Workers Set to Walk Out of a Major US Meatpacking Plant
AP Photo/Nati Harnik
Around 3,800 employees at a major beef processing facility in Colorado were preparing to walk off the job early Monday, a move union leaders say would mark the first strike at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse in decades.
The planned strike involves workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley and was scheduled to begin at 5:30 a.m. MDT, according to Kim Cordova, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7. The union represents the employees at the facility. The action follows allegations from union officials that the plant’s owner, JBS USA, retaliated against workers and engaged in other unfair labor practices during contract negotiations. The previous labor agreement expired at midnight Sunday.
The potential walkout comes during a period when the U.S. cattle supply has dropped to its lowest level in 75 years. As of Jan. 1, the national herd totaled about 86.2 million cattle, roughly 1% lower than the year before. Rising beef prices have increased financial pressure for many consumers. In response, the administration of President Trump has pursued a trade agreement with Argentina aimed at helping bring down food costs, including the price of beef.
The situation also follows the shutdown of a meatpacking plant in Lexington, Nebraska, in January, an event expected to have significant economic effects on that community. At the Greeley facility, union officials say the company attempted to pressure workers into leaving the union through individual meetings with employees.
Cordova said nearly all union members—about 99%—voted in favor of authorizing the strike. According to union attorney Matt Shechter, there were no negotiations over the weekend because the company declined the union’s request to continue talks on Saturday.
JBS USA said employees who choose not to participate in the strike would still be able to work and receive pay. The company also stated it plans to keep the plant running with two shifts on Monday and may temporarily shift some production to other JBS facilities if necessary.
In its statement, JBS said it follows all federal and state labor regulations and aims to limit disruptions for customers and partners while working toward a resolution in Greeley. Cordova noted that if the strike proceeds, it would be the first at a U.S. slaughterhouse since a walkout at a Hormel plant in Minnesota in 1985.
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