Layoffs at Wyalusing's Cargill Plant

From the Towanda Daily Review:

The Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Wyalusing has eliminated ten positions as part of a worldwide reduction in the company's workforce. The cuts amount to about one percent of the Wyalusing plant's 1,100-person workforce, said Cargill Meat Solutions spokesman Mike Martin. The eliminated positions come from a variety of departments within the plant, Martin said.

The only reason I highlight this article is to point out and remind workers that if you're laid off due to economic conditions AND you're still on light duty from an accepted work injury, then your workers' comp wage benefits automatically get reinstated-- no questions asked.  If the insurance company refuses to immediately reinstate your weekly wage benefits, then you need to contact a lawyer so he/she can file a penalty petition with the workers' compensation judge.  This rule even applies to old injuries.  As long as you're still on restricted duty from a work injury and you get laid off, then your benefits are reinstated.

Hope this helps.  And my heart goes out to the laid off workers and their families.  Tough time of the year to be unemployed.  Good luck to them.

Injured Cargill employees 'resting,' says spokesman

Just a quick follow up from yesterday's post regarding the injured workers' at the Cargill meat processing plant in Wyalusing (formerly Taylor's Meat Processing). Here's an updated article from the Towanda Daily Review.

I hope that during the investigation Cargill retains all of the machinery involved. In a pump or pipe failed then that has to be investigated. Who manufactured the pump? Was it done correctly? Did they use inferior metals that gave way to the heat. There are a ton of standards that must be met in manufacturing these types of systems. If those standards weren't met then due to some company trying to cut costs, then someone needs to be held responsible for these workers' injuries.

Two Cargill employees injured in Wyalusing Plant

As per the Towanda Daily Review:

Two Cargill employees suffered burns in an incident at Cargill around noon Wednesday in Wyalusing, Mike Martin, spokesman for the company, said.

He said two male maintenance employees were working on a pump in the tallow rendering plant. He declined to name them.

Carroll & Carroll, P.C. has handled a lot of workers' compensation cases against this plant over the years. I hope these workers' recover from their burns. And I hope Cargill doesn't try to attempt to bring these injured employees back to work too soon, as they often do.