After a week-long closure, StarKist Samoa employees are preparing to start production again on Monday May 17th.
Michelle Faist, the Vice President of the cannery’s parent company StarKist Co., said the closure was the result of fish shortages which was partly a ripple effect of a manpower shortage at the local plant.
Leaders of StarKist Samoa and the American Samoa Goverment have publicized that since the receipt of stimulus checks and increased benefits for programs such as food stamps, there’s been high absenteeism at the cannery.
The cannery has also revealed that some of the production work is being channeled offshore because without the necessary labor they cannot meet production quotas. There’s a worry, however, that this temporary arrangement may end up being permanent resulting in the loss of local jobs.
For last week’s closure, industry sources told KHJ News that StarKist’s buying price for fish may be a contributing factor. They point out that the cannery’s buying price dropped and vessels are taking their fish elsewhere.
