Trending Now - Colorado Meatpackers Secure Wage Hikes in JBS Agreement
WHO:
ABC News - Workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 Union.
AP News - JBS USA, the owner of the Swift Beef Co. plant.
WHAT:
AP News - The contract requires JBS USA to pay for personal protective equipment and defends workers against increases in health care costs.
AP News - Local union president Kim Cordova stated, “This is what union power looks like,” regarding the successful strike and agreement.
AP News - JBS USA expressed disappointment that union leadership chose to eliminate pension benefits negotiated the previous year in favor of short-term wage increases.
AP News - Workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant reached an agreement with JBS USA after a three-week strike.
AP News - The agreement includes wage increases over the next two years and a $750 one-time bonus.
AP News - The union described the contract as having “all gains, countless improvements, and not a single concession.”
AP News - The union will withdraw seven alleged unfair labor practice charges against JBS USA.
WHERE:
ABC News - Swift Beef Co. plant located in Greeley, Colorado.
AP News - Greeley, a city 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Denver, with a population of about 114,000 people.
WHEN:
AP News - The strike ended on April 4th, 2026.
AP News - The strike at Greeley was the first at a U.S. slaughterhouse since 1985.
WHY:
AP News - Workers staged the strike to demand higher wages and better health care.
HOW:
AP News - JBS USA stated it looks forward to restoring stability, supporting its workforce, and continuing to invest in the Greeley facility for the future.
AP News - Workers picketed through extreme weather conditions during the strike.
AP News - JBS USA expressed disappointment that union leadership chose to eliminate pension benefits negotiated the previous year in favor of short-term wage increases.
(UPDATED April 13, 2026 13:27 UTC)
JBS USA has reached an agreement requiring the company to pay for personal protective equipment and to protect workers from rising health care costs, although they expressed disappointment over the union's decision to eliminate previously negotiated pension benefits in favor of immediate wage increases. Local union president Kim Cordova celebrated the outcome, stating, “This is what union power looks like,” following the successful strike. JBS USA has stated it looks forward to restoring stability, supporting its workforce, and continuing to invest in the Greeley facility for the future.
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(UPDATED April 13, 2026 11:20 UTC)
Workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 Union, reached an agreement with JBS USA after a three-week strike that ended April 4th. The new contract includes wage increases over the next two years, a $750 one-time bonus, and the union described it as having “all gains, countless improvements, and not a single concession.” As part of the agreement, the union will withdraw seven alleged unfair labor practice charges against JBS USA, following the first strike at a U.S. slaughterhouse since 1985, which was staged to demand higher wages and better health care.