Tyson to cut more jobs at Emporia plant
Having previously announced plans to cease beef slaughter operations at its facility Emporia, Kansas, USA, (see www.leatherbiz.com January 28, 2008), meat processor Tyson has now earmarked a definitive date for the closure.
According to a company statement, the final shift of beef slaughter operations will take place next week (February 13), while the remaining processing shift will end on February 15. The start of new, value-added beef production at the plant will begin on February 20.
The company will also cut more jobs than it originally stated when the plant closes down. Having initially announced that it would cut approximately 1,500 of the plant’s 2,400 jobs, it now believes that this figure will be 200-300 higher.
“When senior management made the initial decision to discontinue slaughter operations, we believed it was important to promptly notify our team members and make public disclosure,” said Jim Lochner, senior group vice president. “Our first announcement was based on what we knew at the time of the initial decision. Since the announcement, we’ve been able, with the assistance of the Emporia management team, to do a more extensive study of future production options and now have a better estimate of our staffing needs.”
