DENVER — Thousands of workers at Greeley’s JBS meatpacking plant will go on strike starting next Monday amid stalled contract negotiations and allegations of unfair labor practices.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which represents 22,000 union workers across Colorado and Wyoming, announced through social media Monday that union leaders had issued formal notice of the strike to JBS. The strike will begin Monday, March 16 at 5:30 a.m.
Around 3,800 employees work at the Greeley plant, though it was not immediately clear if all would be participating.
On Saturday, the union posted instructions for JBS workers who plan to strike, including maps of where the picket line will be.
The announcement comes nearly a month after the union announced that practically all union workers voted in favor of the strike.
A representative for the union told Denver7 last month that “workers are prepared to strike until JBS ceases unfair labor practices."
The union alleges that over the course of an eight-month bargaining process, JBS intimidated and retaliated against workers and threatened to "withhold a proposed bonus and lump sum pension payment if workers exercise their democratic right to strike."
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The union's labor and employment litigator, Matt Shechter, previously told Denver7 that JBS is charging workers for lost or damaged personal protective equipment that is required by law.
He also claims there is a "wage theft problem" and JBS is endangering the lives of those who work at the plant by making "chain speeds" on the line of work faster while also cutting back on workers' hours.
"It seems like it's more their production and work that's first, instead of their workers and their safety," said Leticia Avalos, who works at JBS
But Nikki Richardson, a representative for JBS, said the company has, for the past eight months, tried to negotiate fairly with the union, who they claimed "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, the JBS representative said in a statement to Denver7. "UFCW Local 7 has refused to let team members vote on this offer."
The JBS representative went on to say they do not believe the strike "is in the best interest of our team members or their families," and added that union-affiliated employees who wish to work will get paid to do so.
"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," Richardson said. "This approach ensures we can continue meeting customer needs and maintain the availability of beef for American consumers. Our goal is to minimize impact to our customers, our partners, and the broader marketplace while we work toward a fair resolution in Greeley."
Shechter, however, said the company's offer for higher wages amounted to just $0.90 over the next two years, which he says represents a 4% increase — below the rise in inflation.
"The wages that they're getting currently, with the way the economy is, it's not close to what they need to get getting paid," said Avalos.
JBS has history of issues with employees
Denver7 has previously reported on other issues at JBS.
JBS had one of the largest COVID outbreaks in the state in 2020, which led to the closure of the plant for two weeks, and Denver7 reported on claims that the company was failing to follow local and state regulations to protect workers' safety and health at the height of the pandemic.
In 2021, OSHA cited the company for safety failures — related to an unsafe lifting process as well as hazardous chemical and training violations —after the death of a worker, Denver7 reported. The same year, the company was fined $175,000 after a worker lost an arm in machinery at the Greeley plant.
In 2024, Denver7 reported that the company settled in a lawsuit on behalf of workers who accused the company of price fixing and illegally suppressing wages and benefits. In the same year, union representatives also alleged that the company had lured hundreds of Haitian immigrants to the company under false promises, Denver7 reported, with workers claiming they faced abuse in the plant and poor living conditions upon their arrival.
The company also has a history of relying on the labor of migrant children, the U.S. Department of Labor found in January.
Denver7's Natalie Chuck contributed to this report.
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