This is the first strike action ever carried out at the Greeley plant, according to Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7. S. slaughterhouse since workers walked out at a Hormel plant in Minnesota in 1985.
Kim Cordova described the historical context, noting the industry has not had a labor dispute for a very long time because companies hire a vulnerable workforce expected to keep their head down while doing work no one else wants. Workers allege JBS has forced them to pay out of pocket for expensive personal protective equipment, discriminated against immigrant workers, and tried to force through low-ball contract options. Kim Cordova accused JBS of dragging out negotiations, offering less than 2% in average annual wage increases, not addressing rising healthcare costs, and engaging in systemic wage theft at the plant.
Kim Cordova described specific grievances, including that JBS was charging workers for replacement PPE, some costing $1,100, and garnishing wages at full cost, while also terminating bargaining committee members and trying to take away bonus options if workers rejected lowball offers. The union cited an ongoing lawsuit against JBS alleging discrimination against Haitian workers at the plant by increasing line speeds on Haitian employees and recruiting them under false pretenses. S.
Department of Labor for illegally employing minors at the JBS Greeley plant. JBS agreed in January 2025 to settle child labor violations without admitting wrongdoing for $4 million. The details of the ongoing lawsuit regarding discrimination against Haitian workers have not been disclosed, and the current status of negotiations between JBS and the union remains unclear.
Pilgrim’s Pride, a subsidiary of JBS, donated $5 million to the Trump-Vance inaugural committee, making it the largest single donor. Kim Cordova described JBS as emboldened by its relationship with the administration, noting it was Trump’s largest donor to the inauguration. Thousands of workers at the Swift Beef Co.
plant in Greeley, Colorado, are extending their strike into a third week, demanding higher wages and improved healthcare. JBS USA said it is operating at limited capacity, shifting beef production elsewhere to meet customer needs. The exact number of workers currently participating in the strike as it extends into the third week has not been confirmed.
The industry is less burdened by excess slaughter capacity, and amid the Greeley strike and other capacity reductions, JBS and other companies are reportedly seeing profits increase, according to Jennifer Martin of Colorado State University’s animal sciences department. Jennifer Martin described that the lack of harvest capacity at one facility might actually benefit the larger industry by improving profit margins, which is not necessarily in favor of the employees. JBS is the world’s largest meatpacking company with a market capitalization of $17 billion and is the top employer in Greeley.
The specific wage increase percentage JBS is offering in the current negotiations has not been specified, and the exact impact of the strike on beef prices for consumers is unknown. S. expansion.
Kim Cordova stated that the union stands ready to meet with JBS at any time, but workers will continue to fight until JBS rights these wrongs. Nikki Richardson, a JBS spokesperson, said the company is maintaining supply, supporting the long-term stability of the beef chain, and minimizing disruption for producers, customers, and consumers, with a priority to keep product moving while working toward a resolution in Greeley.