AT&T plans to lay off 213 but can't do it until next year
By: Harlan Levy, Journal Inquirer
02/02/2008
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AT&T gave layoff notifications this week to 213 union workers, mainly in call-center billing and repair jobs in Hartford, West Hartford, Meriden, and New Haven that serve customers using traditional, hardwired telephone service.
Some of the 213 also work in the pay-phone business that is due to shut down at the end of the year.
The company's contract with Communications Workers of America Local 1298 guarantees the workers other jobs in the company, at the same pay, for up to the life of the contract, which expires next year.
The workers have 60 days to decide whether to take other jobs, which AT&T said would likely be in nearby Connecticut sites in the wireless, broadband, or U-verse video businesses.
The jobs could involve installation and repair work in the broadband and video businesses or customer-service positions in wireless stores, AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom said.
The workers also can choose to take a severance package. AT&T has offered early retirement packages to a total of 1,000 workers.
"This could significantly mitigate the impact on the 213 positions that will be eliminated," Bloom said.
AT&T is not moving the targeted jobs out of state, Bloom said.
"There's less work in the wireline side of the business," Bloom said, using an industry term for traditional, hardwired telephone service. "So we're shifting the workforce to match the new workload and adding hundreds of jobs in U-verse video, broadband, and wireless, which are seeing strong growth."
Despite Bloom's denials, Bill Henderson, the president of the local union, insisted that the jobs are moving out of state to places like Berksville, Ohio; Dallas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi, where labor is cheaper.
"The jobs are still being done," Henderson said. "They're not going to be done in Connecticut. They're going to be done in Berksville. So if you have a repair call, it won't be answered in Connecticut. It will be answered in Berksville. Why? Because it's cheaper to do business in Berksville."
"That isn't correct," Bloom replied. "We're managing the workforce to the workload. The reality is there's less work in those areas."
Henderson said he asked Gov. M. Jodi Rell to step in and stop the jobs from being sent out of state.
"The governor has to weigh in on this," Henderson said. "She can say we're not losing work in Connecticut, but I've gotten no response. The silence is deafening."
"I'm offended that the governor cannot sit down and talk to us," he added. "To have no response from the governor is insulting to every union member who wants to sit down with the governor."
Rell spokesman Rich Harris responded that the governor is working on the issue.
"She's spoken with a number of state officials, including Economic and Community Development Commissioner Joan McDonald, among others, and given direct instructions to do everything they can to try and move this situation to a positive resolution," Harris said. "She very much wants to see these jobs saved if at all possible."
Work on the state budget and preparing for the opening of the legislature next week has preoccupied the governor, Harris added, so scheduling a meeting with union members has been difficult. She has no intention of letting the matter slide, Harris said, and intends no slight to union members.
McDonald met with Henderson late Friday.
"It was a very productive meeting," said James Watson, a spokesman for the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
02/02/2008
email this storyEmail to a friendpost a commentPost a Commentprinter friendlyPrinter-friendly
AT&T gave layoff notifications this week to 213 union workers, mainly in call-center billing and repair jobs in Hartford, West Hartford, Meriden, and New Haven that serve customers using traditional, hardwired telephone service.
Some of the 213 also work in the pay-phone business that is due to shut down at the end of the year.
The company's contract with Communications Workers of America Local 1298 guarantees the workers other jobs in the company, at the same pay, for up to the life of the contract, which expires next year.
The workers have 60 days to decide whether to take other jobs, which AT&T said would likely be in nearby Connecticut sites in the wireless, broadband, or U-verse video businesses.
The jobs could involve installation and repair work in the broadband and video businesses or customer-service positions in wireless stores, AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom said.
The workers also can choose to take a severance package. AT&T has offered early retirement packages to a total of 1,000 workers.
"This could significantly mitigate the impact on the 213 positions that will be eliminated," Bloom said.
AT&T is not moving the targeted jobs out of state, Bloom said.
"There's less work in the wireline side of the business," Bloom said, using an industry term for traditional, hardwired telephone service. "So we're shifting the workforce to match the new workload and adding hundreds of jobs in U-verse video, broadband, and wireless, which are seeing strong growth."
Despite Bloom's denials, Bill Henderson, the president of the local union, insisted that the jobs are moving out of state to places like Berksville, Ohio; Dallas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi, where labor is cheaper.
"The jobs are still being done," Henderson said. "They're not going to be done in Connecticut. They're going to be done in Berksville. So if you have a repair call, it won't be answered in Connecticut. It will be answered in Berksville. Why? Because it's cheaper to do business in Berksville."
"That isn't correct," Bloom replied. "We're managing the workforce to the workload. The reality is there's less work in those areas."
Henderson said he asked Gov. M. Jodi Rell to step in and stop the jobs from being sent out of state.
"The governor has to weigh in on this," Henderson said. "She can say we're not losing work in Connecticut, but I've gotten no response. The silence is deafening."
"I'm offended that the governor cannot sit down and talk to us," he added. "To have no response from the governor is insulting to every union member who wants to sit down with the governor."
Rell spokesman Rich Harris responded that the governor is working on the issue.
"She's spoken with a number of state officials, including Economic and Community Development Commissioner Joan McDonald, among others, and given direct instructions to do everything they can to try and move this situation to a positive resolution," Harris said. "She very much wants to see these jobs saved if at all possible."
Work on the state budget and preparing for the opening of the legislature next week has preoccupied the governor, Harris added, so scheduling a meeting with union members has been difficult. She has no intention of letting the matter slide, Harris said, and intends no slight to union members.
McDonald met with Henderson late Friday.
"It was a very productive meeting," said James Watson, a spokesman for the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
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