BIDDEFORD — Just a few days before Christmas, 100 FairPoint Communications workers got the news they were dreading, the were being laid off as of Dec. 30, not the way they were hoping to start the new year.

Some say they think the layoffs are motivated by the hope of making the company more attractive to a buyer. A company spokeswoman said that’s not the case and the sale is simply a result of current business conditions.

The layoffs will affect employees in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, about 30 of the men and woman wondering where they next paycheck would be coming from are Maine employees, at least one from the Biddeford area.

“It’s like the Grinch who stole Christmas,” said Don Trementozzi, likening the situation to a Dr. Seuss children’s book in which a grumpy hermit called the Grinch steals Christmas presents from the residents of the mythical town of Whoville.

Trementozzi, president of the Communication Workers of America Local 1400, said a number of his members losing their jobs are from Maine.

The rest of those who will be out of work come Friday are members of the International  Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2327, many of who live and/or work in Maine, IBEW Local 2327 President Peter Keefe said.

Those getting the ax have been with the FairPoint (previously Verizon) between five and 16 years, he said.

“It’s terrible,” said Keefe. “They were notified just three days before Christmas.”

Although layoff notifications began Monday, the unions are not giving up on saving their members’ jobs without a fight.

On Friday, a joint press release from the IBEW and CWA was sent out hoping to garner support for the workers and possible imbue FairPoint with the Christmas spirit.

The unions are calling on community and elected leaders to speak out on the workers’ behalf. “We are so encouraged by the outpouring of support from so many folks,” said Peter McLaughlin, business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2327 in Maine. “We don’t believe this layoff makes sense from a business standpoint and it will hurt our communities. FairPoint’s service quality is already suffering and further cuts to the workforce will only make it worse. Not to mention the impact on the lives of these 100 workers and their families right before Christmas.”

Several members of Congress have called on FairPoint to not go through with the layoffs as planned.

Maine’s Democratic U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree wrote a letter to the company’s CEO Paul Sunu Dec. 16 asking for a reversal of the decision, noting FairPoint’s history of “inconsistent customer service, a stagnant infrastructure, and unattended service outages.” 

In addition, former presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., sent Sunu a letter Dec. 13 and said, “Just last month, FairPoint said it would lay off nearly 10 percent of its remaining workforce, presumably to make the company more attractive for a sale. However, such a move makes no sense for a company that continues to struggle with significant service quality issues.”

Keefe echoed Sanders statement that the company has service quality issues.

Both he and Trementozzi said they also believe that the layoffs are part of FairPoint’s strategy to put the company in a better position for a merger or acquisition.

“We believe they’re trying to make themselves look better for a sale,” said Trementozzi.

On Dec. 5, FairPoint announced that Consolidated Communications, of Matton, Illinois, would acquire FairPoint. “The agreement and the proposed merger have been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies,” according to a joint press release from the two companies.

The sale is predicated on approval by regulatory commissions in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. If the approvals are granted, the sale could take place next year.

Both union representatives said they are “cautiously optimistic” about the sale but they are doing their due diligence researching the company and intend to attend regulatory hearings on the merger and voice concerns that may arise.

Trementozzi said he had some concerns about the potential new owners in regard to the pending layoffs. “I think (FairPoint is) doing the dirty work for the new purchasers.”

That’s not the case, said FairPoint spokeswoman Angelynne Beaudry. “We do not make these decisions lightly,” she said, “and we understand the personal impact these actions have, but we must take what are often difficult steps to address the reality of telephone line and legacy revenue decline.

“In the past 12 months we have seen our voice lines decline by nearly 11 percent. As any prudent business would, we need to align the size of our workforce to meet the needs of the business,” Beaudry said.

A local state representative said he supports the workers and decries FairPoint’s decision but doesn’t think the state has much recourse in stopping the layoffs.

The state can’t force an employer to retain it’s workforce, said Rep. Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, House chairman of Labor, Commerce, Research, and Economic Development Committee. However, he said. “We can urge FairPoint to maintain its employees” intact, during the acquisition and transition period.

Trementozzi said he is still hoping for a Christmas miracle and that like the Grinch in Whoville, who had change of heart and returned the presents, FairPoint may call off the layoffs.

“We will continue to call on FairPoint to reverse the layoff, which hurts Maine workers and customers,” he said. “But we will also watch closely what Consolidated management does in this situation. We believe their actions now will tell us a lot about what kind of relationship we’ll have with them in the future.”

— Associate Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].