Hormel Tucker plant laying off about half its employees

TUCKER, Ga. - Hormel is laying off about half of its workers at the company’s Tucker, Georgia, plant, according to a public Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification.

What we know:

The company said it will lay off 135 people from the plant in the WARN letter. The dates of separation for the employees are between Oct. 26 and Nov. 8.

The letter was written by Hormel's attorney on Aug. 25 and addressed to Tucker Mayor Frank Auman, the state Office of Workforce Development and to United Food and Commercial Workers Union President Eric Taylor.

The company said the layoffs are happening because bacon will no longer be produced at the plant.

The plant currently employs 350, according to the WARN notice.

Dig deeper:

The layoffs will affect about 15 different roles within the plant, according to the WARN letter. The most affected are pre-cooking production, canning, meat packaging, and curing. 

What they're saying:

The company issued a statement following the layoffs being announced:

"Following a comprehensive evaluation of all available options, we have made the decision to discontinue bacon production at the Atlanta Plant. This decision is driven by the age of the equipment and the substantial investment required to align with our long-term strategic objectives and uphold the high standards our customers expect. Production of these products is being moved to other facilities.

While these changes are necessary for our path forward, one of the most difficult aspects is that we have team members impacted by this transition. During this time, we have worked in close partnership with UFCW Local 1996 to support our impacted team members to ensure that each affected individual is supported through the process"

The other side:

FOX 5 reached out to the UFCW Local 1996 for comment and has not hear back. 

The backstory:

The plant was built in 1969, according to Hormel’s website, and produces bacon, chili and Dinty Moore stew.