MCI to layoff 4,000 outside NC

http://www.trianglejobs.com/front/story/1093955p-7175058c.html

The Associated Press
The N&O
Bankrupt telecommunications company MCI said Friday it is cutting 4,000 jobs -- about 7 percent of its work force -- and closing three call centers because of cost-cutting pressure and fallout from the national Do Not Call registry.

The company had announced in January that it was expecting to reduce overall costs by 15 percent to 20 percent, but did not mention specifically that jobs would be cut.

The centers being closed are in Denver, Phoenix and Niles, Ohio. Jobs are also being reduced at MCI facilities in Alpharetta, Ga.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Springfield, Mo.

"As a result of the impact of federal and state 'Do Not Call' laws, as well as ongoing telecom market trends, we need to take this action in order to improve our overall cost structure," the company said in a statement. "These actions will in no way impact our ability to serve our customers."

MCI, formerly known as WorldCom, is hoping to emerge from bankruptcy protection by the end of April. It entered bankruptcy in July 2002 after an accounting scandal that resulted in billions of dollars in overstated profits and criminal charges against its top executives.

MCI employs about 54,000 workers, including about 1,800 in the Triangle. The layoffs will amount to about 850 workers in Phoenix, about 950 in Denver and 650 workers at the Ohio call center, the company said. Layoff numbers for the other three centers were not available.

The cuts will take effect in May and June.





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but frankly, I would trade telemarketing jobs for a solid manufacturing base in the US again. There's only so much stuff you can buy in a lifetime. I detest getting these calls anyway.

A good number of the people employed at these centers work as inbound sales reps that take the calls of people who see or read MCI ads and call in to find out about the service. That's what I did when I worked at the Phoenix Call Center.

A full half of the 850 people employed there were inbound reps, which for me makes the "do not call registry" excuse a little less than believable.

I'd be interested in knowing what their stats are for offshoring call center jobs

Furrin' accent and all. However, I got the card for the 0% rate for a year, not for their customer "service". See how many times I actually use it.

North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado and Ohio.

What do all these states have in common?

Bush can't even protect his own, as we all now know.

It wasn't the greatest job, but it wasn't the worst either. Most of the people working there were making just enough money to pay their bills. Now all 850 of them are going to be out of a job.

The Worldcom merger was the worst thing that ever happened to MCI.

Legalized robbery!

Only in America!