[Nfbmt] In The News

Fri May 8 16:30:45 UTC 2015

Joy,
	Sorry to hear this, but generally when one door closes, another will
open for you.   Sure hope so.
Wishing you the best,
Ted

EDWARD C "TED" ROBBINS
, CEO MBEI, Treasurer NFB of Montana & MANAGER MAB EQUIPMENT PROGRAM
PHONE & FAX:  406 453 6678, CELL:  406 799 6268
104 RIVERVIEW 5 E
GREAT FALLS  MT   59404

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbmt [mailto:nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bruce&Joy
Breslauer via Nfbmt
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2015 7:26 AM
To: nfbmt 
Cc: Bruce&Joy Breslauer; rik
Subject: [Nfbmt] In The News

Below is an article in the Great Falls Tribune with news about the closing
of the call center at which I have worked for the past twelve years.  We
just found out about it at noon on Thursday.  This isn't the best news I've
ever heard.  I think it is also in several other local papers and has been
on the TV news.   

They will be offering some employees the opportunity to work at home.  If
that is available, I will do it.  Most of the computer programs they use are
not compatible with my screen reading software.  They will have individual
conversations with each one of us in the next few days to see what we want
to do and how best to transition to the next phase of our lives. I was
hoping I could get at least another couple of years out of them before this
happened, and I still might.  I'll keep you posted.  Joy 

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2015/05/07/asurion-will-cl
ose-downtown-great-falls-call-center-december/70950976/

Asurion will close downtown call center in August

Asurion employs 348 workers, some will be offered home employment jobs

Asurion will close downtown call center in August

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/581c1b808546d6c275ebde3891357f4733ef5975/c=0
-0-849-849&r=1024x1024&r=26&c=26x26/local/-/media/GreatFalls/USATODAY/2014/0
5/02/1399065384000-Jo-Dee-Black.jpgJo Dee Black,
jblack at greatfallstribune.com 5:45 p.m. MDT May 7, 2015

Asurion will close its downtown Great Falls operation, which employs 348
people, in August.

Great Falls' fourth largest private employer, Asurion, will close in August.
The call center has 348 employees.

The Nashville-based company made the announcement Thursday morning.

The company will offer some employees the opportunity to work from home,
said Brett Doney, president of the Great Falls Development Center.

"Our first concern is helping the employees who will be separating from the
company," Doney said.

The company, which provides warranty service for other businesses,
originally opened a call center in Great Falls in the former U.S. West
building at 401 1st Ave. N. in the late 1990s. Then named N.E.W., the
company expanded with a second call center at 321 Central Ave. in downtown
Great Falls in 2000. That building was originally a department store. The
last retail occupant, The Bon Marche, closed in 1997.

Dozens of Asurion employees filtered out of the building about noon after
hearing the closure announcement from company executives, each carrying a
manila envelope.

Most of the employees, men and women of all ages who do their jobs over the
phone, were casually dressed in jeans, T-shirts or sweatshirts. Many wore
baseball caps and tennis shoes.

Several gathered in the alleyway to have a cigarette and talk things over.

Asurion employees gather outside the building mid-day Thursday. The Great
Falls call center, located at 321 Central Ave. in a building that formerly
house The Bon Marche, announced it will close in August. 

None agreed to talk to a reporter, with one woman saying, "We aren't allowed
to speak and were told to refer reporters to public relations."

"I don't want to talk at the moment," another woman said. "We're a little
stressed out."

A large display near the front entrance of the building features pictures of
eight smiling workers with phone headsets and two promotional recruiting
messages on either side.

"Become a valued team member. See what career awaits you at
asurian.com/careers."

"World class customer support opportunities are at your fingertips,"
describing the "fast paced environment, paid training, awesome workplace,
great benefits and one-team culture."

The Great Falls Development Authority loaned N.E.W. $2 million to buy The
Bon building. N.E.W. merged with Asurion in 2008 and at that time, some of
the original N.E.W. partners retained ownership of the building, which is
leased by Asurion. The outstanding loan balance is $550,000, of which
$180,000 is owed to GFDA and the rest to the Montana Board of Investments.

"We'll work with the building owners to recover our loan funds and market
the attractive facility to new employers," Doney said.

The building has great telecommunications access and will be marketed to
site selectors as a turnkey operation, he said.

Asurion will provide severance packages and job search assistance to
employees who will lose their jobs because of the closure, according to an
news release from Asurion.

Asurion employees leave the building after learning that the Great Falls
call center will be closing in August. 

Employees who work in the company's Asurion at Home program receive $500 to set
up a fully connected home office and will retain their current benefits.
Asurion has more than 2,500 employees in the program in North America.
Employees in that program have a higher rate of job satisfaction and a lower
turnover rate, according to the company.

"We encourage all employees to keep their jobs and transition to an
Asurion at Home position, and we hope that many of the employees will do so,
keeping Asurion as an area employer, just without a physical building," the
company's new release statement says. "The decision to close the Great Falls
call center was based on strategic considerations, including enhancing
operating and infrastructure efficiencies."

N.E.W. adopted the Asurion name in Great Falls in June 2013. At times the
company employed more than 500 people in Great Falls during the past decade.

http://gftrib.com/1Ps47f8

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