The world’s largest meal kit company is closing one of its facilities in Contra Costa County, leaving hundreds of workers out of a job.
Hello Fresh will be closing its Richmond facility in December claiming the inefficient layout and outdated refrigeration system of the building.
“We had no advanced warning about this, this came in their required notification to the state," said John Gioia, Contra Costa County supervisor. “It’s always traumatic to lose 600 jobs, and that’s what we’re losing here."
Workers at the facility failed to unionize last year, after the site produced the county’s largest COVID-19 outbreak of the pandemic and Gioia fears it could mean less protection for workers.
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“They would’ve been required to sit down and negotiate some opportunities for moving these employees potentially to to other facilities or helping them in their efforts to find other jobs,” he said.
Richmond City Councilmember Claudia Jimenez agrees and also added that she did not foresee any of this happening. But said the city will do its best to help workers land on their feet.
“It’s not good news for us, it's not good news for Richmond, it's not good news for the workers who are working there,” she said.
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The company says a “robust plan” is in place to take care of employees, but did not provide details.
Gioia said the timing of the layoffs makes it even worse.“
These layoffs are coming at the absolute worst time as we head into the holidays for these workers who will lose their jobs by the end of this year without a lot of opportunity to find another job,” said Gioia.
