Omar said the company and the meatpacking union had struggled with negotiations. Meanwhile, workers at the plant would not speak on record about the closing, but one employee, who gave his name only as Omar, said Smithfield Foods had described an “all hands on deck” meeting Thursday morning, and employees were instructed not to talk to the news media. (If pigs could fly: For a time, goose liver was off the menu.) Monroe said that Smithfield is providing a $7,500 bonus to employees to continue to work during the closing, and the union representing the meatpackers in Vernon issued a statement expressing hope that another operator will take over the plant and workforce.Īnimal rights protesters have long made the plant a favored site for their demonstrations, accusing Smithfield of animal cruelty and worker exploitation and calling on lawmakers to ban slaughterhouses and factory farms in California. “Farmer John’s closure announcement represents another nail in California’s coffin, indicative of yet another prominent business set to leave the state,” Vernon Chamber of Commerce President Marisa Olguin said.Īs a consequence of the move, workers at the plant - between 1,800 and 2,000 - are left to wonder what comes next. “We are saddened,” City Manager Carlos Fandino said.
Yet, he added, “Farmer John is alive and well, and we will be providing the great, healthy, nutritious products that Farmer John customers have come to expect” but from another location. “We are exploring all our options,” said Jim Monroe, vice president of corporate affairs for Smithfield. The fate of the building has yet to be determined. The Virginia-based company said that this step is necessary due to “the escalating cost of doing business in California.” That fate took a slightly different turn Friday when the owner of the facility, Smithfield Foods, announced the facility will close early next year.
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