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Reprieve for workers at Kraft Heinz plant in Steuben County

There’s a reprieve of sorts for workers at a Kraft Heinz plant in Steuben County who were expected to get layoff notices soon.

Kraft Heinz had sent out a notice to 330 employees of the plant in Campbell  earlier this year, saying that it is possible they could lose their jobs. That notice is required by the NYS Labor Department, and came after the company announced in 2015 it would close seven manufacturing facilities.

Now, Kraft Heinz has filed a new notice with the state, which says 380 workers at that Steuben County plant could be laid off by August 23.

Michael Mullen, who is ‎Senior Vice President of Corporate & Government Affairs for Kraft Heinz, says that the company has been working closely with prospective buyers of the facility to find a viable solution.

Mullen says there is a high priority on identifying potential operators who would keep the Campbell plant open. He also says that they are optimistic a deal can be reached before the end of the summer.

The Steuben County plant makes Polly-O string cheese and other cheeses.

Kraft Heinz also operates a plant in Avon, and that plant has stayed open with the help of an investment from the state and the company.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.