Was closing the Frontier Call Center really a Surprise?
Frankly, I’m surprised it took soooo long. Is this really a surprise to anyone? Not me - I heard about the new Call Center a year ago. Citizens Communications announced it a year ago in the Orlando Business Journal.
A company doesn’t build a Call Center - A BRAND NEW call Center - for no reason - so a year ago, the strategy is consolidation.
Reading the paper today - it seems like a surprise. Here is the UNITE rep commenting:
Many employees are worried about losing their jobs and don’t feel they have been given enough time to prepare, said Marie Rogers, business representative for UNITE HERE.
Here is Ann Burr (of COMIDA fame) chiming in:
Ann Burr, Citizens senior vice president and regional manager, said the company plans in talks with the union to propose enhanced severance benefits to ease the transition and afford eligible employees the opportunity to consider early retirement.
“We will do all we can to help ease the transition for employees affected by this announcement,†Burr said.
The company plans to offer career counseling and job placement services as well as opportunities to apply for other Frontier positions or transfer to the new local work-at-home program, she added.
Doing all we can? Please. It was always part of the plan. Have they been easing the transition since last year? My issue here is the management and employees had to know it was coming - why are we treating this like a surprise with the same “Ah Shucks… it is inevitable” platitudes?
Please - Oh - why Florida? Well - per Citizens 2006 Press release
A new Frontier Call Center will be established in DeLand, Florida in August of this year and will house up to 500 employees by year-end 2007. DeLand was selected because of the rich labor market, positive economic climate and opportunity to attract a strong employee base.
Read the words - and “Rich” “Postive” and “Strong” means something completely different to Citizens Communications than to you and me.
Too bad someone in the Citizens Communications didn’t have the influence to locate jobs in NY.
Wow. Pretty interesting. Its all about big business control.
“Rich†“Postive†and “Strong†means no unions. They’ve been having trouble with UNITE for a while now. If I remember correctly the help desk people went to court over the right to organize, got fired, the usual.
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