By Cindy Gonzalez, Nebraska Examiner
With Tyson Foods weeks away from shuttering its Lexington beef plant, the anticipated financial blow to the state is becoming clearer. Meanwhile, some workers have made strides to adjust.
kAm%96 DE2E6H:56 64@?@>:4 =@DD[ :?4=F5:?8 3@E9 5:C64E 2?5 C:AA=6 67764ED[ :D 6DE:>2E65 2E Sb]ag 3:==:@? 2 J62C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 C646?E=J C6=62D65 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }63C2D<2\{:?4@=? 2?2=JD:D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 AF3=:4 5@4F>6?ED C6A@CE65 E92E 2 “>2DD =2J@77†@7 b[a`a %JD@? H@C<6CD H:== @44FC “@? @C 2C@F?5†y2?] a_[ E96 &}{ DEF5J AC@;64ED >@C6 E92? f[___ ;@3D H:== 36 =@DE DE2E6H:56[ 2=@?8 H:E9 2? 2??F2= =23@C :?4@>6 =@DD @7 Sdb_ >:==:@?] %92E 9:896C ;@3 =@DD 4@F?E :?4=F56D 6>A=@J66D :? @E96C :?5FDEC:6D E92E DFAA@CE E96 %JD@? 3667 A=2?E @A6C2E:@? 2?5 :ED H@C<7@C46]k^Am
kAm%2I C6G6?F6D 2=D@ H:== 5C@A H:E9 E96 6I:E @7 {6I:?8E@?’D =2C86DE 6>A=@J6C] %96 AC@;64E65 2??F2= 564=:?6 :? DE2E6 A6CD@?2= :?4@>6 E2I C6G6?F6 :D 6DE:>2E65 2E Sab]a >:==:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^42A]F?=]65F^?6HD^64@?@>:4\:>A24ED\EJD@?\3667\A=2?E\4=@DFC6\=6I:?8E@?\?63C2D<2^QmE96 s64] aa C6A@CEk^2m[ 2?5 DE2E6 D2=6D E2I AC@4665D 2C6 AC65:4E65 E@ D=:56 3J S`_ >:==:@? 2 J62C]k^Am
kAms2HD@? r@F?EJ 2?5 ?6:893@C:?8 4@>>F?:E:6D H:== 766= 2 4@?46?EC2E65 AF?49[ D2J 2FE9@CD 2?5 64@?@>:4D AC@76DD@CD t==:@EE s6??:D 2?5 tC:4 %9@>AD@?] s6??:D DA64:2=:K6D :? =:G6DE@4< 2?5 C:D< >2?286>6?E :? &}{’D s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC2= t4@?@>:4D] %9@>AD@? :D 2? 64@?@>:DE 2?5 5:C64E@C @7 E96 &}{ qFC62F @7 qFD:?6DD #6D62C49] k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96:C 2?2=JD:D[ =@42= D2=6D E2I C6G6?F6D :? s2HD@? r@F?EJ H:== =:<6=J 72== 3J Sa]ff >:==:@? 2 J62C 5F6 E@ E96 A=2?E 7@=5:?8] %JD@? 92D D2:5 E92E 46CE2:? H:?5\5@H? 24E:G:E:6D >2J 4@?E:?F6 7@C 2 D9@CE E:>6 36J@?5 E96 y2?] a_ 52E6]k^Am
kAm%9@>AD@? 42==65 E96 %JD@? A=2?E 4=@DFC6 D:8?:7:42?E DE2E6H:56[ D2J:?8 96 92D?’E D66? >2?J =@42= 6>A=@J6CD “@7 E9:D D42=6†4=@D6 D9@A :? E96 A2DE 76H 564256D] %96 &}{ 2?2=JD:D D2:5 E96 {6I:?8E@? A=2?E 4@F=5 AC@46DD ?62C=J d[___ 42EE=6 52:=J[ 23@FE c]gT @7 E@E2= 52:=J &]$] 3667 D=2F89E6C] xE D2:5 E96 A=2?E’D 56>:D6 >2C<D E96 7:CDE E:>6 @?6 @7 E96 “q:8 u@FC†>62EA24<:?8 4@>A2?:6D 92D A6C>2?6?E=J 4=@D65 2 >2;@C 724:=:EJ 5FC:?8 E96 4FCC6?E 42EE=6 DFAA=J 4CF?49]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ %9@>AD@? D2:5[ DF49 2? @44FCC6?46 :? 2 >2C<6E 64@?@>J :D ?@E F??2EFC2=]Â k^Am
