Tyson ceases slaughter
1,500 workers will be unemployed by March 25
By Brandy Nance
Saturday, January 26, 2008
After coming to Kansas from California 13 years ago and working at Tyson Foods all that time, Gilbert Cerritos is out of a job.
Slaughter operations at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant here will cease within the next several weeks, according to an announcement from company spokesman Gary Mickelson. Mickelson said approximately 1,500 jobs will be eliminated, including some workers currently employed in second-shift processing.
The plant is expected to be used as a cold storage and distribution warehouse, and also will process ground beef and certain commodity and specialty cuts.
Cerritos said he works second shift in maintenance in the slaughter side. He was called into the plant Friday afternoon for a meeting. Employees weren’t given any indication of what was going to happen. The layoffs weren’t expected.
“We have 60 days,” Cerritos said. “We don’t know what we’re gonna do. Everybody is in shock right now. Everybody. We never expected something like this to happen. Especially in our plant in Emporia.”
Cerritos said Emporia is a good place to raise kids. He has two children, who are 8 and 2 years old.
“When you have family, when you have little kids,” he said. “This is the right place to have kids.”
For Cerritos, the layoff announcement was a double whammy — his wife works at the plant, too. She’s also being laid off.
“I was badly shocked,” he said.
Cerritos said he and other workers are hoping for a miracle.
“We hope God will help us,” he said. “We hope somebody comes and buys Tyson in Emporia and says ‘you guys stay. Keep your job.’”
Cerritos said he doesn’t know what they’re going to do yet.
“Anything can happen in 60 days,” he said. “I came from California 13 years ago. I’ll probably go back to California again, 13 years later.”
Emporian Larry Delgado was one of the lucky ones when it came to the Tyson layoffs.
Delgado, who has worked at Tyson for 36 years, said he gets to keep his job. Delgado does not work in slaughter. He works in production.
Delgado said employees were told Friday afternoon about the layoffs.
“It’s a shock,” Delgado said. “I was planning on retiring in three years. We’ll see.”
Lidia Campoverde also works at Tyson. She spoke Friday afternoon through her son, who interpreted for her. Campoverde said a lot of her friends lost their jobs. Campoverde doesn’t think she’ll lose her job at this point. She works on first shift.
Although Delgado will get to keep his job, he said he feels badly for others who will lose their jobs.
“I feel sorry for the other people,” he said. “Emporia is going to suffer.”
johnsie (anonymous) says...
Where, but at Tyson, could a property owning, tax paying, English speaking, employee of 15+ years lose his job - - but "none of the above" type person keep hers just because of which shift is worked. She can't so much as speak the language of our country! This just confirms what I've always thought of Tyson.
January 26, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
beentheredonethat (anonymous) says...
After reading many of the comments regarding IBP/Tyson and their hiring practices, I feel the need to sound off here. I feel I've some relevant information, given the fact that I've worked in many of the IBP plants (prior to Tyson in 2001) in management, and know from first hand experience that not anyone can work in a packing plant. I was in the Lexington, NE plant shortly after it was converted from a New Holland combine plant. I've worked in the Joslin, Il plant, right outside Moline, Il. the Dakota City Plant outside of Sioux City, or South Sioux City, NE, the Amarillo plant, Holcomb plant and the Pasco WA plant outside the Tri-cities...so yes, I've been around...even in the Emporia facility for a number of years. The one thing people have to remember is that working in a packing house is not your every day job. Not everyone is cut out for this kind of work. Case in point, Lexington. New Holland closed their doors in the late 80's and low and behold, IBP comes along and becomes the savior of a small Nebraska town. It didn't take long for the farm folk of Dawson Co. to realize that IBP was not assembling combines and the work IBP offered was difficult and strenuous on their bodies. Anyone who has learned to keep a knife remembers peeling your fingers open in the morning with hot water while you were learning that little trick. Thank God for those "Lifers" who helped us out those first couple of weeks!
Continued....
January 26, 2008 at 10:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
beentheredonethat (anonymous) says...
