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AAA Trims Workers Locally

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: February 24, 2009

TAMPA - With travel sales down 50 percent for the quarter ended Dec. 31, AAA Auto Club South is eliminating 37 of 3,100 jobs in its three-state area, an official said Monday.

That means 23 layoffs and not filling 14 open positions.

The travel agency's Tampa headquarters, on West Shore Boulevard, has laid off five of its roughly 550 employees, Vice President Kevin Bakewell said.

Tours and cruises represent about 25 percent of the company's business, Bakewell said, with the remainder coming from insurance and membership dues.

The layoffs affect 16 of AAA Auto Club South's branch offices, which operate in Florida, Georgia, western and middle Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

In addition, all full-time hourly travel agency staff at headquarters and branches, except agents who performed at "sales excellence" level for 2008, will work a 38-hour week for the remainder of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, a company memo states.

The reduction in hours took effect Monday.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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