AT&T cutting jobs in Connecticut; CWA readies for April contract expiration

AT&T (NYSE: T), blaming its sluggish landline business, has cut some 150 workers from its payroll in Connecticut.

The telco eliminated 100 phone operators' job across the state, and also announced plans to cut 45 network engineer and technician positions. The Waterbury Republican-American said AT&T also would be closing customer service centers in Waterbury and Old Saybrook.

However, an AT&T spokesman said that demand for U-verse had prompted the company to hire 200 U-verse technicians and retail employees in the past six months, adding that the telco was looking to hire 50 more.

Employees affected by layoffs will have other opportunities within the company.

"We are eliminating some positions due to reduced workload in our shrinking wire-line business," said spokesman Marty Richter. "The affected employees have a job offer guarantee that promises a job offer in another part of the business within Connecticut, so they have an opportunity to stay on the payroll."

The Communications Workers of America have been critical of AT&T's layoffs, saying the job cuts would "continue to deteriorate the already obscenely low 'service levels' in our state."

CWA local President Bill Henderson said the CWA's contract with AT&T expires in April and said the union is in the process of getting ready for upcoming negotiations.

For more:
- see this WTNH report
- see this HartfordBusiness.com report

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AT&T hiring 101 technicians in Wisconsin U-verse expansion