IBM
Time Line
Important
Dates In IBM History
This list of important
dates in IBM's history was compiled from the 2001
Alliance calendar and Alliance members. Many of these
dates, unfortunately, are also listed on the "IBM's
(Eroding) Total Compensation" page.
Important Dates in
IBM History:
- 1874/02/17 - Birth of
Thomas J. Watson Sr.
- 1911/06/15 - IBM
incorporates in New York as the
Computing-Tabulating-Recording-Company.
- 1914/05/04 - Thomas
J. Watson Sr. becomes GM of IBM predecessor,
Computing-Tabulating-Recording-Company.
- 1915/11/12 - IBM
stock begins to sell publicly on NY Stock
Exchange for $46 a share.
- 1917/01/14 - Birth of
Nathaniel Rochester, architect of IBM's first
scientific computer.
- 1924/02/14 -
Computing-Tabulating-Recording-Company changes
its name to International Business Machines.
- 1934/09/20 - IBM
provides company-paid life insurance to employees
with one year of service.
- 1944/12/23 -
Employees at IBM Endicott and Poughkeepsie plants
receive award for outstanding production in war
effort.
- 1955/03/28 - Thomas
J. Watson Jr. featured on the cover of Time
magazine.
- 1956/05/08 - Thomas
J. Watson Jr. takes over reins as IBM's CEO from
his father, Thomas J. Watson Sr.
- 1956/06/19 - Thomas
J. Watson Sr. dies at age 82.
- 1964/04/07 - IBM
introduces System 360, first large family of
computers.
- 1971/06/29 - Thomas
J. Watson Jr. steps down as IBM Chairman and CEO,
replaced by T. Vincent Learson as CEO and Frank
T. Carry as President.
- 1976/07/01 - IBM
employees at Endicott publish their first
independent newsletter.
- 1981/04/14 - Space
Shuttle Columbia, aided by five onboard IBM
computers, launched in first Shuttle flight.
- 1981/08/12 - IBM
introduces the personal computer.
- 1982/01/08 - U.S.
government drops 13 year anti-trust case against
IBM.
- 1984/05/05 - In
Tokyo, IBM workers hold first international
meeting.
- 1985/02/01 -
Newsletter of IBM Workers United renamed to
Resistor.
- 1985/06/14 - In
Athens, Greece, IBM employees hold second
international conference.
- 1986/06/01 - John
Akers becomes IBM CEO.
- 1987/01/12 - IBM
workers from around the world discuss union
issues at London conference.
- 1987/04/24 - In New
Orleans, IBM Workers United and CWA co-sponsor
third international meeting of IBM workers. Group
presents demands at IBM shareholder meeting.
- 1988/08/15 -
Employees in Korea organize IBM Korea Union.
- 1989/06/08 - In
Paris, IBM employees begin fourth International
Solidarity meeting (IWIS).
- 1991/01/31 - IBM
announces 10% reduction in pension benefits.
- 1991/05/21 - In Rome,
IBM employees hold fifth international
conference.
- 1991 (or 1992?) -
Elimination of medical plan's "coordination
of benefits".
- 1992, April -
Elimination of Pre-Retirement Education for
IBMers within 5 years of retirement. Plan
reimbursed up to $2,500 per employee and another
$2,500 for a spouse.
- 1992/11/12 - In
Sindelfingen, Germany, IBM employees hold sixth
international conference.
- 1992 - Rolex removed
from 25 year catalog.
- 1992 - Elimination of
$1000 that came with Quarter Century club.
- 1993/04/01 - Louis V.
Gerstner Jr. becomes IBM Chairman and CEO.
Coincidentally, this is April Fool's day... we're
not quite sure of the relationship here... but
many people who thought Lou would look out for
IBM's long term well being sure feel fooled now.
- 1993/12/31 - Thomas
J. Watson Jr. dies at age 79.
- 1994/02/17 - 320
employees laid of at IBM Endicott.
- 1994/07/27 - IBM
announces Kingston, NY plant closing.
- 1996/02/11 - IBM's
"Big Blue" beats world chess champion,
Gary Kasparov, marking a machine's first victory
over a world chess grandmaster.
