GREELEY, Colo. — While many people spent Valentine’s Day making cards, some workers at the JBS beef plant in Greeley spent the holiday making picket signs.
Employees say they’re preparing for a possible strike as contract negotiations with the company continue.
At the center of the fight is worker Leticia Avalos, a Greeley native who says the issue is not just about pay, but about safety and respect on the job.
"JBS is working them hard," Avalos said. They’re abusing them verbally. They’re not giving them the proper equipment they need to use to work. They don’t value the people as much. They value the production."
JBS is the largest protein producer in the world, processing chicken, pork and beef globally. The Greeley facility is the company's flagship beef plant and the city’s largest employer, with about 3,500 workers.
Avalos says the plant has been part of her life for decades.
“I was born and raised here,” she said. “My mom actually worked there for 34 years.”
Avalos started working at JBS in 2010 when she was 18 years old. Today, she serves as a walking steward for her union, acting as the eyes and ears for her co-workers on the production floor.
When asked whether conditions have improved or declined over time, she didn’t hesitate.
“Worse,” Avalos said. She described “cutting corners,” supervisors yelling at workers, and restrictions on replacing knives - a critical tool in meat processing.
“Imagine working with a knife for eight hours,” she said. “You hit the metal, it gets out of the sharpness, sometimes it breaks because they have to use it against the bone.”
Avalos says dull knives and worn equipment can quickly become dangerous.
“Eventually, somebody’s going to get hurt,” she said.
The United Food and Commercial Workers union, or UFCW Local 7, which represents workers at the plant, says meatpacking is already one of the most dangerous industries.
"They literally wear chain mesh, many of them – like you might imagine a medieval knight wearing," said Matt Shechter, spokesperson with UFCW Local 7. "Because they’re working with saws and knives. They are literally butchering cows."
Union leaders allege that when personal protective equipment is damaged through normal wear and tear, workers are being charged to replace it - something they argue violates Colorado law.
Beyond safety concerns, workers are also pushing for higher wages in a new three-year contract. According to the union, the company’s offer includes wage increases of less than 2% per year, as the cost of living continues to rise in Greeley and across Colorado.
Earlier this month, workers voted 99% in favor of authorizing a strike.
“People are tired of it,” Avalos said. “They want to make an impression on the company by saying, 'Hey - we’re done. This is enough. We’ve had it with your treatment. We want better.'”
She says most employees want to keep working but under better conditions.
“All of us like to work, and as I said, the money is good,” Avalos said. “But the most important thing is the treatment.”
Negotiations are set to resume Friday, Feb. 20, with both sides agreeing to return to the bargaining table. Union leaders say they’re hopeful a deal can be reached, but maintain they are prepared to strike if an agreement isn’t reached.
Denver7 reached out to JBS for comment on Saturday, but did not hear back.
