Seventy call centers will be reduced to 11 nationwide.

AUGUSTA (AP) – Around 80 Adelphia workers in the company’s Augusta and Bangor call centers are being laid off in late January.

Adelphia is consolidating its call center operations from 70 nationwide to 11. The full-time employees earn from $9 to $16 an hour with full benefits, including health insurance. Employees were notified Tuesday about the layoffs.

Kathleen Hounsell, Adelphia’s area manager in Maine, said employees can apply for transfers to the remaining call centers in Colorado, New York and Florida. A small number will be retained for customer service work.

Workers who lose their jobs will qualify for a small severance package.

Adelphia employs around 400 people in Maine as technicians, linemen and others in office jobs. No other employees, including those in the Winslow offices, are affected by the change.

Service calls that now go to the Augusta and Bangor offices will be rerouted to Florida starting in January.

AP-ES-12-04-03 1232EST