Spreckels Sugar facility closing in Brawley
Karina Bazarte
BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Six workers at Spreckels sugar traveled to bargain with Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative (SMBSC) as they still don’t know what the future holds.
Workers at Spreckels Sugar Company received a warn notice letter Tuesday morning saying the factory will be closing.
The Spreckels Sugar Company in Brawley announced it will be closing and jobs will be eliminated in July.
Workers say they are now left in the dark as they still don’t know why the company is closing.
“It was a surprise for us, we weren’t ready for this. We know it’s going to affect a lot in the Imperial Valley, not only for us workers, but the community. Many people depend on this factory. It’s not only four-hundred workers left without a job but their families as well,” said Miguel Ramirez, a Spreckels Sugar worker.
In a Zoom interview, Todd Walters, President of UFCW Local 135, says the company reached out to them saying they were in negotiations with their sugar beet farmers over fees and how workers were getting paid.
“Stuck in the middle are the workers and the problem is that the company because of the contract with the sugar beet growers. The company made the choice to go ahead and close down the factory,” Walters added.
However, SMBSC mentioned in a press release that the facility has been facing long-term financial and operational challenges since the pandemic.
The company also added that there’s inflation and pressure from foreign sugar sources in domestic markets due to the increased volume of tier-2 imports.
We reached out to the company, which provided us with a statement: “This was a difficult decision brought about by factors largely out of our control. Despite our extensive investments in the facility, the economic challenges facing the sugar industry have been building for several years as the costs of operating the Spreckels facility have continued to escalate.”
In the press release, SMBSC says they are engaging with local stakeholders to repurpose the property to support economic development within the community.
They also say they want to continue to have a great relationship with the community.
Workers say about 26 employees will be let go in July, 28 workers will be let go in August and the factory is expected to fully close June of next year.
“I am going to do everything I can to try and protect those jobs and keep them here if we can, and that’s working with elected officials to help bring both sides together,” said Walters.
Spreckels Sugar Factory is the last sugar beet factory in California.