Smithfield Closing Vernon Farmer John Plant

June 10, 2022 ~

Statement of John Grant, President of UFCW 770, the union representing union meatpackers in Vernon, CA regarding the closure of the Farmer John plant:

Despite a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with Farmer John employees and their union, Smithfield has decided to exit operations in California. A fair agreement that compensates their workers until next year has been reached, and we hope that another operator will take advantage of the highly trained and stable workforce that makes the Farmer John plant a productive and profitable part of Vernon’s packing infrastructure.