verizon-imgJust months after Verizon customers weathered a seven-week strike by 40,000 wireline employees, a recently reported decision by Verizon to close 5 call centers could mean more telecom headaches for their business and government customers. The telecommunications provider’s plan to realign its real estate portfolio and customer operations will result in the closure of call centers in California, Connecticut, Maine, Nebraska, and New York, potentially displacing 3,200 non-union workers.

While Verizon has stated that they are encouraging the affected employees to stay with the company, this could require them to relocate outside their home geography to existing call centers in Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has been critical of Verizon’s decision, suggesting that more jobs and more customer service problems could end up at Verizon call centers in the Philippines and other countries. The workers affected are primarily in Verizon Wireless’ BGCO group which supports business and government customers.