ConAgra Lays Off 250 Workers in Batesville
By: Deedra Wilson
Updated: May 11, 2012
Tough economic times hitting hard in Northeast Arkansas.
250 people are thinking about what will be their next form of employment.
This after ConAgra foods announced layoffs yesterday at its Batesville plant.
Supervisor Ron Moore is not feeling his best these days.
"Dog gone it, you know I was a little saddened."
Saddened by this statement from ConAgra Foods saying "It has informed its employees of its decision to shift the production of frozen dinners from Batesville, Arkansas to Marshall, Missouri. This is necessary to manage costs and operate as efficiently as possible."
The cuts range from hourly workers, supervisors to administrators.
After learning he would lose his job with 249 other people, Moore's thoughts were not on himself.
"My first thoughts was my people. And the production area. I've worked with all these people the entire time I was at ConAgra and at one time I was on the floor with them."
He says hourly workers are taking it pretty well under the circumstances.
"I think they were expecting it. But even so it hasn't been easy for them."
And inside this building lots of questions.
"What are we gonna do? Whose gonna take care of us? Where are we gonna go?"
A couple of options, Bad Boy Mowers and White River Medical Center both companies have announced they are hiring.
Meanwhile, after 18 years, Moore won't have too many more Friday's to drive off this ConAgra parking lot.
He was retiring in a year anyway, and says he will be fine, but for others.
"Hopefully they can get a package for these folks if they want to they can go to school, or they can retrain them for other jobs."
