Beware of the Bill that Could Potentially Damage Outsource Call Centers

Apparently, there’s been a bill floating around the legislature which, if moved further, could potentially render any company that ships call center jobs overseas ineligible for tax credits or state contracts. While the Communications Workers of America, sponsored by Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Tim Kennedy, is pushing the bill with a Web ad campaign launching soon, other say that it’s “bad for business.”

The bill did pass the Assembly’s labor committee on Wednesday. Bob Master, legislative and political director for District One of the Communications Workers of America, stated, “Companies that send New Yorkers’ jobs overseas, like Verizon (News - Alert), should not be receiving taxpayer dollars or government contracts. The loss of thousands of high-quality jobs with good benefits is devastating to New York’s economy and working families. CWA (News - Alert) will continue informing New Yorkers about these ruthless practices and are confident they will support this common-sense legislation.”

The battle continues, escalating even further with this statement made by Verizon:

“The CWA bill is bad for business in New York, which means it’s bad for jobs and growth. Having call centers in multiple locations helps provide good customer service. Verizon abides by the contracts that the company and its unions have agreed to, and those contracts clearly define what work can and can’t be contracted out. The CWA, which is using this anti-growth bill as a veil for its contract negotiations with Verizon, doesn’t include in its statement that Verizon’s call centers in New York handle calls from outside the state, as well. And employment in our call centers has dropped because the size of our business has dropped over the past decade as consumers turn to other technologies for their communications needs. A fact the CWA is sorely familiar with.”

As these circumstances continue to develop and unfold, we can only watch and wait to see what will happen next.