Heinz, today, has decided to close its production facility in Leamington, Ontario. This decision puts 740 people out of work, and puts to rest a factory which is over 100 years old. Many employees are seeing this as a failure on the part of Heinz, a decision which has “crushed” many jobless employees. Two other factories were also shut down today but I am focusing on the Canadian plant as it hits closer to home. A question of corporate social responsibility has arisen; is Heinz responsible for the after-effects which will change the Leamington economy? Farmers who grew tomatoes for Heinz will have to switch crops and equipment. The greenhouse workers will also be jobless, as will the employees who drove trucks to and from the ketchup plant. The damage caused as a result of the plant being shut down is drastic. In my eyes this is definitely a CSR issue. Heinz needs to recognize that these are not just numbers on a financial statement, but lives of people. An economy that has relied on Ketchup production for over 100 years will be heavily affected by its disappearance. I think that events like this showcase the lack of responsibility of top management when making such decisions. Companies, prior to making a decision to shut down a plant, should visit the communities that rely on that plant; 100 years of service should not be forgotten so easily.
The article used in this post can be found at:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/heinz-closes-leamington-plant-740-people-out-of-work-1.2426608
Photos can be found at:
http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Heinz-logo.jpg
