Strike hits beef plant
About 3,800 workers at one of the nation’s largest meatpacking plants were set to strike Monday morning in Colorado in what union representatives said would be the first walkout at a US beef slaughterhouse since the 1980s.
The strike at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley was set to begin at 5:30 a.m. MDT, said Kim Cordova, president of United Food Workers Local 7, which represents the workers. It follows accusations from union officials that owner JBS USA retaliated against workers and committed other unfair labor practices amid contract negotiations. A previous contract was due to expire at midnight Sunday. The expected strike comes at a 75-year low for the US cattle population, with a January 1 inventory of 86.2 million animals — down 1 per cent from the prior year.