- 1996/10/16 - IBM
workers hold meeting with IUE in Endicott to
discuss organizing.
- 1999/05/03 - IBM
mails notice of new "cash-balance" plan
to employees.
- 1999/05/10 - IBM
stock splits 2 for 1 (15th stock split).
- 1999/05/18 - IBM
employees establish pension bulletin board at
Yahoo.com.
- 1999/05/21 - IBM
employees establish union bulletin board at
Yahoo.com.
- 1999/06/24 - Over 200
IBM employees in Endicott, NY, hold first union
meeting with CWA.
- 1999/07/01 - Pension
reductions for employees under 40 due to Cash
Balance Plan conversion.
- 1999/07/01 -
Reduction of retirement medical benefit due to
conversion to Future Health Account (FHA) for
employees with more than 5 years to go before
retirement.
- 1999/07/15 - Over 600
IBM employees hold first union meeting in
Poughkeepsie, NY.
- 1999/08/23 - Over 500
IBM employees hold first union meeting in
Burlington, VT.
- 1999/08/30 -
Alliance@IBM/CWA opens office in Endicott, NY.
- 1999/09/17 - Bowing
to protests by employees, IBM partially restores
"pension choice" to employees.
- 1999/09/21 -
Alliance@IBM/CWA founded.
- 1999/10/21 -
Announcement of IBM shareholders resolution for
"Pension Choice."
- 1999/11/01 - Cooper
vs. IBM class-action ERISA complaints
against IBM Personal Pension Plan
- 1999/11/12 -
Alliance@IBM/CWA activists publish first
newsletter with their mission statement.
- 2000/02/18 -
Alliance@IBM/CWA publishes first Think Twice
newsletter.
- 2000/03/27 -
California pension system announces decision to
vote 9.2 million shares in favor of IBM employee
stockholder resolution to restore pension and
medical.
- 2000 (first quarter)
- Reduced 2000 variable pay (70% of previous
years payout for some employees) due to poor
management. Since variable pay is about 10% of
yearly salary, this amounts to a 3% pay cut for
many employees.2000/04/25 - Sponsored by IEBAC,
IBM shareholders' resolution to restore
"pension choice" for employees receives
28 percent support at stockholder's meeting.
- 2000/06/10 -
Southbury Alliance web site established.
- 2000/09/14 - IBM
Endicott announces Alternate Work Schedule (AWS),
with mandatory 12 hour work days and weekend
days. Workers must work every other Saturday.
Overtime (and overtime pay) is reduced. 20%
premium for AWS called just a "tip" and
not worth the extra effort. Endicott management
tells employees that day care should not be a
problem, but Alliance@IBM research shows just two
licensed day care providers in the area with 24x7
coverage.
- 2000/10/09 - IBM
announces that new retirees will have to pay for
medical benefits.
- 2001/03/20 - IBM
Endicott holds "all hands" meeting to
announce that it was sending, eventually,
"all" HyperGBA, Blue Devil
manufacturing to China.
- 2001/09/14 -
Alliance@IBM members vote to become a CWA local.
- 2001/11/28 - IBM
Terminates the jobs of over 1,500 workers (500 in
Burlington, VT; 400 in Endicott, NY; 200 in East
Fishkill, NY; 180 in Rochester, NY; 150 in
Fremont, CA; 75 in Raleigh, NC). At the time IBM
had plans for an expansion of the East Fishkill
facility, which would add 1000 jobs. When asked,
managers in East Fishkill were said to have told
employees that terminated IBMers will not be
brought back, but the positions will instead be
filled with temps and contractors.
- 2002/01/08 - An
unknown number of vendors and 30 IBMers laid off
in Rochester.
- 2002/01/10 - Mass
termination at Lotus Professional Services (which
is owned by IBM). Half of the consultants working
there are told to find new jobs or be let go.
- 2002/06/30 - IBM cuts
over 9,000 jobs in the United States.
- 2002/08/13 - IBM
admits to over 14,000 job cuts in a corporate
filing. 57% of those cuts were already made.
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