HOUSTON — Blue Bell Creameries will lay off more than a third of its workforce following a series of listeria illnesses linked to its ice cream that prompted a nationwide recall of all its products, the Texas company announced Friday.
The company, whose production plants remain closed, said 750 full-time employees and 700 part-time workers are losing their jobs. That represents about 37 percent of its 3,900 employees.
Another 1,400 workers will be furloughed but will be still receive a substantial portion of their current pay. Employees essential to the ongoing cleanup and repair efforts will continue working but have their pay reduced, Blue Bell said.
The company’s production plants in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama have been closed since Blue Bell issued a full recall in April, after more of its products tested positive for listeria. The company’s ice cream has been linked to 10 listeria illnesses in four states, including three deaths in Kansas.
Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse called the decision to layoff and furlough workers the “most difficult” he has made.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.