Morrell (Smithfield) will close Sioux City plant in April (1500 + jobs)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: siouxcityjournal.com

By Dave Dreeszen, Journal business editor

SIOUX CITY -- Smithfield Foods told meatpacking workers and local leaders late Tuesday that it plans to close its John Morrell & Co. pork plant in Sioux City later this spring

The decision would deal a major blow to metro Sioux City's economy. Morrell's slaughter and processing plant at 1200 Bluff Road is one of the city's largest employers, with nearly 1,500 workers.

Dozens of additional jobs, from trucking to cold storage to box making, also could be in jeopardy. In addition, Morrell is a major buyer of hogs from tri-state region pork producers.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Sioux City plant's general manager, Dan Pacquin, called Mayor Mike Hobart to notify the city that the slaughter and processing plant would close on April 20, city economic development director Marty Dougherty said.


Read more: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_2f22e11a-0554-11df-ad3f-001cc4c03286.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. That's a huge hit

A tragic loss.

[bluestateguy]

2. This needs to stop

Closing plants and firing workers is unpatriotic.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

7. I am in Sioux Falls...

...and the Morrell's plant here employs 3,000 workers. The local news reports that the H1N1 flu, aka swine flu, has a big part in the downturn in demand for pork. Silly people think they will get swine flu from eating pork. But the real problem is market consolidation that drives down prices paid to the farmers. Where are the anti-trust laws when you need them?

[JDPriestly]

15. The antitrust laws have to be enforced by lawyers. I wonder

sometimes what the Justice Department is doing these days. Haven't heard any good news from that direction since 2000.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. More from the article:

In 1993, Cincinnati-based Morrell, then owned by Chiquita, also announced the closing of the Sioux City plant. But city leaders convinced the company to cancel those plans after delivering a $1.4 million million-plus aid package that helped pay for new plant equipment. The city later forgave the loan to the company.

When will municipalities stop the practice of giving tax breaks and other giveaways to corporations, who always find a way to weasel their way out of holding up their end of the bargain? 'Corporate citizens' my ass!

[Sixty_cycle_humm]

11. Its all in the numbers

Employ 1,500 workers in a city the size of Sioux city and $1.4 million is nothing compared to the wages, taxes and satellite business employment it brings in.

I bet the city overall will lose that amount if they move in just a few short weeks, municipalities do it because it's a cheap price to pay up front for years of revenue. 1500 good union paying blue collar jobs are something any area will fight to bring in to their community, with the full support of the people even if the company is given a pass on the taxes.

[Kolesar]

12. Chiquita is that notorious United Fruit Company

Who used to kill union organizers in Latin America

[Flaneur]

4. I used to be a meatpacker in the Sioux City area.

Sioux City, Iowa
North Sioux City, South Dakota
Dakota City, Nebraska

That was back when meatpackers still had unions. We were Amalgamated Meat Cutter and Butcher Workers of America. We lost out to scabs back in the mid-1970s, and wages plummeted. My son worked in the industry in the 1990s and made about half of what I did in terms of real wages.

It's also where I met my first Mexicans. The American guys were always complaining about what a shitty job it was, and the Mexicans were grinning, sharpening their knives, and saying "facil dinero" (easy money).

Oh, but the scabs were mostly red-blooded American white guys.

[liberal N proud]

10. I worked in one in Storm Lake late 70's

Summer work while going to college before Reagan's union busting.

[boomerbust]

5. Obama must be crazy

Why in the hell would anybody want to take over this fucking mess that Bush left this country in. I sometimes wish McCain/Palin would have won the election, I think that would have put the people in the streets.

[bc3000]

6. These people need to be forced to buy private insurance they can't afford

so they have something to fall back on.

[xchrom]

8. There are almost certainly some hyperventilating DUers right now. Nt

[liberal N proud]

9. The only type of employment larger in Sioux City than meat packing...

Health Care.

This will really hit the local economy.

[harvey007]

13. Smithfield's anti-labor, anti-environment track record

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12840743/porks_dirty_secret_the_nations_top_hog_producer_is_also_one_of_americas_worst_polluters

http://www.prideatwork.org/page.php?id=376

http://www.bluevirginia.us/2009/04/smithfield-foods-faces-more-charges.html

http://www.greenamericatoday.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=289

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithfield_Foods

[tomm2thumbs]

16. important links - thanks for posting - folks should read at least one

[amborin]

17. smithfield also trashing Romania & Poland:

http://www.grist.org/article/smithfields-european-strategy/

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Are they re-locating? Anyone know?

Down her in Ala, Smithfield is a popular brand.
I won't buy from Chiquita, tho.
But, am curious, wonder what the plant closing is really about.

[Thothmes]

18. Not sure at this time

They are closing down a packing operation at their Smithfield, VA site. They are combining it with an operation in North Carolina.