The company that acquired Iowa Telecom in June will eliminate more than half of its employees in Newton by early next year. Windstream Corporation Regional Vice-President Julia Anderson says the cuts are part of a restructuring of operations in Iowa and Minnesota.
“Across Iowa and Minnesota, there are 220 positions that will be eliminated, including 146 positions in Newton,” Anderson said. The jobs being cut are primarily in network operations, finance and information technology. Around 120 workers will remain on staff at Windstream in Newton.
Anderson says call center employees, local technicians and business and sales staff are “largely unaffected” by the restructuring. Many of the workers being let go will be jobless by the end of the year. “We tried to give our employees ample time and we’ve given them between 60 and 120 days, depending on the position,” Anderson said.
Employee who lose their jobs will be provided with severance pay and Anderson say they can apply for other open Windstream positions.
By Lance Renaud, KFJB, Marshalltown