(GREELEY, CO) — After a three-week strike by almost 4,000 employees at the JBS beef processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, employees were scheduled to return to work on Tuesday, April 7. Multiple outlets have reported that the employees returned to work without a new contract as JBS agreed to resume negotiations this week.
Union President Kim Cordova calls returning to the table a win, noting that no negotiations were scheduled while the strike was in progress, and warned that a strike could resume if talks fail. According to Reuters, the union representing plant workers said the new round of talks would resume on April 9 and 10 after last month’s strike to press for wages that reflect inflation and a halt to company charges for replacing protective equipment.
JBS said the company is offering the same package as in previous negotiating sessions and maintained that its final offer is unchanged. While union leadership said this is a victory, some workers expressed confusion and disappointment at returning to work without a ratified contract. They say the company’s offer doesn’t cover rising costs of living and ongoing safety concerns in the plant.
