Workers to Return as Union Ends Strike at Major US Beef Plant

Workers at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the country decided to end a three-week strike and return to work on April 7, according to union leaders.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 has been on strike at the Swift Beef Company plant in Greeley, Colorado, major JBS USA facility, since March 16. UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova announced the end of the work stoppage in an April 4 letter to parent company JBS Foods.

Contract negotiations will begin late next week after the strike ends, according to a UFCW Local 7 statement. The Greeley plant employs more than 3,800 people.

“This decision by the union comes without any new agreement or change to the company’s original offer,” Nikki Richardson, a spokeswoman for JBS USA, said in an email to The Epoch Times.

“Throughout this process, we have remained committed to good-faith negotiations and to operating our facility safely, responsibly, and in compliance with all regulatory standards.

“Our Last, Best and Final offer remains on the table. This comprehensive proposal includes meaningful wage increases, a pension, and other valuable benefits designed to support our team members and their families. We believe this is a strong and competitive package, and we hope employees will have the opportunity to review and vote on it soon.”

UFCW Local 7 leaders have said the dispute centers around pay. The union said that JBS USA had pushed for wage increases of 1.5 percent on average per year, while inflation forecasts suggest that prices could rise by more than 4 percent in 2026. JBS USA has also increased health care contributions for its workers by 37 percent since late 2021, while workers’ wages have increased by less than 7 percent over that same time span, according to the union.

“Workers remain united and will continue to fight until JBS fully ends its unfair labor practices and gives workers a contract offer that protects them, shows workers the respect they deserve, and pays them a livable wage,” Cordova said in a statement.

UFCW Local 7 referenced an antitrust lawsuit that JBS USA is involved in, alleging wage-fixing at processing plants across the country.

JBS USA is among 11 meatpacking companies named in a federal antitrust lawsuit filed in 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, accusing processors of conspiring to suppress wages for workers in red meat plants.

The lawsuit alleges that the companies operating 140 red meat processing plants in the United States shared detailed wage and benefits data, held secret meetings to discuss compensation, and agreed not to hire each other’s workers through what the lawsuit said were illegal “no poach” agreements.

According to the Berger Montague law firm, proposed settlements from the companies total about $200 million, pending final approval. Tyson Foods and JBS USA account for $127.2 million of the settlements. The case is ongoing.

UFCW Local 7 has about 23,000 members and is the largest private-sector union in Colorado and Wyoming.

Swift Beef Company has been part of JBS USA since 2007.

In February 2025, JBS USA announced that it was investing $200 million in its two beef production facilities. The company stated that it was investing $150 million in the facility in Cactus, Texas, and $50 million in the Greeley plant.