Around 3,800 workers began a strike Monday at a meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado. It’s the first major U.S. meatpacking strike in over 40 years.
The plant belongs to JBS, a multinational food company. According to The Wall Street Journal, the meatpacking plant in Greeley slaughters between 5,000 and 6,000 cattle per day. It accounts for around 5% of beef processing in the United States.
Most of the workforce is made up of immigrants. A union called United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 has sought for months to negotiate higher wages and better benefits for workers.
“This is a very dangerous place to work,” union lawyer Matt Shechter told Colorado Public Radio. “There’s lots of sharp knives, heavy machinery. These jobs are very dangerous and one wrong move, and you can literally die in this workplace.”
Despite the risks, workers say that salaries remain low. On top of that, JBS often charges workers $1,100 or more for personal protective equipment needed to ensure worker safety.
The union says that JBS retaliated against workers during negotiations and committed other unfair labor practices. Some workers claim that JBS supervisors tried to intimidate them into quitting the union in one-on-one meetings.
JBS maintains that it complies with labor laws. Officials say they sought to reach a fair agreement, and that the company charges employees only for protective equipment that is lost or maliciously damaged.
“Despite our continued efforts to reach a fair and responsible agreement, Local 7 chose to end negotiations and cancel the contract we had in place,” spokesperson Nikki Richardson wrote.
Union president Kim Cordova says that 99% of workers voted to authorize the strike. JBS refused a final union request to negotiate on Saturday. Company officials released a statement saying they comply fully with federal and state labor laws.
It’s been a hard year for the beef industry. The U.S. cattle population is the lowest in 75 years. Recent droughts dried pastures and raised the cost of feed. A parasite in Mexico diminished the Mexican cattle population and increased demand for U.S. cattle. Higher demand for cattle means higher prices for beef. Between 2024 and 2025, the average price for a pound of ground beef increased nearly 12%, rising to $6.12.
In February, U.S. President Donald Trump made a trade deal with Argentina, reducing tariffs on importing Argentine beef among other food items. President Trump’s goal is to keep food prices low for Americans. But the arrangement creates more competition for the American beef industry.
The strike in Greeley started early in the morning. “We’ll be here all day,” said union attorney Claire Poundstone. The union plans for the strike to last for at least two weeks.
