Cargill Forced to Lay off Workers in Springdale

ARKANSAS, US - The recent turkey meat recall has forced lay-offs at Cargill's plant in Springdale.
calendar icon 6 October 2011
clock icon 2 minute read

A Cargill official has confirmed that about 130 workers will be laid off from the Springdale plant and a recent turkey recall is to blame, reports WREG.

The layoffs were effective immediately.

Mike Martin, the company's director of communications, says the plant has not produced any ground turkey since 9 September and the plant has had trouble "finding things for people to do".

Company officials held a meeting on 3 October to determine how to handle the lack of production and where to place workers. Some of the workers from the company's ground turkey production line have been moved to other parts of the plant.

Mr Martin says the move is "regrettable" and that they would certainly prefer not to have to lay off workers.

The company hopes to be able to rehire workers once the USDA gives them approval to resume ground turkey production.

The plant employs about 1,200 people in Springdale.

In August, Cargill recalled more than 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey products produced in Springdale due to possible salmonella contamination. At least one person in California died and more than 129 people in 34 states became ill.

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