THOUSAND OAKS : GTE Restructuring Will Cut 160 Jobs

GTE California Inc. and its retail subsidiary, GTEL, will eliminate 160 jobs in Thousand Oaks, it was announced Monday.

The Thousand Oaks cutbacks are part of a ongoing restructuring that a company spokesmen said will see the elimination of at least 391 jobs in California.

Some of the jobs to be eliminated in Thousand Oaks will be transferred to other GTE operations in California or other states, said spokesman Larry Cox. However, he said, other jobs will be abolished.

The actions, which target specific positions, are separate from recent companywide job reductions, Cox said. An early retirement incentive plan offered in October attracted resignations from 102 GTE California employees, Cox said.

GTE now has about 14,300 employees, with 2,500 of those based in Ventura County.

Cox said the targeted job reductions in Thousand Oaks include positions in GTEL’s sales and service division. Another chunk of jobs will be lost as offices dealing with long-distance carriers are moved out of state. Also, two GTE business service centers here will be closed, as will the Thousand Oaks GTE Phone Mart store.