Functions that can't wait require a plan to perform them without the use of digital equipment.

Lindsley said government and other experts who have been studying the Y2K situation believe that most U.S. and Canadian financial operations will be ready in time for Jan. 1, 2000. The glitches that may occur will probably last only a few days, she said.

GCIU locals may request a copy of the Year 2000 planning manual from the Data Processing Department, 1900 L St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.