So all you guys who are saying that Tyson didn't consider you or a friend of yours...don't take it personal. As a front line supervisor for 20+ years, the last thing I wanted to see when I was getting a new hire was a local. Locals were usually untrainable, not because they were ignorant, but because it took too long to get that "silver spoon" out of their mouth. Many felt that because they were white and from the area, they had one up on anyone else coming out of that weeks training class. That was their biggest mistake. Typically, you would find that someone who appreciated the opportunity to work actually gave a full days work for a full days pay. Many of the locals felt like they were owed a job, because, after all, they were local. Now don't get me wrong. This was not always the case. There are many hard working employees out there in Tyson...but typically, those that I'm referring to, did not cut it, and they were the ones belly-aching that IBP didn't give them an opportunity. And for those who didn't even make it in the door...well, after years of employment training, the people doing the screening can easily identify who will make it in a packing plant, and who won't.
Oh, and as far as the compairsons of towns that Tyson currently has facilities in, Joslin compares to Americus in size, but most of the employees come from the Quad Cities, not Joslin. In Finney Co., the employees come from Garden City, not so much Holcomb. And in Dakota City...well, the labor force comes from the rural NE area and Sioux City, IA. So don't let the compairson fool you...Tyson is absorbing these jobs in areas that have a larger population than Emporia...but not just in the immediate area.
I wish the best of luck to all of my friends at Tyson...May you find good work soon...my thoughts and prayers are with you.
January 26, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
concernedrelative (anonymous) says...
I have a hard-working sibling that has worked for many years at the Emporia plant. I resent the attitude of "beentheredonethat" whose attitude was quite condescending because he/she was a front-line supervisor. No wonder many of your workers didn't do well. I am sure if you were a fair person with a good attitude, the locals would have been team workers and you would have never had a problem. Just from reading your words, I can almost see the sneer on your face. Maybe the locals have never worked as hard as packing house work is, but they are legal. Tyson would have to close down its whole empire if all the illegals were sent back....not just Emporia slaughter and half the processing. You'd better curb your words, because I can bet that within a year, Tysons will decide that the rest of you are expendible too. And you will be looking for a job...guess what? Some of these people you just put down might be YOUR boss, and they will remember you.
January 27, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hartford (anonymous) says...
johnsie:
Well what you said may be true just in the sense that this is how is did happen to turn out for an "English speaking, employee of 15+ years" but why should you feel bad for one and not all? Why should any of them have to lose their jobs? I feel bad for all of them! This isn't the time to be prejudice. Many of Gods people will lose their jobs here. You should be ashamed of yourself johnsie!
January 27, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hartford (anonymous) says...
concernedrelative:
I understand what you are saying and it does seem that "beenthere" is being someone sarcastic in what he has to say. I read it as you did.
However, what I got out of it the second time I read it was this:
There has been many conversations on this site before Tyson did what it did about how the locals were not given a chance to work at Tyson. They felt discriminated against and it was said over and over. They didn't feel it was right to hire illegals to come in here and take "their" job. This kind of work really does take a certain kind of person. And most of us in "white America" would starve before we even thought of applying at Tyson. Most of "us" think we are too damn good to work at Tyson! And yes you are correct in saying that these places would have to shut down if they sent all the illegals back. Do you know why? Is it just because the plants don't want to give the locals a chance? You ask yourself why, and be honest with yourself, and I think you'll see what I am trying to say.
January 27, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
proudtobeavegetarian (anonymous) says...
HELP SAVE AN INNOCENT LIFE-----DON'T EAT MEAT!!!!!
January 28, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
beentheredonethat (anonymous) says...
concernedrelative:
I apologize if you did not fully understand what I was trying to express above.
Please let me try again by quoting myself "working in a packing house is not your every day job. Not everyone is cut out for this kind of work."
"Typically, you would find that someone who appreciated the opportunity to work actually gave a full days work for a full days pay. Many of the locals felt like they were owed a job, because, after all, they were local. Now don't get me wrong. This was not always the case."
I'm certain that if your sibiling has been an employee for "many years" they busted their butt like many others who've made a career at IBP. And believe me, if you didn't bust your butt at the Beef, you didn't last. At least that's the way it was when I was there. There are a lot of great, dedicated hardworking people at the Beef that are from the area. The "local" employees I referred to above were usually the rif-raf that felt because they were caucasian, they were "owed" a job and didn't need to work as hard as the migrant workers.
