Hundreds of workers began a picket line outside the Swift Beef Co. plant on Tuesday, marking the first major U.S. beef slaughterhouse strike in four decades.
The facility located in Greeley, Colorado, owned by JBS USA, is a cornerstone of the nation’s food supply, processing between 5,000 and 6,000 cattle daily. Now, with roughly 3,800 union workers walking off the job, the dispute threatens to effect grocery stores and dinner tables across the country.
“They don’t really value their workers, and we’re the ones that help them get all their profit,” said Leticia Avalos, a union steward and mother of a 6-month-old who has worked at the plant since 2020.
The three major grievances include:
- Stagnant Wages: The union claims JBS offered annual raises of less than 2 percent, a figure workers argue is far below Colorado’s current inflation rate.
- Safety Costs: Workers expressed outrage over being charged $1,100 or more for essential personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Unfair Labor Practices: The union has filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging JBS retaliated against workers and held mandatory meetings to discourage the strike.
The strike, led by UFCW Local 7, follows months of deadlocked negotiations. While JBS characterized its latest offer as “strong and fair,” union officials say it fails to address the economic reality of the 114,000 residents in Greeley.
The strike comes as U.S. cattle numbers have hit a 75-year low due to prolonged droughts, pushing beef prices to record levels.
JBS announced it is temporarily shifting production to other facilities, such as its plant in Cactus, Texas, and the company maintains that any employee who chooses not to strike will have work and be paid, though union leaders report that 99 percent of the workforce authorized the walkout.
“Our team members want stability, they want to support their families, and they deserved the opportunity to vote on the company’s historic offer — an opportunity the union leadership has denied them,” Nikki Richardson, JBS spokesperson, said.
Analysts warn that a prolonged closure in Greeley—which represents a significant portion of national processing capacity—will inevitably drive consumer prices higher.
“It’s a huge impact in the community for us to be striking,” Avalos said. “I know a lot of us are worried, and hope that nothing goes even more south.”
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