Work will be ongoing in the coming weeks to help soon-to-be displaced Tyson employees find alternate employment opportunities.
That’s according to City Manager Trey Cocking who spoke with KVOE News Monday afternoon shortly after a rapid response meeting between city leadership and various agencies in the community in reaction to Monday’s announcement that the city’s Tyson plant will be closing by early next year. Southeast KansasWorks and the Kansas Department of Commerce were among the agencies involved in the conversations.
Cocking says KansasWorks is planning to offer retraining assistance to Tyson employees in the coming months with plans to “get into the facility” and provide job fairs and employment information sessions with workers. Cocking adds the Department of Commerce is in the process of putting its own “plans into place,” however, full details are currently pending.
Despite the unfortunate news of the plant’s closure, Cocking says the city is “blessed to have other similar employers in town” many of whom have job vacancies at this time.
As for the city’s role when it comes to providing job fairs, training and the like, Cocking says the city will mainly serve in a communicative capacity.
Tyson administrators have not returned a phone call from KVOE News seeking comment, but in a letter to Cocking and Mayor Erren Harter shared with KVOE News, Tyson Vice President of Beef and Pork Operations Ernesto Sanchez says the decision to eliminate all the company’s local jobs was made as part of “the company’s business strategy to operate more efficiently.” Tyson currently employs over 800 people locally. Over 200 will be shifted to the company’s operations in Holcomb. The rest will be offered chances to transfer to other places in the Tyson system.
Sanchez says the closure will take place in two stages. First, the company’s laboratory in Funston Street will close on or about Dec. 20, although five lab team members’ positions will not be officially eliminated until the end of January. Next, the plant at 2101 West Sixth will close on or about Feb. 14. Sanchez says some positions will need to stay open past the closure dates, so management will notify those employees separately.
Sanchez has also sent statements to Emporia workers alerting them to the plant closure as mandated by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN Act, of the closure coming at least 60 days in advance.
The decision to completely close down the Emporia plant comes after Tyson’s decision to end its cold storage facility operations in 2020 and to transition from cattle slaughter operations to food processing work in 2008, a move that cut the Emporia plant’s workforce by more than 1,000 staffers.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
10:15 am Monday: Local processes underway to help employees impacted by upcoming end of all Tyson operations in Emporia
Tyson Foods is ending all operations in Emporia before the winter is done.
Tyson has both confirmed to city administrators and sent a letter to employees saying the current operations will be ending on or about Feb. 14.
Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking says this is devastating for the workers and significant for the local economy.
Tyson administrators have not returned a phone call from KVOE News seeking comment, but in a letter to Cocking and Mayor Erren Harter shared with KVOE News, Tyson Vice President of Beef and Pork Operations Ernesto Sanchez says the decision to eliminate all the company’s local jobs was made as part of “the company’s business strategy to operate more efficiently.” Tyson currently employs over 800 people locally. Over 200 will be shifted to the company’s operations in Holcomb. The rest will be offered chances to transfer to other places in the Tyson system.
Sanchez says the closure will take place in two stages. First will be the closure of the company’s laboratory in Funston Street. That will happen on or about Dec. 20, although the positions of five team members in the lab won’t be officially eliminated until the end of January. Next will be the closure of the plant at 2101 West Sixth on or about Feb. 14. Sanchez says some positions will need to stay open past the closure dates, so those employees will be notified separately by management.
Sanchez has also sent statements to Emporia workers alerting them to the plant closure as mandated by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN Act, of the closure coming at least 60 days in advance.
Speaking of the WARN Act, Cocking says the city will start working with partners at the local, regional and state levels to smooth the transition for the affected workers — and, hopefully, keep the vast majority in Emporia. This will include conversations with the Kansas Department of Commerce, Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas, Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, Southeast KansasWorks, Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College. A meeting for the local partners is coming Monday afternoon.
The decision to completely close down the Emporia plant comes after Tyson’s decision to end its cold storage facility operations in 2020 and to transition from cattle slaughter operations to food processing work in 2008, a move that cut the Emporia plant’s workforce by more than 1,000 staffers.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates throughout the closure process.
9:25 am Monday: Tyson confirms Emporia plant closure on or about Valentine’s Day
Tyson Foods is ending all operations in Emporia before the winter is done.
Tyson has both confirmed to city administrators and sent a letter to employees saying the current operations will be ending by Feb. 14.
Tyson currently employs over 800 people locally.
This is a developing story. KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
