Response meeting 'fantastic'
By Joey Berlin
Originally published 09:57 a.m., February 2, 2008
Updated 09:57 a.m., February 2, 2008
The community response team for the Tyson Foods plant layoffs had what City Manager Matt Zimmerman termed a “fantastic meeting” Friday afternoon at Flint Hills Technical College.
Twenty-one local and state officials or entities were invited to have representation, and U.S. Senator Sam Brownback attended the first 30 minutes of the meeting before heading to an appearance in Alma.
Zimmerman said about six or seven action steps were developed, and a more detailed report on those steps would probably be issued Monday. He announced that the city will hold a community fair on Feb. 16 at Flint Hills Technical College from 1 to 4 p.m. Zimmerman said more than 50 employers would be at the fair.
“We’re going to have our social services agencies, we’re going to have employers here, we’re going to have Realtors here, and we’re going to have the state and federal department of labor and department of commerce agencies,” he said.
On Feb. 18-20, the city will follow up the community fair with a series of informational meetings at the Anderson building at the Lyon County Fairgrounds. The informational meetings will have the same kind of information available at the community fair.
“So we should have a very good response, and this should be a great opportunity for everybody to learn what they can access and how to access it,” he said. “Also, we’re going to be working with our faith-based communities to bring in interpreters.”
Jeff Longbine, chairman of the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas and a city commissioner, said each agency was asked to give a brief synopsis of the impact on their organization and an idea of how they could best help the community.
“I thought it was a very productive meeting,” he said.
During his brief appearance, Brownback told the response team that he believed the restructured Tyson plant can employ more people in processing than the company is planning on. He said afterward that he could be held accountable to help push for those jobs.
“They’re probably not going to do any slaughter lines for cattle, but they could do additional processing,” he said. “It’s a huge meat processing company, and so this is a good facility for them, and they could be able to do that, and I hope they will, and we’re going to push ’em about that.”
Zimmerman said people with questions about the Tyson crisis could contact the city manager’s office, which could then refer them to the proper agency. He said another response team meeting wasn’t scheduled; the city will consider scheduling another one if a new crisis occurs at another point in time — such as when dismissed Tyson employees stop getting paid after March 25.
“To be honest with you, we had such a successful meeting that we don’t have another one planned,” he said. “Each agency is going to go out and do what they do, the city is going to serve as the coordinating agency, and we’ve encouraged them to keep the city manager’s office in the loop.”
Elsewhere, at a news conference Friday at the Statehouse in Topeka, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said she told Tyson executives that she had been led to believe all the dismissed employees would be offered job transfers, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Sebelius said Tyson executives told her that Tyson’s Finney County plant might have 150 to 200 jobs available.
“I was a bit dismayed the information that has been put forward so far about every worker being assured a job in a Tyson facility really is not accurate,” Sebelius said.
dayjob55 (anonymous) says...
How about helping all those who have lost their jobs before the Tyson layoffs. I'll bet if you added up all those that have lost their jobs from small businesses closing in the last 5 years you would have more than 1500 but because these were only small numbers at a time I guess they don't count. Try helping those of us who have already lost our homes, our jobs, our insurance and can't get anything. Most of us are white, long-time citizens of Emporia and Lyon County and have been taxpayers who spend our money here instead of sending it back to Mexico. But there wasn't any help for me when I tried to get help. I was too old, told "sorry, there aren't any programs for you", etc. over and over. This problem began a long time ago and I'm really angry that 1500 people can get help - in their own language no less - and I can't get anything. And you wonder why people who can sell their homes are leaving? Open your eyes people.
February 2, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
anonymous_10 (anonymous) says...
Agree with dayjob55. Emporia does need to open their eyes. Stop letting the elite city commissioners do anything they want and do what will line their pockets and not help when it comes to the people who have been here forever and lost their jobs.
February 2, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wally (anonymous) says...
In my opinion emporia needs to stop courting Tyson and start looking for smaller more diverse manufacturing, and more of it. Tyson will pull out entirely soon, just look at the profit numbers. Why would any corporation operate in such an enviroment. Rebuild our economic base in a way that helps protect the employes from shifts in the economy. With more smaller companys the loss of one does not constitute a disaster. I feel like our city and state leaders are looking or a fast fix to a long term problem. We also need some serious urban renewal south of 6th street. Good time to start.
February 2, 2008 at 8:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hottopics (anonymous) says...
I couldnt agree with you more. Yes many smaller businesses have tanked leaving hundreds here and there stranded in Emporia. Tyson was just the last straw to bring this all to a head. There should have been help for those left in the dust by all these closing companies.
We need to stand up to this Commission and Chamber of Commerce and demand that they either get off their butts and do their jobs or they need to step down and allow someone in who really wants to see this community succeed. All I can see is those sitting in these seats doing nothing but flushing our opportunities and any dreams of providing a prosperous life for our families down the toilet.
It is so hard to see any light at the end of this dark tunnel. Where does one begin? I know I dont have 10 years to wait it out. Do you??
February 3, 2008 at 12:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
smith_ron (anonymous) says...
Did any else ready the Wichita Eagle this morning? It had some really interesting coverage of Tyson.
February 3, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cherry_Bomb (anonymous) says...
************************************************************************************************
Governor Says She Had Wrong Info on Tyson
Posted: 4:11 PM Feb 1, 2008
http://www.wibw.com/13newsat6/headlines/......
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Friday she was given inaccurate information regarding
the massive lay-off at the Emporia Tyson plant. Tyson announced Jan. 25 that it would
end beef slaughter operations at the Emporia facility, cutting 1500 of that plant's 2400 jobs.
