ALBANY, N.Y. — Verizon is closing call centers in five states, including the one in Bangor that will affect over 200 workers.

The company said Thursday a consolidation of its call centers will impact about 3,200 workers in Bangor; Rochester, N.Y., and New York City; Lincoln, Nebraska; Wallingford and Meriden, Connecticut, and Rancho Cordova, California.

Besides the 200 jobs in Maine, some 850 will be lost at the two New York locations. In California, 700 jobs are being cut and another 300 are being relocated. The other cuts include 320 in Nebraska, and 550 in Connecticut. Another 175 jobs at a customer service facility in Huntsville, Alabama, are being relocated to Hanover, Maryland, the company said.

Verizon Communications Inc. spokeswoman Kim Ancin said the impacted workers were notified Wednesday. All are being offered jobs at other company sites or severance packages if they decide not to relocate, she said.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called Verizon’s moves “an egregious example of corporate abuse.”

“Verizon’s negligence is astounding and as a result, hard-working New Yorkers will lose their jobs,” he said in a statement.

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Ancin called the Cuomo administration’s response to the job cuts “out of line.”

“I’m not sure what abuses he’s referring to,” she said. “These are jobs that are staying within the U.S.”

Wednesday’s announcement comes just days after the company confirmed job cuts in stores across the country as it deals with increasing competition in the wireless industry.

Verizon said it was combining the roles of two store positions – inventory stockers and customer-service specialists who answer questions about gadgets and bills.

Revenue growth across the wireless industry has slowed. Most adults already have smartphones, and carriers offer discounts. In the first half of the year, Verizon’s wireless revenue fell nearly 3 percent to $44 billion.


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