SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Bumble Bee Foods LLC says it is cutting 120 jobs at its tuna packing plant in the western Puerto Rican city of Mayaguez.
The company says the move comes in response to intense competition from overseas competitors with lower labor and production costs.
Senior Vice President for Operations Jan Tharp says in a Friday statement that the Mayaguez plant will reduce its production schedule by one shift. Tharp says it may add a new line in the future that would help offset the layoffs with 40 positions.
Western Puerto Rico was once a major hub of tuna packing but very little remains. The San Diego, California-based Bumble Bee says it has remained thanks in part to tax and labor incentives from Puerto Rico's government.