Joslin, IL… Quad-Cities-area legislators shared an update today about their continued efforts to assist impacted employees, mitigate industry interruptions, and spur plant repurposing following the Tyson Beef processing plant closure in Joslin, Illinois.
Illinois State Representatives Ryan Spain, Gregg Johnson, Dan Swanson and Brad Fritts organized a bipartisan planning call on Tuesday with state agencies, including the Governor’s Office, Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), and other stakeholders.
The objective of the meeting was to discuss workforce impact to over 2,500 workers, as well as industry impact following the beef processing plant’s closure. The legislators’ work with the state agencies was aimed at identifying immediate resources for impacted workers and to discuss long-term strategies to try to mitigate the impact of the Tyson Beef-Joslin Plant’s closure on the industry and the Quad-Cities-area economy.
“I appreciate our area legislators and state agencies all working together to identify support for workers, as well as strategies for the site and community impacts,” said Representative Ryan Spain, a Republican who represents the portion of Rock Island County which includes the facility in Joslin.
Representative Gregg Johnson, a Democrat who represents many of the workers at the Joslin plant, said, “Tyson Foods decision to close their Joslin plant is devastating news, especially for all of the families affected. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle and I are working together to create supportive measures for the workers and their families. As we come together, we are focused on bringing the workers clear information that helps them access resources and coordinate future goals.”
Tuesday’s meeting was a planning call and included nearby State Representatives Dan Swanson and Brad Fritts, who have workforce impacts to their districts as well as concerns for agricultural industry impacts for Illinois’ beef industry. The Tyson Beef- Joslin plant was estimated to be responsible for approximately three percent of the United States’ beef processing market. About 216 head of cattle were processed per hour at the plant, until its sudden closure by Tyson last week. Tyson Beef cited reorganization of their processing operations, keeping open plants like their Dakota City, Nebraska facility which processes 390 head of cattle per hour, by comparison.
State Officials are reviewing WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act notices to plant employees, are mobilizing safety net services and employment transition supports, and planning several rapid-response events for displaced workers.
“The impacts of this closure not only hurt the workers at Joslin, but also the beef and agriculture industry, as a whole,” said Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha), who, himself, raises cattle at his family farm near Andover.
“Workers, farmers, truck drivers, small businesses, and more,” said Representative Brad Fritts (R-Dixon). “You just cannot overstate the impacts this closure will have on Illinois’ economy. It is critically important to get these stakeholders all working in the same direction to mobilize resources and strategies to try to rebound the industry as quickly as possible.”
The legislators announced that there will be additional response updates provided in the coming weeks, and that efforts to work together toward solutions is the best plan for the Quad-Cities region.
The Joslin processing plant was under Federal food inspection supervision. Tyson Beef employees had 401(k) plans, not pension plans. Approximately 2,000 of the workers are union members with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1546. State agriculture and commerce officials are working on quickly opening new markets for Illinois beef, as well as encouraging processing capacity surges, if needed in the short-term for impacted Illinois cattle producers.
State Officials and legislators expect coordinated rapid-response events for displaced workers to begin in early September, with announcements to follow in the coming weeks.