(Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Union workers at the JBS beef processing plant in Greeley walked off the job early Monday, launching a strike over wages and working conditions at one of the largest beef processing facilities in the United States.
Thousands of members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 began picketing before sunrise, with temperatures near 20 degrees. Some workers wrapped themselves in blankets as they walked the picket line carrying signs urging the public not to patronize the company.
The union, which represents about 3,800 employees at the plant, accused JBS USA of pushing employees to process more cattle while reducing hours and maintaining unsafe working conditions.
Union officials said the plant has increased production line speeds to about 420 cattle per hour, up from 390. Workers say the faster pace adds strain to an already demanding job. At the same time, employees are seeking higher wages and reimbursement for protective equipment that can cost hundreds of dollars.
“This is an historic moment in time to see workers come out like this,” said Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7. “It’s a real showing of worker power.”
Union representatives have also filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board alleging retaliation and unilateral changes to working conditions by the company during contract negotiations.
Cordova said the company’s proposed wage increases — 60 cents per hour in the first year and 30 cents annually for the next two years — do not reflect Colorado’s higher cost of living or the physical demands of processing plant work.
JBS said it had negotiated with the union for eight months and maintained its offer was consistent with a national agreement reached with UFCW in 2025. The company said it would shift some production to other facilities with excess capacity in order to maintain beef supplies while the dispute continues.
The company also said employees who choose not to participate in the strike would be allowed to continue working and would be paid.
