360 to offer jobs to 52 Touch America employees in Butte

360networks, the company buying Touch America’s fiberoptic network and other assets, will offer jobs to about 52 Touch America employees in Butte, according to a spokesman for the Vancouver-based telecommunications com-pany. Those jobs will be located in Butte.

By the Montana Standard Staff

Chris Mueller, senior vice president of 360, said that transitional offers will also be extended to some employees during the absorption of Touch America.

The Butte-based Touch America continues to work its way through the bankruptcy process and just last week asked a Delaware bankruptcy court judge for permission to auction the company’s office equipment, telephone systems and other parcels as the bankruptcy winds down.

360networks was the winner of a bidding war over Touch America’s assets and already has a fiberoptic network in North America and Canada. The sale between bankrupt Touch America and 360 is expected to be consummated in late October. A speedy sale is needed because Touch America continues to burn through cash each week, according to previous comments from com-pany officials.

Calls to Touch America seeking comment on the sale progress were not returned Monday.

The extension of job offers from 360 means that less than half of those still working for Touch America in Montana will continue to have jobs after the sale and bankruptcy are completed.

Earlier, 360 said it plans to find a smaller, leased space for its Butte work force. Job offers have been made to some employees and will continue to be extended as 360 examines its needs and redundancies; transitional work will also be extended to key employees as well, Mueller said.

Touch America, blaming the economy and telecom meltdown, filed bankruptcy June 19 and listed assets and debts in excess of $500 million.

— Leslie McCartney

The Montana Standard

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2003/10/21/newsbutte_top/hjjgijhijbebii.txt