Workers Laid Off At Meat Processing Plant

(Augusta) - FPL Foods, LLC joins a long list of companies in the CSRA to lay off workers.

Corbitt Franklin is one of them. Thursday at lunchtime, he got the call to the office and was told he was laid off.

Crbitt franklin, laid off from FPL Foods: “Oh man, it hurt. It was a hurting feeling.”

Franklin has applied for his unemployment benefits until he can find another job. He worked as a meat trimmer at FPL Foods for the past 2 years. He says the layoffs came without notice.

Franklin: “What are we going to do now? We just have to try and find another job. It’s going to be hard; it’s going to be rough with no income coming in, except unemployment.“

Company officials say the layoffs were necessary to align the business with the economic situation. They say 5 to 10% of the 800 employees were laid off.

Larry Ashley also got the news on his lunch break. He says more than a 100 workers were let go.

Larry Ashley, laidofffrom FPL Foods: “The supervisor just told me it was a cut, a reduction in the workforce.”

Ashley worked in maintenance at the plant for almost 5 years. Friday, he completed the process to start his unemployment benefits.

Ashley: “I got house notes I’ve got to maintain. I’ve come this far and to get this money to pinch off it as tight as possible to keep from losing my house. If necessary, I may have to move back in with my mother and rent my house to let it pay for itself. I can’t lose my house; got to try to have something to leave my son, whenever I leave here.“