Tyson Plant Suspensions Continues

NEW YORK - Feb 3/05 - SNS -- Tyson Foods will continue to suspend operations at some beef plants until at least February 12, company officials reported today. As a result, Tyson will pay qualified workers for another week off the job.

Unfavorable market conditions, including tight cattle supplies, soft domestic beef demand and the continued absence of key export markets, prompted Tyson to temporarily suspend operations January 10 in Denison, Iowa; Norfolk and West Point, Nebraska; and Boise Idaho. Second shift processing at Pasco, Washington was also temporarily discontinued.

Tyson officials originally expected the temporary suspension to last three to five weeks; however, based on daily evaluations of current market conditions they now indicate it will last a full five weeks and possibly longer. The company will continue to analyze the situation; however, the decision whether the suspension will go beyond a fifth week will not be made until sometime next week.

In an effort to retain workers, Tyson has been paying most of the people who are off work. Qualified employees were encouraged to take paid vacation for the first week operations were suspended. The company has since been giving them the equivalent of 32 hours of pay each week and will now extend this pay into a fifth week.

Approximately 2,100 employees are affected by the temporary suspension. This includes 275 employees at Denison, 900 at Norfolk, 275 at West Point, 250 at Boise and 400 at Pasco.