kAm“%96 DE2E6 ?665D E@ C62==J 7@4FD @? 86EE:?8 ?6H :?G6DE>6?E[†96 D2:5]k^Am
k9cm}@C7@=< A=2?E DE:== 6>AEJk^9cm
kAm}63C2D<2 v@G] y:> !:==6? 92D D2:5 E92E %JD@? @77:4:2=D H6C6 6IA=@C:?8 @AE:@?D 7@C E96 {6I:?8E@? 724:=:EJ E92E :?4=F56 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?63C2D<26I2>:?6C]4@>^a_ad^``^ac^DE2E6\9F?ED\H2J\7@CH2C5\27E6C\?63C2D<2\8@E\3FEED\<:4<65\3J\EJD@?\A=2?E\4=@DFC6^QmC6AFCA@D:?8 :Ek^2m :?E@ 2 “G2=F6\25565†28 @A6C2E:@?] %JD@? 92D ?@E 2??@F?465 2?J A=2?k^Am
kAm&]$] #6A] |:<6 u=@@5[ #\}63[ 92D =2>6?E65 AF3=:4=J E92E %JD@? 23@FE a_ J62CD 28@ “AF==65 @FE†@7 9:D 9@>6E@H? @7 }@C7@=<[ 6=:>:?2E:?8 `[b__ ;@3D 2E E96 4@>A2?J’D DEC:AA65 2?5 ?@H\232?5@?65 >62EA24<:?8 724:=:EJ E96C6[ 2?5 E96 AC@A6CEJ 92D J6E E@ 36 C6AFCA@D65]k^Am
kAm$:?46 %JD@? 2??@F?465 E96 {6I:?8E@? A=2?E 4=@DFC6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?63C2D<26I2>:?6C]4@>^a_ad^``^a`^?63C2D<2?D\=2>6?E\EJD@?\564:D:@?\E@\4=@D6\=6I:?8E@?\A=2?E\H:E9\ba__\H@C<6CD^Qm@? }@G] a`k^2m[ !:==6? 92D D2:5 E92E >@C6 E92? `[e__ A6@A=6 2EE6?565 ;@3 72:CD 2?5 @E96C 6G6?ED 56D:8?65 E@ 4@??64E 5:DA=2465 H@C<6CD H:E9 A@E6?E:2= ;@3D 2?5 DE2E6 H@C<7@C46 DFAA@CE D6CG:46D] |@C6 6G6?ED 2C6 D4965F=65]k^Am
kAmp? 9@FC 5C:G6 7C@> {6I:?8E@?[ E96 C646?E=J @A6?65 $FDE2:?23=6 q667 >62EA24<:?8 A=2?E :? }@CE9 !=2EE6 :D 9:C:?8 23@FE `__ >@C6 H@C<6CD 2?5 C2:D:?8 :ED 52:=J 42EE=6 AC@46DD:?8 8@2= 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 %JD@?’D {6I:?8E@? 2??@F?46>6?E[ E96 }@CE9 !=2EE6 %6=68C2A9 2?5 (2== $EC66E y@FC?2= 92G6 C6A@CE65]k^Am
kAm{6I:?8E@?\2C62 %JD@? H@C<6CD H6C6 :?BF:C:?8 23@FE ;@3D :>>65:2E6=J 27E6C pC<2?D2D\32D65 %JD@? 2??@F?465 E96 4=@DFC6] $FDE2:?23=6 q667 rt~ s2G:5 qC:88D E@=5 E96 %6=68C2A9 E92E 23@FE c__ 7@C>6C %JD@? H@C<6CD 2=C625J 925 ;@:?65 9:D H@C<7@C46[ D@>6 367@C6 2?5 D@>6 27E6C E96 }@G] a` 2??@F?46>6?E]Â k^Am
kAm%@52J[ E96 }@CE9 !=2EE6 A=2?E C6A@CE65=J 2:>D 7@C `[___ 6>A=@J66D 2?5 E@ AC@46DD `[g__ 9625 @7 42EE=6 A6C 52J]k^Am
