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The
strike at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley was set to begin
at 5:30 a.m. MDT, said Kim Cordova, president of United Food and
Commercial Workers Local 7, which represents the workers.
It follows accusations from union officials that owner JBS USA
retaliated against workers and committed other unfair labor
practices amid contract negotiations. A previous contract was
due to expire at midnight Sunday.
The expected strike comes at a 75-year low for the U.S. cattle
population, with a Jan. 1 inventory of 86.2 million animals --
down 1% from the prior year. Beef prices have added to economic
anxiety in the U.S., while the administration of President
Donald Trump has turned to a trade deal with Argentina in
efforts to lower prices for food, including beef.
It also follows the January closure of a meatpacking plant in
Lexington, Nebraska, which was expected to ripple through the
local economy and community.
At the Greeley plant, the company tried to intimidate workers to
quit the union in one-on-one meetings, union general counsel
Matt Shechter said.
Cordova said 99% of workers voted to authorize the strike. No
formal negotiations took place over the weekend after the
company refused a union request to negotiate on Saturday,
Shechter said.
JBS USA said in statement that any employee who didn’t want to
strike would have work and be paid. The company said it would
operate two shifts at the plant Monday and would temporarily
move production as needed to other JBS facilities.
The statement said the company operates in full compliance with
federal and state labor and employment laws.
“Our goal is to minimize impact to our customers, our partners,
and the broader marketplace while we work toward a fair
resolution in Greeley,” the company said.
It's the first strike at a U.S. slaughterhouse since workers
walked out at a Hormel plant in Minnesota in 1985, Cordova said.
That strike lasted more than a year and included violent
confrontations between police and protesters, according to the
Minnesota Historical Society.
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