BLUE BELL LAYOFFS AFFECT 250 LOCALLY

  

250 of the nearly 1500 Blue Bell employees who were laid off Friday, are from the Brenham facility.

The company's production plants in Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma remain closed, as 750 full-time employees and 700 part-time workers are losing their jobs.  That represents 37 percent of the company’s 3900 employees.

Another 1,400 workers have been furloughed, meaning they will still receive a portion of their current pay. Employees essential to the ongoing cleanup and repair efforts will continue working but at a reduced salary.

Every department in Blue Bell has been affected.

A nation-wide recall of all Blue Bell products was prompted after a series of listeria illnesses were linked to the company.  The company's ice cream has been linked to 10 listeria illnesses in four states, including three deaths in Kansas.

Blue Bell’s plants have been closed since they issued a full recall in April.