kAm#2?496C\@H?65 $FDE2:?23=6 q667 @A6?65 :ED A=2?E :? a_ad 2?5 H2D 6IA64E65 E@ 4C62E6 2 >@C6 4@>A6E:E:G6 DFAA=J 492:? 282:?DE E96 “q:8 u@FC†AC@5F46CD] %96 7@FC[ %JD@?[ yq$[ r2C8:== 2?5 }2E:@?2= q667[ 4@?EC@= 23@FE gb\gdT @7 &]$] 3667 AC@46DD:?8 42A24:EJ[ H9:49[ s6??:D D2:5[ 92D =@?8 366? 2 A@:?E @7 4@?46C? 7@C 42EE=6 AC@5F46CD C682C5:?8 >2C<6E A@H6C 2?5 AC:46]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 s64] aa 64@?@>:4 :>A24E C6A@CE[ E96 &}{ 64@?@>:DED 5C6H FA@? >F=E:A=6 52E2 D@FC46D 2?5 FD65 E96 x|A24E 2?2=JD:D 7@C !{p}:?8 Wx|!{p}X >@56=[ 2 E@@= E96J 56D4C:365 2D 2? :?5FDECJ DE2?52C5]Â k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQD?CDx?7@3@IQmk5:G 4=2DDlQ2FIr@?E2:?6C D?CDx?7@3@Ir@?E2:?6CQmk5:G 4=2DDlQD?CDx?7@3@I$F3r@?E2:?6CQ DEJ=6lQA255:?8\E@Ai acAIjQmk9cm(92E =65 E@ A24<:?8 A=2?E D9FE5@H?nk^9cmkAmp k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^42A]F?=]65F^?6HD^F?56CDE2?5:?8\EJD@?\=6I:?8E@?\A=2?E\4=@DFC6\H92E\:E\>62?D\42EE=6\AC@5F46CD^QmD6A2C2E6 &}{ 2?2=JD:Dk^2m :56?E:7:65 2 7F?52>6?E2= 5C:G6C @7 E96 {6I:?8E@? A=2?E’D 4=@DFC6 2D &]$] 42EE=6 DFAA=:6D[ D2J:?8 E96 ?2E:@?2= 96C5 :D 2E 2 f_\J62C =@H] %92E s64] `a C6A@CE D2:5 E96 42EE=6 D9@CE286 DE6>D 7C@>ik^AmkF=mk=:mp >F=E:J62C 5C@F89E :? %6I2D 2?5 $@FE96C? !=2:?D DE2E6D E92E 3FC?65 FA A2DEFC6 2?5 :?4C62D65 7665:?8 4@DEDk^=:mk=:mx>AC@G65 3667 677:4:6?4J[ =625:?8 E@ >@C6 3667 A6C 42C42DD 5F6 A2CE=J E@ 86?6E:4 :>AC@G6>6?EDk^=:mk=:m$=@H6C\E92?\6IA64E65 96C5 C63F:=5:?8 5F6 E@ 28:?8 AC@5F46CD[ 9:896C :?E6C6DE C2E6D 2?5 AC@5F46C 56D:C6D E@ A2J 5@H? 563E =625:?8 E@ =6DD C6E6?E:@? @7 96:76CDk^=:mk=:m#646?E 5:DCFAE:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 D9FE 5@H? @7 E96 D@FE96C? &]$] 3@C56C E@ |6I:42? 76656C 42EE=6 5F6 E@ 4@?46C?D 23@FE }6H (@C=5 D4C6HH@C>k^=:mk^F=mkAm}63C2D<2 v@G] y:> !:==6? 92D D2:5 2=D@ E92E 96 H2D E@=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?63C2D<26I2>:?6C]4@>^a_ad^``^ac^DE2E6\9F?ED\H2J\7@CH2C5\27E6C\?63C2D<2\8@E\3FEED\<:4<65\3J\EJD@?\A=2?E\4=@DFC6^Qm<6J 4@?EC:3FE@Ck^2mD E@ %JD@?’D 564:D:@? E@ 6?5 {6I:?8E@? @A6C2E:@?D :?G@=G65 E96 286 2?5 :?677:4:6?4:6D @7 E96 724E@CJ[ H9:49 H2D 3F:=E 564256D 28@ E@ >2?F724EFC6 4@>3:?6D 2?5 @E96C 72C> >249:?6CJ 367@C6 36:?8 C6EC@7:EE65 7@C 2 >62EA24<:?8 A=2?E 2C@F?5 `hh_] k^AmkAmkDEC@?8m— r:?5J v@?K2=6Kk^DEC@?8mk^Amk^5:Gmk^5:Gmk^5:Gm
 is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Aaron Sanderford for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com.
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!