Meeting on state response scheduled this morning
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 01:31 p.m., January 29, 2008
Updated 01:31 p.m., January 29, 2008
A plan was to be discussed at the Kansas Department of Commerce in Topeka this morning to help workers who will be jobless by March 25 as a result of Tyson Foods’ decision to eliminate 1,500 of the 2,400 jobs at its plant here.
Tyson announced Friday afternoon that it would eliminate its slaughter division and the second shift on the processing side. The date for the closing has not yet been announced, but affected workers will be paid through March 25, according to the company.
“I know that there’s actually an official meeting that we have tomorrow morning, and I know we’ll have more details available at that point,” said Caleb Asher in an interview Monday afternoon. Asher is spokesman and senior director of marketing for the Kansas Department of Commerce. “We want to make sure that we’re best supporting the community there. ... We’ll probably have a lot more specific information tomorrow.”
Asher said that department representatives have been waiting to talk with officials from the Emporia community and from Tyson.
“While we don’t have a lot of the details, I think that’s kind of in the forefront of what we’re trying to do here, is making sure that Emporia and the entire community there is supported,” Asher said.
“The Emporia Workforce Center is certainly there to assist folks with whether it’s resume writing, other job options, training options.”
The center, at 512 Market St., is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information also is available by calling the office, 342-3355.
Asher said that when advance notice of closings or layoffs is available, the department can prepare.
“But we were learning about it as well late Friday and into the evening,” Asher said. “Until we find out what is needed there on the ground, so to speak, we’ll be ready to assist as soon as we can.”
KDOC has a program that, depending on the needs of the company and the community, can provide more intensive help to the workers.
“There’s ... a service we have within the department called ‘rapid response,’ ... making sure there’s a team on the ground helping,” Asher said.
Part of the plan may mean bringing in a mobile workforce center that has been headquartered for some time in Greensburg, helping that community recover from last year’s tornado.
In the interim, the Job Service Center is open to anyone who needs its services.
“They can still go in to the workforce center or give it a call in the meantime. There should certainly be a plan put together for them, if they’ll just wait,” Asher said.