JBS faces renewed disruption in the US as union members at its Denver meatpacking plant have voted to strike, alleging labour law violations.
Labour union UFCW Local 7 said 97% of union members at Denver Processing voted to authorise the walkout.
Denver Processing is a beef and pork processing facility, owned by JBS' US division. The facility supplies Kroger-owned chains, including King Soopers and City Market in Colorado and Ralphs Grocery Company in California.
The union has filed multiple “unfair labour practice” charges against the company, alleging “interference and retaliation by issuing discipline to a bargaining committee member for attending bargaining sessions on behalf of their fellow workers”.
It further accused the management of engaging in “bad-faith and surface bargaining”.
JBS said it was "disappointed that UFCW Local 7 has chosen to pursue another strike rather than continue productive discussions at the bargaining table".
According to UFCW Local 7, the company stalled negotiations, failed to address safety and work-life balance concerns and rushed to declare a final offer before “meaningful bargaining”.
“This strike authorisation is the direct result of Denver Processing’s unlawful and bad-faith conduct,” Kim Cordova, the president of UFCW Local 7, added.
In its statement, JBS said it had "negotiated in good faith with the goal of reaching a fair agreement that supports our team members and recognises their hard work".
"Our proposals include meaningful wage increases and a one-time bonus designed to provide immediate financial support while also ensuring long-term stability for employees and the organization. And as they did in Greeley, the union has once again not allowed team members to vote on our offer," JBS said.
The dispute comes after JBS reached a separate wage agreement with workers in Greeley, Colorado earlier this month, which included base wage increases and one-time bonuses but no retroactive pay.
Under that deal, base wages will rise by $0.70 at ratification, followed by $0.40 in July this year and $0.40 in July 2027. The agreement includes no provision for retroactive pay.
The package also includes a $750 one-time bonus payment at ratification and a further $500 one-time payment in April 2027, with eligibility requiring workers to be employed at ratification and at the time of payment.
However, the Brazilian meat giant said the deal does not include a pension benefit it said had featured in a national agreement negotiated last year between the company and UFCW International covering other US sites.
JBS said today: "Unfortunately, recent history demonstrates that striking does not necessarily lead to better outcomes for workers. In Greeley, the agreement reached after the strike left team members with a final deal closely mirroring the company’s last, best, and final offer, and without retroactive wages or a pension."
The union has not yet set a specific date for the possible walkout in Denver.
