As thousands of JBS meatpacking workers in Greeley prepare to strike next week, industry watchers say it’s not clear whether there will be any tangible impact for Colorado consumers shopping for beef at their local supermarkets.
About 3,800 workers are set to walk off the job at the company’s flagship plant at 5:30 a.m. Monday over what they say are persistent unfair labor practices, unsafe working conditions and low wages. It would be the first strike at the Greeley plant in the company’s history.
JBS officials say they will temporarily shift production to facilities in other states where they have excess processing capacity.
“This approach ensures we can continue meeting customer needs and maintain the availability of beef for American consumers,” the company said in a statement this week.
The strike comes amid , which has already driven up beef prices. With fewer cows entering slaughterhouses, processing facilities are not working at capacity, experts say, giving them leeway to add additional cattle destined for the Greeley plant.
The facility processes between 5,000 and 6,000 head of cattle every day.
“When we think about this plant closing, that changes the location of where cattle are processed, but it doesn’t change that we have such a low number,” said Jaime Luke, an assistant professor at Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. “A reduction in processing capacity helps other facilities run more volume.”
But it’s not as simple as simply shifting production to another plant. Animals cannot travel infinite miles to a different part of the country due to .
How much production JBS will be able to relocate to other facilities remains a major question, said Jennifer Martin, an associate professor in College of Agricultural Sciences. The company has a footprint in .
“Once that is known, it will determine how big a supply chain shock and how much of a price shift we’ll see,” Martin said.
Any disruption to slaughter capacity will have a price and supply shock, she said. As supply goes down, prices go up — though Martin and other experts said they don’t believe grocery stores will be without beef to sell.
Other industry watchers told The Denver Post that they expected minimal impact on beef prices for consumers. Still, spring and summer are around the corner — and that means Americans are getting out their grills and cooking more beef.
JBS will likely want to settle this issue as demand increases in the warmer months, said Dan Buskirk, a professor and beef specialist at Michigan State University.
“If they’re not able to settle it before a strike, I think JBS will wanna be quick at resolving things,” he said.
The union representing JBS workers and the company remain at an impasse just days before the strike is set to begin.
The union, , has said the meatpacking giant has been unwilling to offer more than minimal wage increases and has retaliated against its members for conducting union activity.
Laborers told The Post that the job is often dangerous, leading to injuries and a lack of responsive medical care. Ninety-nine percent of unionized members in Greeley voted last month to authorize the strike.
JBS, in turn, has called the union’s contention that the company is seeking a labor dispute “frankly absurd,” saying the company has made “meaningful movement” on economic and other issues throughout the process. The union, JBS officials said, abruptly walked away from the negotiating table without providing a response to their updated offer.
, headquartered in Greeley, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brazil-based , the world’s largest processor of beef and pork, with more than $50 billion in annual sales.
The company operates nine U.S. facilities, selling beef products to more than 44 countries on six continents. It employs more than 37,000 people at these plants, including nearly 4,000 workers at the Greeley location.
The meatpacking giant has also been in the crosshairs of U.S. regulators for years, along with myriad allegations from its employees over poor or unsafe working conditions.
