TILLAMOOK, Ore. (AP) — Changes at the Tillamook Cheese Factory have left 47 workers jobless as the cooperative streamlines its operations in Oregon, Idaho and Utah.
The workers were assigned to the factory's packaging operation. The Oregonian reports that they punched out for the last time on Saturday.
The Tillamook County Creamery Association announced last month it was cutting the packaging operation because it was inefficient and required cheese to be shipped from the creamery's Boardman factory, to Tillamook for aging, then out to Idaho to be shredded and sliced, then back to Tillamook for sorting and distribution.
The plan now is to ship the cheese to facilities in Mountain Home, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, where it will be cut, wrapped and distributed. The Tillamook plant will continue manufacturing and packaging chunk cheese.
The 47 workers received a severance plan and job-placement services.