Colorado Beef Plant Readies Historic 3,800-Worker Strike

About 3,800 workers at Swift Beef Co.’s Greeley, Colorado, plant are set to strike Monday, the first U.S. beef slaughterhouse walkout since 1985, after union officials accused JBS USA of retaliation and other unfair labor practices during contract talks that expired at midnight Sunday; 99% of workers voted to authorize the strike; management says it will operate two shifts and move production to other facilities, and workers who don’t strike can still work and be paid; the strike occurs amid a 75-year low in U.S. cattle inventories and rising beef prices, with broader industry concerns following the January closure of a Nebraska plant.