PERRY, Iowa — Days after Tyson Foods announced it would close the Perry pork plant in late June, city leaders formed a team to schedule three job fairs to help employees that will be laid off.
The Perry Action Team, made up of leaders from the city of Perry, Perry Economic Development, Perry Chamber of Commerce and DMACC Perry VanKirk Career Academy, wanted to ensure Tyson employees known there's a plan in development for them.
The first job fair, scheduled for April 3, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Hotel Pattee, will prioritize local businesses for job opportunities. The goal is to provide current Tyson Foods employees with the option to stay closer to home, as employees told Local 5 they moved to Perry intentionally to work at the pork plant.
"It's a livelihood for a lot of these folks, and from paying their bills to raising their families, it's something that they need for work," said Eddie Diaz, DMACC VanKirk Career Academy's site director. "So for their children, all the way up to their grandparents, people are going to be impacted."
The local action team is partnering with other alliances and partnerships to deploy services for those in need, including the IowaWorks Mobile Workforce Center.
"It's a matter of kind of flipping that conversation and that narrative to know that this is a challenge, but we're working together to find solutions," explained Lynsi Pasutti, the Perry Chamber of Commerce's executive director.
Diaz added: "I think it's a responsibility for a lot of us on this team. It's something that we... it's not just part of our job, but also for the community. And we want to rise up and help as many people as we can. Not just for their sake, but for the sake of the community as well."
The dates, times and locations of the other two job fairs have yet to be announced.
Employers wishing to participate in the job fairs can submit their information here.