Those were the 'I/O operators' where I worked... the 'system operators' (computer operators) were the guys that got the big bucks to alter jcl and drink coffee

Those were the 'I/O operators' where I worked... the 'system operators' (computer operators) were the guys that got the big bucks to alter jcl and drink coffee :-P I also worked at places with dedicated 'print pool' operators, that basically fed paper into printers/bursters/collators/binders.