Some workers said they have been with the company for more than 45 years. The workers said they came to work as normal and were told the plant was closing and to go home.
Many workers left with tears in their eyes trying to figure out how they will provide for their families.
"No notice," former Pepsi truck driver Eric Gadson said. "None of that. Blind sided."
Gadson has been a Pepsi truck driver for 21 years until he was notified when he showed up at work Monday that Pepsi is permanently closing its 51st Street facility in Chicago effective immediately.
"I'm the sole provider in my household," Gadson said. "My wife has, MS, my daughter's about to go to college next year. So it's, I can't put in the words what I feel right now."
Gadson said he was just nine years away from retirement, but now is forced to start from scratch elsewhere.
Pepsi said in a statement, "The decision to no longer operate at 51st Street is a difficult one. This is a more than 60-year-old building that has physical limitations. Our top priority is to support our employees during this transition, and our commitment to serve Chicagoland remains strong. Our plans meet applicable legal requirements and we will actively work with Union leadership on the details related to the closure."
A statement from the Teamsters Local 727 union, who represents the workers at the plant, said Pepsi's late notice is "in violation of the WARN Act which requires employers with 75 or more full-time employees to provide 60 days advance notice of pending plant closures or mass layoffs, calling the decision, "disgusting and a disgrace."
"Being 58 years old, it's like starting all over again. It's going to be hard," Gadson said.
Gadson said more than 200 people work at the plant. He said Pepsi has agreed to continue pay and benefits through the end of December, but said this experience is going to take all of his faith to get through.
"My message to my coworkers is, you know," Gadson said. "God closes one door and opens up another, and it might be better."
Pepsi will have a second meeting with more employees Monday at 2 p.m. to give them the news. The union said they have proposed meeting with Pepsi on Wednesday.