JBS USA has announced that they have reached a new collective bargaining agreement with UFCW Local 7 at their Greeley, Colorado Beef Production Facility. According to JBS, “he agreement, which runs through April 2028, reflects the same economic framework JBS USA presented in its Last, Best and Final offer—an offer that remained unchanged economically throughout the bargaining process. While JBS USA is pleased that an agreement has finally been reached, the company expressed disappointment that UFCW Local 7 leadership chose to eliminate the historic pension benefit that was part of the national agreement negotiated last year in partnership with UFCW International. As part of the agreement, Local 7 is also withdrawing seven alleged unfair labor practice (ULP) charges—further underscoring that this was a strike about the economics of the deal, not to stop ULPs as the union repeatedly claimed. Despite this, Local 7 continued to make public statements that did not reflect the facts and contributed to unnecessary confusion among team members.”
Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 said, “This tentative agreement is a testament to the incredible resolve of our members at the JBS Greeley plant. These workers stood together on the picket line for three weeks, through extreme weather, because they knew their worth and refused to be disrespected. Today, that sacrifice has been rewarded. This is what union power looks like.”
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.