Hershey's Oakdale plant closing putting 575 employees out of work

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/local/story/13538328p-14142414c.html

Hershey's Oakdale plant closing

By Cristina Salerno
THE MODESTO BEE
Last Updated: May 1, 2007, 01:57:16 AM PDT

OAKDALE -- The Hershey Co. announced Monday it will close its plant here, putting 575 employees out of work and ending more than two months of rumors and speculation.

The chocolate factory will close in January 2008, said John Souza, leader of Teamsters Local 386 in Modesto, which represents Oakdale Hershey workers.


Officials at the Hershey's chocolate plant in Oakdale announced the facility's closure on Monday.

Production lines will be phased out over the next nine months, starting with Hershey's Kisses and Kisses with Almonds, which will be shut down July 1.

Hershey's Miniatures and Chocolate Syrup are slated to end production in the fall, Souza said. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups will be the last line to leave the Oakdale plant, which was opened in 1965.

A number of employees broke into tears when they were told of the plant closure during an afternoon staff meeting, said Sal Martinez, who has worked at the plant for 26 years.

"I was one of the ones who was expecting it, but there were a lot of people in denial who took it really hard," he said. "There were a lot of people crying. It's shocking. It is so fast."

FULL story at link.

[Atman]

1. Peter Paul Cadbury, makers of Mounds/Almond Joy (Hershey subsidiar)...

...also closing their Connecticut plant. The only "good" thing I can say about it is that instead of shipping the jobs to China and substituting melamine flakes for coconut, they're only moving the jobs to Virginia.

Then importing the melamine flakes from China.

.

[stopbush]

2. My daughter's class toured that facility last spring.

We were told that every hershey's almond candy was made there as the almonds were grown right here in CA's San Joaquin Valley. It
must be cheaper to ship the almonds to PA.

I wonder where they're shipping the jobs?

[Omaha Steve]

3. Hershey's said earlier this year that US jobs are going to...

Mexico.