MOOSIC, Pa. — A normal workday turned into a nightmare for hundreds of employees at a food packaging facility in Moosic. This week, staff learned they will all be let go very soon.
Scranton resident Edgar Williams wears his company shirt with pride. He's worked at Preferred Meals since 2009. The facility in Moosic packages food for schools and retailers.
On Wednesday, Williams was pulled away from his job in the kitchen as all employees were asked to sign a document.
"After everybody signed, he explained what it was and that Preferred Meals was going to be closing its doors," Williams said.
With the news came a letter that reads in part, "This plant closing will result in the layoff of all 285 employees at the Moosic facility. In conjunction with this plant closing, your employment will be terminated."
"A lot of people started crying because this is their livelihood," Williams said.
The letter tells employees the plant will close July 17th or any day in the following two weeks.
Preferred Meals' parent company addressed the closing in a statement to Newswatch 16, saying in part, "Elior North America has made the difficult business decision to exit its prepared meals production and distribution business. As a result, production in the Preferred Meals manufacturing facility in Moosic, Pa. will close by the end of the summer."
Williams said this could affect thousands more.
"I asked [my supervisor], 'was it just this building here?' He said, 'No, it was all Preferred Meals,'" Williams recalled.
The news came as a shock to many. The facility has been busy despite the pandemic, often preparing emergency meals.
Now, Williams is starting all over.
"I'm not going to lose my home, but me and my wife, we just bought two new vehicles," he said. "That's going to put us at risk of losing one or both vehicles, and that's our transportation to and from work."
He's already looking for what's next.
"It just hasn't hit me yet," he said. "I'm taking some of my vacation next week to put applications in. Hopefully, I'll land something in-between this time because I don't want to be without a job."
Williams said some employees who package K-12 meals could be let go at the conclusion of the school year.
It wasn't accounted for in the company's notice, but Williams said there are 150 to 200 temp workers in the building too, meaning this closure could affect more than 400 people.
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