Approximately 3,800 workers at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the United States went on strike on Monday in Colorado. Union representatives stated that this is the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse in forty years.
The strike at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley started on Monday morning, said Claire Poundstone, an attorney representing workers with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7. Poundstone said she anticipated workers to participate in the strike line throughout the evening.
“We’ll be here the whole day,” she said.
The strike follows accusations from union officials that owner JBS USA retaliated against workers and engaged in other unfair labor practices during contract negotiations. A previous contract expired on Sunday night.
A message was sent early on Monday seeking an updated comment from a spokesperson at JBS USA.
The union said in a news release that its workers “carry out some of the most challenging and dangerous jobs in the country.”
“They deserve wage increases that keep up with inflation, ensure they receive healthcare appropriate to the toll this work takes on their bodies, and enable them to live with dignity and respect.”
It said JBS has been charging many workers at least $1,100 to cover the company’s expenses for personal protective equipment required to ensure worker safety.
The strike comes at a 75-year low for the U.S. cattle population, with a Jan. 1 inventory of 86.2 million animals — down 1% from the previous year. Rising beef prices have added to economic anxiety in the U.S., while the administration of President Donald Trump has turned to a trade deal with Argentina in an attempt to lower prices for food, including beef.
It also follows the January closure of a meatpacking plant in Lexington, Nebraska, which was expected to have an impact on the local economy and community. Tyson Foods cited the smaller herd and millions of dollars in expected losses this year.
At the Greeley plant, the company tried to intimidate workers into quitting the union during one-on-one meetings, union general counsel Matt Shechter said. A JBA USA statement issued before the strike said the company fully complies with federal and state labor and employment laws.
Kim Cordova, Local 7 president, said 99% of workers voted to authorize the strike. No formal negotiations took place over the weekend after the company refused a union request to negotiate on Saturday, Shechter said.
The company statement said any employee who didn’t want to strike would have work and be paid. The company said it would operate two shifts at the plant on Monday and would temporarily move production as needed to other JBS facilities.
“Our goal is to minimize the impact on our customers, our partners, and the broader marketplace while we work towards a fair resolution in Greeley,” the company said.
It’s the first strike at a U.S. slaughterhouse since workers walked out at a Hormel plant in Minnesota in 1985, Cordova said. That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.