NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — Unionized workers at a JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado, have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike after more than eight months of contract negotiations.
UFCW says 99 percent of voting members approved the measure, though no strike date has been set. The union alleges unfair labor practices during negotiations, while JBS says it has bargained in good faith and offered wage increases, pension benefits, and improved compensation aligned with national agreements.
Related Stories
Tight cattle supplies continue to drive lower beef output despite heavier weights.
Kip Eideberg with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers details its campaign spotlighting the people who build equipment vital to farming and food manufacturing.
Cargill’s commitment to keep plants open helps preserve competition as Tyson removes capacity amid historically tight cattle supplies.
Tyson’s capacity cuts weaken local basis, tighten kill space, and heighten dependence on imports, signaling more volatility for producers.
Tyson’s Nebraska plant closure and falling Cattle on Feed numbers send cattle markets tumbling. Analysts warn of tighter supplies, weak margins, and rising global competition.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
Lower U.S. and Mexican production means tighter sugar supplies and greater reliance on imports headed into 2026.
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.
