THE ISSUE behind the two-day strike at Bell Atlantic tells us much about our economy. High technology is where the action is and where it will be for years to come.

The Communications Workers of America struck the big Baby Bell, but not over pay and benefits. Bell Atlantic is growing as it develops new telecommunications businesses. The union fought successfully to remain part of that growth.

Organized labor won a clear victory but not an enormous one. Few workers in the vastly growing high-tech sector are represented by unions.

The CWA now must prove to new and future members that union membership is an advantage and that organized labor is a help, not a hindrance, to their company. The challenge for Bell Atlantic is to deal with a bigger union while remaining competitive with its rivals, unionized or not, in this burgeoning industry.

Pub Date: 8/14/98