AT&T opens new Davenport care center
Those who had not been outside or inside the new AT&T Customer Care Center at 5348 Elmore Circle, Davenport, were amazed Friday afternoon when the official dedication took place.
It actually opened in early January, and many newcomers were full of smiles and and compliments.
“We really were wowed by this building,” said Mike Tramontina, director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. “You really care about doing more than you have to do,” including making the facility aesthetically impressive.
Friday afternoon was a time for ribbon-cutting, thank-yous and praises for all who made it possible to build the new facility that currently employs about 200 people. Plans call for about 500 total employees to be hired, possibly by year’s end, officials said.
“We are thrilled to bring good news and good jobs to the Quad-Cities,” said David Fine, vice president and general manager of AT&T’s Minnesota and Northern Plains region that includes Iowa. “The people who work at this facility collectively represent the voice of AT&T. And I am proud to say this voice is committed to world-class customer care.”
Others attending the ceremony included Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba, Liz Guttenberg, director of the Customer Care Center, and other employees and dignitaries.
“The state of Iowa is delighted that AT&T has chosen Davenport as the location for its state-of-the-art call center facility,” Tramontina said. “AT&T and Iowa are a great match. AT&T is a world-class company offering good jobs with great benefits, and Iowa offers an attractive work force.”
Gluba praised the company for providing a $28 million economic impact during construction of the 74,250-square-foot building and “when fully operational (with 500 employees), $19.3 million in annual economic impact to the region and a payroll of almost $11 million a year.”
Employees at the new facility voted two weeks ago to be represented by the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO. Francis Giunta, the president of CWA Local 7110, said a majority of the call center employees agreed to unionize in a card-check drive that began in mid-April.
He said at the time that the vote “tells me people understand the value of a union, the value of healthcare benefits and the value of a voice at work. And it tells me the labor unions are not a thing of the past.”
The AT&T employees will become part of Local 7110 and will be covered by an existing contract, which expires Feb. 7, 2009.
Bob Beasley, AT&T spokesman, said as of Monday, the starting wage for customer service representatives will be $10.01 an hour.
Fine said in 2006 and 2007, AT&T invested $29 million in its Iowa network and plans to invest more than $15 million more in 2008 to enhance its wireless coverage.
He said the company will add new cell sites across the state and expand its higher-speed, third-generation, or 3G, wireless network to the Quad-Cities, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. He said among other things, 3G allows customers to take advantage of its Video Share, a “first-of-its-kind technology” in the United States that allows users to share live video during a wireless call.