OXNARD : Supervisors Appeal to Nestle Over Jobs

Hoping to prevent the further loss of jobs at an Oxnard food-processing plant, Ventura County supervisors Tuesday agreed to appeal to the new owner of the plant to retain its local operations.

“We can’t afford to lose more jobs,” said Supervisor John Flynn, who urged the board to encourage Nestle USA Inc. to keep open its Nabisco Foods factory. Nestle acquired the Nabisco plant along with its line of Ortega Mexican foods earlier this month.

The Nabisco factory makes salsa and chili pepper products for Ortega, but Nestle officials have said the future of those product lines in Oxnard is uncertain.

Before its sale to Nestle, Nabisco revealed plans to move production of its A-1 Steak Sauce and Grey Poupon mustard from Oxnard to a plant in Cambridge, Md. The move is expected to occur next year and result in the loss of about 100 jobs at the plant, which now employs 550 workers.

Flynn said Tuesday that the county cannot afford to lose the plant or additional jobs. He said he wants to meet with Nestle officials to talk about the possibility of expanding their operations in the region.

Nestle officials could not be reached for comment.