Sprint job cuts include 20 workers here
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Sprint Hawai'i will cut 20 jobs from its work force of about 280 people as part of a companywide move.
Associated Press
Sprint Corp., the nation's third largest long-distance provider and fourth largest wireless provider, plans to eliminate 2,100 jobs, or about 2.8 percent of its work force, during the next year as it restructures operations, cuts costs and tries to return to profitability.
Long-distance and wireless provider Sprint, which also has a network of stores, hopes to save up to $145 million a year in a depressed telecommunications industry.
Nonie Toledo, general manager for Sprint Hawai'i, said the local job cuts will come in a billing department that primarily supports Mainland customers. "It is not a large impact for services we provide locally," she said.
The Kansas City, Mo.-based company said the reorganization's goal is to create one division to handle all local, long-distance, Internet and wireless network needs for its customers. Sprint now has separate divisions for local telephone, wireless and other services.
Sprint's intent is to save up to $145 million a year as the company copes with a depressed telecommunications industry.
Sprint has laid off more than 15,000 employees since October 2001, and expects to have a work force of 72,000 after the latest cuts.
About half of the layoffs announced yesterday will be in Kansas City.
"The consolidations we are announcing today are a necessary step if we are to capitalize on our strength, which is the ability to offer a complete portfolio of wireline and wireless voice, data and Internet services under a single brand at a competitive price," said William T. Esrey, Sprint's chairman and chief executive.
During the third quarter ended Sept. 30, Sprint earned $519 million, compared to a loss of $134 million in the same period a year ago.
Sprint FON, which includes its long-distance division, earned $526 million, compared with earnings of $154 million during the same period last year.
Sprint PCS, the wireless division, lost $7 million in the third quarter, compared with a $288 million loss a year earlier.
