JBS Workers Strike Over Pay and Conditions in Historic US Meatpacking Walkout
Around 3,800 workers at JBS USA's Greeley, Colorado, plant have gone on strike over pay and working conditions. The walkout marks the first major US slaughterhouse strike in decades. Employees are demanding fairer wages, improved safety gear, and better healthcare provisions.
The dispute comes just months after JBS agreed to pay $83.5 million for its role in a price-fixing conspiracy with other meatpackers. Meanwhile, beef prices have surged by 15.2% in the past year, partly due to shrinking cattle herds—the smallest in 75 years.
The strike at JBS's Greeley facility—the largest beef processing plant in the US—began after contract negotiations broke down. Workers, many of them immigrants, argue that current wages and conditions fail to provide a dignified standard of living. Some have also accused the company of retaliating against employees involved in union organising efforts.
JBS has proposed wage increases, pension security, and long-term financial stability to other unionised staff. However, the Greeley workforce rejected the latest offer, leading to the two-week strike, which could be extended if no agreement is reached. The plant, responsible for 85% of US beef production, employs 25,000 people across nine national facilities.
To ease rising beef costs, the Trump administration recently quadrupled imports from Argentina. Yet, with cattle numbers at historic lows, industry pressures remain high, affecting both producers and consumers.
This strike is the first of its kind since the 1980s, highlighting ongoing tensions between meatpacking workers and major processors over pay and workplace safety.
The Greeley plant remains at a standstill as negotiations continue. If unresolved, the strike could disrupt beef supplies further, adding to existing price pressures. The outcome may also influence labour relations across the wider meatpacking industry. JBS, already facing legal consequences for price-fixing, now deals with operational challenges as workers push for lasting improvements in wages and conditions.
