FairPoint readies 90 layoffs in N.H., Maine, Vt.

In the coming months, FairPoint Communications will be laying off about 90 workers in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont

In the coming months, FairPoint Communications will be laying off about 90 workers in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, though how many of those cuts will happen in the Granite State is not yet known.

The communications provider announced the workforce reduction on Monday. How many of those layoffs will occur in each state will not be known until a contractually obligated collective bargaining process is completed.

FairPoint has approximately 1,100 employees in New Hampshire, according to company spokesman Jeff Nevins. In total, the broadband Internet and telephone provider employs about 3,300 workers in 17 states.

The company said in a release that the workforce cuts will save about $11 million annually in operating expenses and will help FairPoint “to remain competitive in our market.”

The announcement comes on the heels of last month’s elimination of more than 30 management positions at the company.

Laid-off employees are expected to be eligible for severance payments in the range of $5 to $8 million.