Strike at one of the largest US meatpacking plants goes into a 3rd week
AP News • • business
Key Points:
- Thousands of workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, are extending their strike into a third week, demanding higher wages and better health care, with 99% of the plant’s 3,800 unionized workers participating.
- JBS USA, the plant owner and the world’s largest meatpacking company, is operating the plant at limited capacity and shifting production to other facilities, while negotiations remain stalled and the company maintains a strong position.
- Industry experts note that the strike, along with other plant closures, may actually benefit the larger meatpacking industry by reducing excess slaughter capacity and improving profit margins, though it is unclear if retail beef prices will be affected.
- The strike is the first U.S. slaughterhouse walkout since 1985 and follows previous challenges at the Greeley plant, including a deadly COVID-19 outbreak in 2020; JBS has faced fines and legal scrutiny but continues efforts to maintain supply and resolve the dispute.
