Martha Robertson
DUNKIRK – The Ithaca Democrat running for Congress says the U.S. Justice Department should investigate a national food processing company that is pulling out of Northern Chautauqua County for possible anti-trust violations.
Democratic 23rd Congressional District candidate Martha Robertson announced this week that in the wake of ConAgra Food’s decision to shutter plants in upstate New York, she is asking the Justice Department to review ConAgra Foods’ actions for possible violations of anti-trust laws aimed at ensuring free and fair competition.
ConAgra, a Fortune 500 company with net sales totaling approximately $18 billion, purchased Carriage House from Ralcorp in November 2012. Carriage House, formerly Red Wing, has been a Fredonia corporate food processor for generations. The closing announcement from ConAgra means that some 425 workers will be losing their jobs beginning in September and ending in February 2015.
According to Robertson, the actions by ConAgra should be reviewed by the U.S. Justice Department to ensure that laws governing the free market were not violated.
She also said that protecting and creating jobs are the single most important issues facing the people of the 23rd District, and regrettably her opponent, Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning), is apologizing for the excuses made by ConAgra rather than fighting to ensure the company doesn’t sneak away in the middle of the night. Upon learning that ConAgra was leaving New York, Reed said it was New York State’s poor business climate that was to blame for the company pulling out.
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