SHELTON -- About 600 Optimum employees are being laid off by their parent company, Altice USA, at their Stratford and Shelton offices, a spokesperson confirmed to FOX 61 Tuesday morning.
The company said they have seen a decrease in call volume from customers and those calls will be handled by facilities in the Bronx, Long Island and New Jersey.
The employees will keep their jobs through November, the spokesperson said. Employees will be offered severance and outplacement support.Employees will also be able to apply for jobs within Altice.
According to their website "Altice USA is a leading national telecommunications, media and entertainment company. We are a subsidiary of Altice Group (Euronext: ATC, ATCB), a global communications company founded in 2001 by telecom engineer and entrepreneur Patrick Drahi. At Altice, our core principles are centered on a commitment to our Customers, our Employees and our Local Communities."
In New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, Altice services are known under the company Optimum.
Meanwhile, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti was a bit surprised when he learned about the layoffs, saying, "You don't expect a number like that." though Lauretti says this is not as bad as it may seem. He says, "We've had an influx of businesses and companies come in here in the last two years and I think probably all total about 2,000 new employees are working in Shelton than they were two years ago."
Gov. Dan Malloy tells FOX 61 the state will double check its contract with Altice to make sure it’s legally executing these cuts.
The company released a statement Tuesday morning:
“Altice USA is committed to Connecticut and to serving the local communities with best-in-class products and service. As a company driven by technology, investment and innovation, we are introducing some exciting changes to our offerings, including speed increases and new products, which are focused on delivering a superior experience to all of our customers.
Over the last few years, there have been investments and enhancements to our Optimum products and services, making them more reliable and providing more customer service touch points than ever before. As a result, we have seen a significant improvement in customer call volume and patterns. As we look to strengthen our operations in the nation’s most competitive market, we are aligning our contact center organization to meet the current needs of our customers.”
Altice has more than 18,000 employees in 20 states.
