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3h ago

First U.S. Slaughterhouse Strike Since 1985 Begins at JBS Greeley Plant

JBS says it will keep the Greeley facility running with two shifts using nonstriking staff.

FILE - Employees walk in front of the entrance to the JBS meat processing plant, July 23, 2021, in Greeley, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Workers and supporters picket during a strike at the JBS Greeley meatpacking facility in Greeley, Colorado, on March 16. Workers at the Colorado beef processing plant are striking over alleged unfair labor practices after failing to reach a new contract with the country's largest meatpacker.
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Overview

  • Roughly 3,800 UFCW Local 7 members walked out at 5:30 a.m. MDT, with large pickets forming outside the Swift Beef/JBS plant in Greeley.
  • The union filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board alleging retaliation and unilateral changes to employment terms by the company.
  • JBS stated it would pay employees who choose to work, maintain two shifts at the plant, and temporarily shift production to other facilities as needed.
  • Union leaders rejected a proposal of a 60-cent hourly raise in year one followed by 30-cent increases in the next two years, citing Colorado’s costs and safety concerns including reimbursement for protective gear and claims of faster line speeds.
  • UFCW Local 7 reported a 99% strike authorization vote, as the action unfolds during a 75-year low in U.S. cattle inventory and a period of elevated beef prices.