DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Iowa Democrats are calling on Republican leaders in the state Senate to help out workers who will be affected by the Tyson plant closure in Perry.

Of the nearly 1300 workers receiving a pink slip in June, 729 of them live in Perry city limits.

With the city’s population around 8,000, State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott of Dallas County says the plant closure is going to hurt more than the affected employees. “It’s not just 729 people who are impacted. It’s spouses who also work and contribute to that community. It’s children who attend the Perry Schools, and it’s every single one of their neighbors,” Trone Garriott said.

Trone Garriott says the layoffs will also hurt Perry Schools, who are still reeling from a school shooting in January that killed a principal and student. “A sudden and significant drop in the number of students attending Perry Schools would mean budget cuts and staff cuts, and that will hurt every single Perry student. Because school funding is per student, and the budget guarantee is not much comfort in this situation because it only helps them maintain funding for a year if they raise property taxes,” Trone Garriott said.

In 2022, lawmakers cut the length of unemployment benefits for plant workers from 39 weeks to 26.

Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum says they’re calling on Senate Republicans to reverse course. “That would return unemployment benefits for workers facing a plant closure to the full 39 weeks. It’s just simply the right thing to do and we’re calling on Republican leaders in the Senate to introduce a leadership bill to make it happen,” Jochum said.

At this point in the session, only the majority floor leader can introduce a bill. When speaking with reporters Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said he didn’t have an opinion on the plan yet, as he didn’t have time to read the proposal.

In a statement, State Senator Jason Schultz of Crawford County says the changes to the unemployment insurance program are a success.

“Plant closing and job losses are traumatic experience for employees affected by the closing, their families, and the entire community. Iowa Workforce Development and Tyson are both fully engaged in finding new employment for the impacted workers in Perry.

The changes to the unemployment insurance program are a success. This policy has halved the number of people on unemployment. It has also halved the amount of time it has taken to get another job. This program is designed to be a bridge to the next job because a job is the best way for Iowans to provide for themselves and their families. Iowa currently has more than 58,000 job openings, including more than 13,000 in central Iowa and I am optimistic new career opportunities will be available for everyone impacted by yesterday’s announcement,” Schultz said.

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Tyson is encouraging affected employees to apply to other open positions in the company. The nearest Tyson plant to Perry is 109 miles away in Storm Lake.

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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Television-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.

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