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From the San Bernadino (California) Sun
http://www.sbsun.com/sanbernardino/ci_11027863
About 200 SB call center employees laid off
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/19/2008 08:43:53 PM PST
Photo Gallery: Starwood layoffs
SAN BERNARDINO - National economic woes became more than just a headline Wednesday for the more than 200 people who worked at Starwood Vacation Ownership's call center downtown.
Employees who showed up to work at Starwood's offices at the Carousel Mall discovered a sign asking them to enter through the mall entrance rather than the door they usually use.
Once inside, they learned that instead of working on Starwood's time-share business, they would spend the day contemplating how they will earn a living after their severance pay runs out.
"You just got to keep positive. Everybody knows times are tough across the board," said Marion Cease, who said he worked at the call center for about seven months.
Cease said he came to Starwood after working in the faltering real estate industry. He said he has also served in the U.S. Air Force.
"I should have just stayed in the military," he mused while standing on a staircase at Carousel Mall's parking structure, waiting to go inside and make everything official.
Cease said his immediate plans are to find a part-time job and enroll at Cal Poly Pomona to study aeronautics.
Another employee who lost a job Wednesday is Kameela Rashed, who said she worked at the call center for more than five years.
"I still love my job, even though it's not here anymore," she said.
Rashed and another newly laid-off employee said they plan to try to obtain work as correctional officers, a job in which they won't have to worry about a shortage of clients.
Laurel Roehl, Starwood regional human relations director, said the call center's employees will continue to be paid until Jan. 19, when the company's San Bernardino offices are scheduled to shut down.
A few employees will continue to work at Starwood's downtown offices until January, but most of the call center's workers were set loose Wednesday.
Roehl and David Matheson, Starwood Vacation Ownership's vice president of communications, both said they did not have an exact number of how many employees were laid off Wednesday but that the figure was larger than 200 people.
Matheson said his company has reduced staffing at locations across the United States, but closing the San Bernardino call center was the "biggest hit" among those job cuts.
He said the layoffs stem from a downturn within the travel industry.
"If you look at the overall trends in travel and tourism, everyone's taking a hit," Matheson said.
Donna Cisneros, who spent 5 1/2 years working for Starwood before being laid off Wednesday, said she wasn't surprised.
"Since we're a luxury-based company and the housing industry took a dump, I had seen it coming," she said. "It hurts. It was a great company to work for."
Starwood Vacation Ownership is a subsidiary of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. The firm's brands include St. Regis, W, Westin and Sheraton hotels.
Staff photographer Jeff Malet contributed to this report.
http://www.sbsun.com/sanbernardino/ci_11027863
About 200 SB call center employees laid off
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/19/2008 08:43:53 PM PST
Photo Gallery: Starwood layoffs
SAN BERNARDINO - National economic woes became more than just a headline Wednesday for the more than 200 people who worked at Starwood Vacation Ownership's call center downtown.
Employees who showed up to work at Starwood's offices at the Carousel Mall discovered a sign asking them to enter through the mall entrance rather than the door they usually use.
Once inside, they learned that instead of working on Starwood's time-share business, they would spend the day contemplating how they will earn a living after their severance pay runs out.
"You just got to keep positive. Everybody knows times are tough across the board," said Marion Cease, who said he worked at the call center for about seven months.
Cease said he came to Starwood after working in the faltering real estate industry. He said he has also served in the U.S. Air Force.
"I should have just stayed in the military," he mused while standing on a staircase at Carousel Mall's parking structure, waiting to go inside and make everything official.
Cease said his immediate plans are to find a part-time job and enroll at Cal Poly Pomona to study aeronautics.
Another employee who lost a job Wednesday is Kameela Rashed, who said she worked at the call center for more than five years.
"I still love my job, even though it's not here anymore," she said.
Rashed and another newly laid-off employee said they plan to try to obtain work as correctional officers, a job in which they won't have to worry about a shortage of clients.
Laurel Roehl, Starwood regional human relations director, said the call center's employees will continue to be paid until Jan. 19, when the company's San Bernardino offices are scheduled to shut down.
A few employees will continue to work at Starwood's downtown offices until January, but most of the call center's workers were set loose Wednesday.
Roehl and David Matheson, Starwood Vacation Ownership's vice president of communications, both said they did not have an exact number of how many employees were laid off Wednesday but that the figure was larger than 200 people.
Matheson said his company has reduced staffing at locations across the United States, but closing the San Bernardino call center was the "biggest hit" among those job cuts.
He said the layoffs stem from a downturn within the travel industry.
"If you look at the overall trends in travel and tourism, everyone's taking a hit," Matheson said.
Donna Cisneros, who spent 5 1/2 years working for Starwood before being laid off Wednesday, said she wasn't surprised.
"Since we're a luxury-based company and the housing industry took a dump, I had seen it coming," she said. "It hurts. It was a great company to work for."
Starwood Vacation Ownership is a subsidiary of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. The firm's brands include St. Regis, W, Westin and Sheraton hotels.
Staff photographer Jeff Malet contributed to this report.