A three-week strike at the JBS-owned Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, came to an official end on April 11, according to statements issued by the company and labor union reps [recently]. As a result of the new collective bargaining agreement announced with United Food and Commercials Workers (UFCW) Local 7 Union, the plant resumed full operations April 12.
The agreement puts 3,800 workers back on the job after a strike starting March 16. The Greeley plant slaughters approximately 6,000 head a day, for 5% of U.S. beef-producing capacity. The strike forced JBS to shift cattle deliveries to its other locations in the U.S., which were already not at full capacity during the low cattle supply.
“This tentative agreement is a testament to the incredible resolve of our members at the JBS Greeley plant,” said Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7. “These workers stood together on the picket line for three weeks, through extreme weather, because they knew their worth and refused to be disrespected. Today, that sacrifice has been rewarded. This is what union power looks like.”
Terms of the deal include increases in base wages of 70 cents per hour immediately and another 40-cent-per-hour raise in both 2026 and 2027, with new bonuses based on eligibility requirements through 2028. Pension plans will end but the workers’ legacy 401(k) plans will continue. Wages start at $23.25 an hour, with averages at $26 per hour, according to JBS.
The deal was ratified by 93% of union members. Workers had already begun going back to the plant a week earlier on April 4, during the negotiation period. As part of the deal, the union will also drop seven charges of alleged unfair labor practices, JBS USA said.
“While JBS USA is pleased that an agreement has finally been reached, the company expressed disappointment that UFCW Local 7 leadership chose to eliminate the historic pension benefit that was part of the national agreement negotiated last year,” the company said in a statement.
JBS said the local union opted to “shift those dollars into short-term wage increases” and away from team members’ “long-term financial future.”
