meatpacking plants

A push for better working conditions and higher pay left 1,700 workers with no job. Union officials said there were some gains but also it was “time to go back to work.”

Workers have been locked out of the beef-processing plant for nearly 85 days but things got worse after union strike pay was reduced.

Meatpackers have not struck in more than 40 years. The Greeley walk out happened after 8 months of talks about pay and working conditions failed.

They’ve been working on an expired contract for eight months. JBS officials accused the union of not sharing the company’s latest offer with workers.

Texas Democrat labor leader Taylor Rehmet turned tables in a special election runoff for the Texas Senate seat in District 9, defeating GOP pick Leigh Wambsganss in a 40-year Republican stronghold. Now, fellow Democratic candidates in West Texas are hoping similar work-focused strategies can overcome tough odds in their own deep red districts.

The beef processing plant in Olathe, Kansas, marked a turning point for Walmart. But ranchers and agricultural experts warn the nation's already stunted beef industry could be falling under more corporate control.

The Trump administration wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to raid worksites in the agriculture and hospitality industries, despite an initial reprieve this month. Experts say the policy could hurt businesses that rely on immigrant workers.

Tyson Foods said its ground beef and value-added marinated protein plant would be shuttered in February 2025 to help the company operate more efficiently.

Over the last two years, several large pork packers have closed plants in California, Minnesota and most recently Iowa. For some pork producers, this means additional miles and more money to deliver hogs on top of tough economic times.

Walmart is putting more than $250 million into a beef packaging plant in Olathe. That will bring hundreds of jobs to Johnson County and reflects a big shift in the way beef gets from farm to table.