
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 19, 1990                   TAG: 9005190057
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Madelyn Rosenberg
DATELINE: FAIRLAWN                                 LENGTH: Short

25 AT AT&T PLANT COULD GET ENHANCED PENSIONS

Only 25 employees at AT&T's New River Valley Works will be eligible for the company's enhanced pension plan ratified by the Communications Workers of America earlier this week.

Most of the 800 or so employees still at the plant are relatively young and won't be affected by the plan, said Tom Loner, a plant spokesman. "But it'll affect some of them."

The plan adds three years to an employee's age and service record. The extra service years may bump up the pension for workers who already are of retirment age.

AT&T workers must be 65 years old with 10 years of service to receive their service pensions. The plant has been open for 10 years, and most workers have seven to nine years of service, Loner said. "Most of the people eligible for the enhanced plan transferred here from other plants," he said.

Loner said at least a few of the people elgible for early retirement will probably take it.

"It's hard to speculate," Loner said. "This is the first time AT&T has ever done this."

AT&T has a second, deferred-vestment pension plan for workers with five years of service.

by CNB