Tyler Melito joined the Denver7 newsroom in February 2026 as a multimedia journalist.
A three-week strike at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley will officially end Tuesday morning when 3,800 employees return to work. Union President Kim Cardova announced Saturday that workers plan to continue fighting for an agreement to give workers fair contracts and livable wages.
The union will meet with JBS on Thursday and Friday to return to the negotiating table.Dr. Kishore Kulkarni, who teaches economics at MSU Denver, said returning to negotiations is not uncommon in labor disputes.'I think the longer this goes, labor starts to recognize in that this is not a status quo they want to be in a long term, and therefore they come to the negotiating table,' Kulkarni explained. 'Usually, these negotiations do happen. Not one party wins it completely, but there is some bargaining going on.'Kulkarni said just because JBS leadership is sticking to what they call their 'Last, Best and Final offer,' it does not necessarily mean that will be the offer agreed to.'I think they will probably change the offer if labor comes very close to the offer,' Kulkarni told Denver7.Employees said they are not going to just take any offer.'And it has to be fair. You know, we work really hard, so we deserve a good contract,' JBS employee Deborah Rodarte, whose worked at the plant for three years, told Denver7 on March 25.Kulkarni said the strike had an immense impact on the beef industry.'It is a big deal in terms of the cost of production, labor cost, the labor productivity, the standard of living, and also all other things that go with this higher cost of production,' Kulkarni outlined.But while the strike may be over, Kulkarni believes consumers will not see a major difference in the price of beef.'I think even if the labor issues are settled, there are other issues that matter for the company to work and company to run smoothly and therefore there are management issues. There are issues of supply of beef. There is a issue of supply of cattle. So all those things are very important for beef industry,' Kulkarni said.Denver7 previously reported union officials accused JBS of unfair labor practices.'They’re working them hard,' claimed JBS employee Leticia Avalos with Denver7 on February 14. 'They’re abusing them verbally. They’re not giving them the proper equipment they need to use to work.'Avalos also said JBS tried to intimidate workers to quit the union during one-on-one meetings, accusations JBS has not addressed to Denver7.'They don’t value the people as much, they value more the production that they’re doing,' Avalos said.Kulkarni said such intimidation tactics are illegal.'I think if it is proved, there will be a millions of dollars of punishment, because clearly, companies cannot do that,' Kulkarni said.Denver7 reached out to members of the labor union as well as JBS for further comment about the end to the strike and the negotiations slated to happen this week, but have received no response so far.
JBS Employee Leticia Avalos MSU Denver Metropolitan State University Of Denver Stirke Union President Kim Cardova Unfair Labor Practices
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
SF Giants trade Tyler Fitzgerald to Blue Jays for cash considerationsFitzgerald was designated for assignment by the Giants earlier this week.
Read more »
Sheridan educator strike continues after board no-shows meetingTyler Melito joined the Denver7 newsroom in February 2026 as a multimedia journalist.
Read more »
Workers at Colorado meatpacking plant to return after JBS USA and union resume negotiationsWorkers at one of the nation’s largest meatpacking plants plan to return to work next week and halt a three-week strike to resume negotiations with the plant's owner. The strike by thousands of workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, began on March 16 in coordination with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union.
Read more »
The Importance of Raiders C Tyler Linderbaum is Already EvidentThe Las Vegas Raiders handed center Tyler Linderbaum a massive payday for various reasons.
Read more »
Workers plan to halt strike at major Greeley meatpacking plant and resume negotiationWorkers at the Greeley JBS meatpacking plant have agreed to return to work and halt a three-week strike after the plant owner JBS USA agreed to resume negotiations.
Read more »
Tyler Perry’s Popular Show Spin-off & More Among Paramount+ Releases This WeekParamount+'s new release schedule is here. A spin-off of a Tyler Perry show and more exciting titles are landing on the platform this week!
Read more »