As far as the "illegals". IBP worked very hard to identify "illegals" and keep them out of their work force. When I was there, many employees were fired because of falsified records, which IBP uncovered, and many more were simply turned away. Please note, a documented worker is not an "illegal".
One other note, I no longer work in the meat industry and have since moved away from Emporia.
Again, my thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been displaced, as well as to the great people of Emporia. This is a real shock, but you will survive!
January 28, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cod4 (anonymous) says...
im 14 years old ..i attend Emporia High School as a Freshman...im mexican and my parents do not work at tyson ...however many of my friends parents do....Today at school i heard about 50 freshman..just freshman talk about were they are moving , this isnt just the mexicans its the whites, blacks, mexicans, salvies, asians and more. They also told how there parents might not have been laid off but they will move with cousins, aunts, uncles. Everyone i talked to had and average of 6 people they are taking with them when they move. Will we see young buissness's die? yes. will we see prices go up? yes. will we see dolly madison and menu thrive? no. because with a dieing economy comes dieing buissness.....do you think that tyson has brought in just illigels? no they have also brought in many many other hard working people THAT PAY TAXES and even if there are illigles they put money back into the economy. for every illiglle we have that works at tyson we have 3 leagal ...and i cant believe that i actually had to create an account just because some of u not all but some cant forget there prejiduces .....somalias are here in the US and they are staying and if u people think think they should go back think about they money they are returning and the taxes they pay...and if you cant accept that why dont you go back to ur country like germany because they have as much right as ur ancestories had 100 years ago
January 28, 2008 at 8:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Joe_Strummer (anonymous) says...
Hey proudtobe.....If God didn't mean for us to eat animals, they wouldn't be made out of meat!!
Yummmmm.......meat!!
January 28, 2008 at 11:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hartford (anonymous) says...
cod4:
How sad that alot of your friends will possible have to move. These families must be going through an emotional time right now! I hope it doesn't cause too many problems for the kids. Alot of these kids have been here their whole life. A lot of the kids parents probably moved here to work at IBP/Tyson. This is their home. What a shame our Emporia youth will have to be uprooted. You mentioned cod4 that some didn't loose their job but will also move with relatives that did get laid off, that is what minorites do, they stick together! Through thick and thin! Some of us in "white America" will not understand that I am sure. And if any would like to prove me wrong that minorities don't take care of their own, go and visit the care homes here in Emporia and I bet you that you can count all the non white residence on one hand! cod4, good luck in your freshman year and I hope you are getting good grades. It's great seeing a 14 year old take interest.
January 29, 2008 at 12:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
In 1989 I lost a great job of 10 years in my hometown of Topeka. I was forced to relocate to Joplin, MO to find work. In 1991 the company went bankrupt and I was forced to relocate to Manhattan, KS. In 1995 that company sold and I was forced to relocate my family to Emporia... and have been here since. Each time I lost my job I found a better one: with more pay and better benefits. I never asked for or received any help from anyone. I just got a good night's sleep and got busy the next day finding another job. This is America. Anyone who wants to work will find work. I feel for anyone who loses a job but know firsthand that doing so often leads to greener pastures. Emporia will be a far cleaner, inviting, prosperous city in five years and all of us, including those locals who recently lost jobs, will be better off. Once that unsightly, nauseating beef plant is permanently closed and bulldozed to rubble, and our embarrassing antiquated joke of a fairgrounds is leveled and moved, Emporia will be a beautiful place to live and visit.
February 22, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
playbook (anonymous) says...
This is 2008 and times are much harder ! Tyson/IBP was not the best place to work at but it kept food on my table . Over 1800 will stop recieivng Checks very soon and it will and continue to be a very sad day in Emporia . Jobs are not everywhere like they use to be, the last 8 years have been very rough on the USA . Those who are Mexican and speak very little english will have it very hard to find other jobs !
February 22, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
Hmmm. Perhaps that will be a good incentive to learn to speak English! Good grief! Why would anyone attempt to settle in a country without learning the language? That's like jumping into the ocean before learning to swim. If you are going to live in America and taste the fruits of our prosperity, be an American and speak the native language!
February 22, 2008 at 6:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )