JBS Workers in Greeley Secure Deal After Weeks on Strike

Employees at the JBS Swift plant have finally reached an agreement with the Greeley company after three weeks of striking. The union says employees will now receive higher wages, as well as the promise of safer working environments. This is only a tentative agreement between JBS and the workers’ union, but it’s a step forward, and that’s what it’s all about.

After nearly 3,800 employees walked off the job on March 16 at the JBS Swift plant, which is one of the nation’s largest beef processing facilities, workers, led by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 union, decided enough was enough and that changes needed to be made.

Here Are Some Facts About the Strike

• The union has ratified a two year collective bargaining agreement.
• The agreement includes a raise in wages.
• There were also be new safety measure in place to keep employees safer.
• The agreement runs until April of 2028

The employee strike started off strong, with 99% support from the 3,800 JBS Swift union members. The U.S. slaughterhouse industry hasn’t seen a strike like this since the Hormel strike of 1985 in Minnesota, which lasted more than a year and often turned violent between police and protesters.

After the strike began back in March, JBS Swift tried to outsource production to other factories across America to continue normal operations. JBS Swift is the world’s largest meatpacking company, producing enough beef to generate a market capitalization of $17 billion. It’s also the top employer in Greeley.

In conclusion, this is definitely a step in the right direction!