Vartec Telcom leaving Tulsa

Layoffs are looming for employees of Vartec Telecom here in Tulsa. Word of the termination notice came down Friday afternoon. <br><br>News on Six reporter Jenni Monet says representatives with Vartec

Friday, May 31st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Layoffs are looming for employees of Vartec Telecom here in Tulsa. Word of the termination notice came down Friday afternoon.

News on Six reporter Jenni Monet says representatives with Vartec are neither confirming nor denying rumors of any layoffs, but a memo obtained by the News on Six provides us with some grave details. It's headlined to employees as a termination notice due to a change in corporate direction. And as a result, Vartec says it will cease its entire customer service operation here in Tulsa, effective July 31st.

Forbes Magazine recently named the local and long distance service provider as one of the Top 500 privately held companies. Inside sources tell us Vartec's move to shut down comes down to budget concerns. At this point, it's sheer speculation of just how many workers will be affected by this move.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, as little as 90 employees will be out of work. But some Vartec insiders speaking on anonymity suggest that number could reach into the hundreds.