SBC announces layoffs, but local effect uncertain

After eliminating 10,000 jobs over the previous two quarters, SBC Communi-cations Inc. will let go of 5,000 more employees during second-quarter 2002.

However, it is unknown how many will come out of Missouri, said SBC spokesperson Chris Talley, and even less information is available for Springfield's Southwestern Bell office.

Southwestern Bell is the SBC subsidiary that serves Missouri. It employs 13,500 people in the state.

The company cites "a continued poor economy and a burdensome regulatory environment" as the basis for the cost-cutting move.

"While I don't have any specifics on either Missouri or Springfield, I can tell you that it's both management and non-management (positions) across all of SBC," Talley said from SBC headquarters in San Antonio.

Talley said the cuts will be "managed within the various business units of SBC," but SBC Southwestern Bell Regional Manager Pat Bly was not allowed to comment. Bly oversees the Springfield office and customer service center, which expanded last summer and hoped to add more than 100 jobs to the local community.

The effect on Springfield's work force is not known at this time, Talley said.

Nationally, the cuts will come in areas that do not directly affect customer service positions like call and billing center and field service positions.

"We're hoping to accomplish as much of this through attrition as possible, but there will be some instances of involuntary separation," Talley added. "In the face of the sluggish economy and uncertain regulatory environment, we're taking the steps we need to properly manage the business in these challenging times."

In other news, SBC will pay $3.6 million to the Federal Communications Commission to settle charges that it provided inaccurate information to federal regulators in its applications to provide long distance service in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas.

The agreement was announced May 29, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

SBC earned long distance rights in Missouri Nov. 16, 2001, and launched the service here Dec. 7, 2001.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 states that all regional Bell companies are required to prove to state and federal regulators that their local phone markets are open to competition before receiving service rights.

SBC, which has 190,000 employees in its 13 operating states, now provides long distance in six states with 5.3 million long-distance lines as of first quarter 2002.