SoCal Edison to Lay off Hundreds

Southern California Edison Co. plans to lay off hundreds of employees as part of a management streamlining and outsourcing of some functions, such as information technology, it was reported today.

The number of workers affected by the cuts will be "in the high hundreds," Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Pacoima, chairman of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, said in comments reported by the Los Angeles Times. "It's pretty disappointing ... (The cuts) are not going to help" California's economy.

Padilla was briefed by his committee consultants, who said they were told that the utility expected to cut 500 in-house employees and another 400 to 500 contract workers beginning this summer, The Times reported. Most of the layoffs would be at Edison's sprawling Irwindale office complex.

The utility acknowledged in a statement its plans for cuts this summer -- including greater use of outside vendors -- but did not offer an estimate of the number of workers affected.

--City News Service