Workers at the JBS meat-processing plant in Greeley have inched closer to the picket line, voting by a reported 99 percent margin to authorize a strike. Union leaders say the move is the latest flare-up in a months-long contract standoff centered on faster production speeds, reduced hours, and what they describe as retaliation against workers who speak up.
According to CBS News Colorado, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 called the strike authorization a direct response to what it characterizes as unfair labor practices at the Greeley facility. “They’re fed up with JBS,” said Mathew Shechter, the union’s general counsel, in the outlet’s report.
Union Alleges Safety Risks and Immigrant Worker Abuses
In a statement from UFCW Local 7, the union accuses JBS of forcing employees to speed up on the line, which it says increases the risk of injuries, while at the same time cutting hours and pay. The union also flags what it calls troubling housing and recruitment practices that affect immigrant workers, and says it has taken its concerns to the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, and law enforcement as part of broader complaints.
Company Says Its Offer Includes Raises and a Pension
JBS told CBS News Colorado that it has put a comprehensive proposal on the table, one that the company says includes meaningful wage increases and a pension plan. The outlet reports that the contract between the two sides expired last July. According to the same report, union leaders say they must give seven days’ notice to cancel any contract extension, and that no such notice has been issued yet.
Why This Fight Hits Home in Greeley
The Greeley JBS plant is a powerhouse employer in the area, so friction inside its walls rarely stays contained. The facility has already been at the center of high-profile safety and public health battles. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration settled with JBS in 2022 after coronavirus inspections at the Greeley plant, according to OSHA. That history helps explain why union members are turning up the volume now, and why a strike authorization resonates far beyond the plant gates.
The vote does not automatically shut down the plant. Instead, it gives UFCW Local 7 the authority to call a strike if negotiations collapse. Union leaders say they intend to keep bargaining while using the authorization as leverage, and that they are prepared to picket if the company refuses to move, according to UFCW Local 7. Company representatives, for their part, say they expect operations to continue as talks proceed…