Tyson Shuts Its Joslin Beef Plant With No Warning and 2,500 Union Workers Find Out at the Start of Their Shift — Illinois Democrats Call It Devastating While Republicans Blame the State
On August 13, 2026, Tyson Foods announced it was ending beef operations at its plant in Joslin, Illinois, and closing its case-ready facility in Eagle Mountain, Utah, while putting its Pasco, Washington beef plant up for sale. About 2,500 workers in Joslin and 723 in Eagle Mountain lost their jobs — roughly 3,200 in all. Joslin workers said they learned the plant was closing when they arrived for their shift the next day and were handed letters; the facility had operated for 43 years. Pay continues into the fall, but health insurance does not. Tyson attributed the closures to "one of the most historic cattle shortages the country has ever experienced." The U.S. cattle herd has fallen to its lowest level since the 1950s after years of drought, high input costs, and the northward spread of New World screwworm, which has restricted imports from Mexico. Retail ground beef hit record highs in 2026. CEO Donnie King is consolidating beef into three plants — Dakota City, Nebraska; Holcomb, Kansas; and Amarillo, Texas. The closure landed a week before President Trump waived tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef, and it became a proxy fight over who is responsible. Illinois's two Democratic senators and the Democrat who represents Joslin called the shutdown devastating for union workers facing a rising cost of living. Gov. J.B. Pritzker called it a tragedy driven by the national cost of beef and said the state was in talks with Tyson about repurposing or selling the site. Illinois Senate Republicans used the closure to attack the state's business climate, with one senator arguing Tyson was simply moving production to friendlier states. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), citing the Joslin closure, said he was worried about cattle markets even before Trump's beef import decision.
“We, the Illinois State General Assembly and the governor’s office, have to create the climate that is good for large and small businesses to be in Illinois.”