Colorado workers at JBS meat processing plant give notice, strike possible March 16

The union representing workers at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley gave a required seven-day notice that it is cancelling its contract extension, effective midnight Sunday, March 15. Workers could go on strike against JBS as soon as Monday, March 16.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 President Kim Cordova said, "For months now, JBS has been insisting on poverty-level wages for workers at the plant, offering less than 2 percent in average annual wage increases, far below the level of inflation in Colorado, while at the same time putting all of the risks of rising health care costs on workers. Meanwhile, despite being the world's largest protein producer, JBS has been stealing from workers' paychecks to fund the company's profits. JBS can afford to do better."

The union's contract with JBS expired last July. Last month, 99% of workers at the plant approved a vote to strike, and the union has been working for weeks on strike plans. Union negotiators continued to meet with JBS this week, with the talks ending Friday afternoon.

JBS sent a statement Friday afternoon saying, "For eight months, JBS USA engaged in negotiations with UFCW Local 7 in Greeley. Despite our continued efforts to reach a fair and responsible agreement, Local 7 chose to end negotiations and cancel the contract we had in place. We stand by the offer we presented. It is strong, fair, and consistent with the historic national contract reached in 2025 in partnership with UFCW International—an agreement that has already delivered higher wages, a secure pension, and long‑term financial stability for team members at our other major facilities. UFCW Local 7 has refused to let team members vote on this offer."

In late February, the UFCW Local 7 held three days of worker registration in order to receive strike benefits. In a letter dated February 18 to the CEO of JBS USA, Colorado AFL-CIO President Bryant Preston said, "You siphon millions into the pockets of your executives and investors while your employees risk and often lose their lives working with extremely dangerous equipment."  

UFCW Local 7 added in a statement, "JBS's proposed wage increases barely keep up with the rising cost of the Company's healthcare plans. Workers at some JBS plants outside of Colorado, who received the same wage increase proposed for workers in Greeley recently had more than two-thirds of their 2026 wage gains eaten up by increased healthcare premiums. JBS is refusing to protect workers in Greeley against these unconscionable changes."

JBS added, "We do not believe a strike is in the best interest of our team members or their families. For any Greeley beef team members who do not wish to strike and want to continue working, we will ensure they have work available and are paid...We are also committed to our customers during this period and will prioritize continuity to help prevent disruptions. To protect the long‑term stability of the beef supply chain, we will temporarily shift production to other JBS facilities where we currently have excess processing capacity."