Tyson Foods to Shut Down Joslin Beef Plant, Leaving Over 2,700 Workers Jobless

Tyson Foods said it will permanently close its beef processing facility in Joslin, Illinois, with the shutdown expected by Monday. More than 2,700 employees were given letters confirming the closure when they arrived for work on Thursday. The company indicated that workers will continue to be paid through October, but will lose health insurance and regular employment.

Employees described a chaotic scene in the plant cafeteria after receiving the notice. One worker, who asked to remain unnamed, said people were fighting, yelling and crying, noting that some staff had been with the plant for over three decades while others had only been there a few days.

Rita Newton, who has worked at the plant for 11 years, said the loss of health insurance is an immediate concern, adding that she relies on medication that costs $300 a month and that she now must consider how to afford it without coverage.

The closure follows signals from a Tyson Foods earnings call about ten days earlier, where the company warned shareholders of an expected $650 million loss in its beef processing segment for the fiscal year, citing cattle shortages and high livestock costs.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said the state will provide support and resources to affected workers and linked rising cattle prices to policies of the previous federal administration, including tariffs and international conflicts. State Senator Li Arellano Jr. attributed the plant’s shutdown to broader challenges in Illinois’ business climate and called for state-level reforms.