BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch want the CEOs of FairPoint Communications and the Illinois company that plans to buy it to reverse the planned layoffs of at least 110 workers across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Sanders, an independent, and Welch, a Democrat, wrote Tuesday to the CEOs of FairPoint and Consolidated Communications. They said reversing the layoffs would “be a significant demonstration of good faith” on Consolidated’s part.

FairPoint, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said Wednesday the realities of a rapidly evolving technology, changing consumer preferences and a more competitive telecommunications landscape have led to “significant decline in our legacy services and revenues,” and it has reduced its workforce to match its workload.

A Consolidated spokeswoman said the company isn’t able to comment now as “we are both running independent companies up until closing.”

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