Pilgrims Pride To Lay Off 500 Plant Workers In Florida

The Florida Times-Union is reporting that Pilgrim's Pride is planning to lay off 505 of the 1,400 employees at its Live Oak plant in Florida.

Company spokesman Ray Atkinson, in addressing the layoff, is quoted as saying "What we're doing is eliminating the second shift."

The report goes on to say that the elimination of the second shift is part of the Pilgrim's Pride bankruptcy reorganization plan.

The advocate emailed Mr. Atkinson, asking if the company will take the same approach at the plant in Mt. Pleasant. His response follows:

The action in Live Oak, Fla., is part of our continuing efforts to reduce costs and operate more efficiently. We are always looking for ways to improve our efficiencies and reduce costs, but at this point we don't have any immediate plans for additional layoffs or closures.

See the complete story from the Florida Times-Union here.