By Brazil Stock Guide – JBS has resumed operations at its main beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, US, after the union ended a three-week strike and made an unconditional offer for workers to return, even without any new agreement with the company.
About 3,800 employees returned to work starting April 7 after the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 agreed to resume negotiations, which were already scheduled for April 9 and 10. The stoppage — the largest in the U.S. meat industry in decades — had pressured a facility responsible for roughly 5% to 6% of the country’s beef processing capacity.
Offer Unchanged
The union’s decision came without any progress in negotiations. JBS said its “last, best and final offer” remains on the table, including wage increases, a pension plan and additional benefits, the company said in a statement. The company maintains that the package is competitive and reaffirmed its commitment to good-faith negotiations.
Workers have been pushing for wages that keep pace with inflation and improved safety conditions, while the company has avoided revisiting previously presented terms — a sign of cost discipline in an environment of pressured margins.
The strike unfolded at a particularly sensitive moment for the sector. U.S. beef prices are at record levels, driven by the smallest cattle herd in 75 years, raising costs for processors and increasing the need for operational efficiency.
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