**** Sebelius says she was told jobs would be offered within Tyson for all of the employees
who are being laid off. At a Friday news conference, she said she's now learned the offers
will be made to as FEW as 400 workers.
Half of the job offers will be at the Finney County plant.
The rest at Tyson plants in Nebraska and Illinois.
Emporia city leaders, community members and Sen. Sam Brownback were meeting
behind closed doors in Emporia Friday afternoon to talk about the Tyson situation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 3, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Kansasforlegalimmigration (anonymous) says...
2-4-08
Tyson’s reduction in work force in Emporia is in part the responsibility of those who chose to willingly employ ILLEGAL ALIENS in the past. Those plants in western Kansas were not built because there was a ready work force. They were built because there was going to be a huge ILLEGAL ALIENS work force available at lower wages than were being paid in Emporia, Wichita, Arkansas City just to name a few.
We are asking that you give your full support SB 458, “The Kansas Illegal Immigration Relief Act” during this 2008 session of the Kansas Senate.
This bill has been introduced by Sen. Peggy Palmer and Co-Sponsored by Senators Barnett, Huelskamp, Journey and Ostmeyer.
This bill address five of the most important issues to curb the tide of illegal aliens currently invading Kansas as well as other states.
1.Allow state and local authorities to enforce federal immigration law.
2. Prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving state services such as welfare.
3. Require employers to verify the citizenship of potential hires using the federal Employment Eligibility Verification system, called E-Verify
4.Impose new penalties for businesses that hire illegals.
5. Toughen penalties for using or making false identification for illegal immigrants.
This bill is needed to begin to curb the onslaught of Illegal Aliens we have witnessed in the United States since the “Great Amnesty of 1986”. There have been many attempts this past year to pass feel good “amnesties” in the US congress. Thankfully none of these have been passed.
We have personally seen entire industries taken over by companies who hire illegal labor. These companies hire Illegal Aliens at rates lower than the cost of hiring legal IMMIGRANTS or US Citizens. By allowing this to happen, we have created an underclass of “modern day slave labor” which works for less money, fewer or no benefits and no recourse. Meanwhile due to the unfair competition many American business people have had to close because they could not compete.
We feel that we need to secure our borders and remove the Magnets (jobs, social services etc.) that draw Illegal Aliens before we attempt to assimilate those who are here illegally now. We can’t afford to keep making the same mistakes over and over.
In 1986 we had 2.7 million Illegal Aliens in our country. Because we took no action to prevent a repeat of this flood by securing the borders and removing the MAGNETS, which draw more illegals, we now have 10 times that number to deal with today. For us to add to the seven (7) amnesties passed in the US congress since 1986 without preventing a repeat is unacceptable.
We need for you to call, write, Fax and email your senators to protect Kansas’s workers from the unfair hiring of ILLEGAL ALIENS.
February 4, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Kansasforlegalimmigration (anonymous) says...
Kansas Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee
Please contact these Committee members expressing your support for the “Kansas Illegal Alien Act”.
Senator Pete Brumgardt, Committee Chairman
522 Fairdale Road
SALINA, KS. 67401
brungardt@senate.state.ks.us
Fax 785-825-0273
Senate Office phone 785-296-7390
Senator Mark Gilstrap, Ranking Minority Member
4218 N 126 Street
KANSAS CITY, KS. 66109
gilstrap@senate.state.ks.us
Fax 913-573-8169
Senate Office phone 785-296-7357
Senator Julia Lynn
18837 W 115TH TERRACE
OLATHE, KS. 66061
lynn@senate.state.ks.us
Senate Office phone 785-296-7382
Senator Roger Reitz, Committee Vice-Chair
1332 Sharingbrook
MANHATTAN, KS. 66503
reitz@senate.state.ks.us
Senate Office phone 785-296-7360
Senator John Vratil
9534 Lee Boulevard
LEAWOOD, KS. 66206
vratil@senate.state.ks.us
Senate Office phone 913-451-5100
Senator Karin Brownlee
14725 S Chalet Drive
OLATHE, KS. 66062
brownlee@senate.state.ks.us
Fax 913-782-1085
Senate Office phone 785-296-7358
Senator Marci Francisco
1101 Ohio
LAWRENCE, KS. 66044
francisco@senate.state.ks.us
Senate Office phone 785-296-7365
Senator Jim Barnett
1400 Lincoln
EMPORIA, KS. 66801
barnett@senate.state.ks.us
Fax 620-342-6520
Senate Office phone 785-296-7384
Senator Ralph Ostmeyer
Box 97
GRINNELL, KS. 67738
ostmeyer@senate.state.ks.us
Senate Office phone 785-296-7399
February 4, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dougmarshall (anonymous) says...
I think everyone should look in the mirror and ask "What have I done to make Emporia better?" It is easy to blame city officials, Chambers of Commerce, but it is really hard to pass the mirror test. Why wait for someone to make changes? Do something besides complaining.
February 4, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
playbook (anonymous) says...
All of us are Immigrants , except for the Native Indian . That is what makes this a great Country, You should be Worried more about what your buddy BUSH is doing to our great Country, by the way he is White and he has done more damage than any illegal Alien !
February 4, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
playbook. get over your damn self, this is NOT bush's fault that tyson is closing in emporia, creeps like you make me sick, stick to the damn issue, most have heard your puke before, get a damn life. go join the military and make something of your self, show your friends that you have some hangie downs. maybe
sorry to all the others here, but punks like playbook pi$$ me off
February 4, 2008 at 10:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )