UFCW Announces Historic Contract Ratification for JBS Meatpacking Workers

UFCW Members at JBS Facility in Plainwell Secure Pensions, Paid Sick Leave, Significant Raises

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), America’s largest private sector union representing 1.2 million workers in meatpacking, food processing, grocery, retail, and other essential industries across North America, announced the ratification of a first-ever national contract that will bring significant wage increases, a newly created paid sick leave program, and with the support of JBS, the establishment of a pension retirement plan for 26,000 JBS workers at 14 facilities across the country, among other contract gains.

Mark Lauritsen, Director of the Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing Division and International Vice President at UFCW International, released the following statement:

“We applaud UFCW members for ratifying this historic contract. Through the collaboration of our Local bargaining committees and the commitment of JBS to providing industry-leading benefits and protections, after nearly 40 years, JBS workers will have a pension retirement plan, giving them a path to a secure financial future. Every employer in the meatpacking industry should follow JBS’s leadership and reintroduce pension plans for the hard-working men and women who keep America fed.

“This contract also establishes new ergonomic safety measures to reduce workplace injury and fatigue, allows for dedicated walking stewards, and strengthens safety committees to ensure that workers are consistently protected across JBS facilities.

“In addition to major wins on pensions and workplace safety, UFCW members secured the first-ever paid sick leave program at JBS, along with retroactive wage increases, and improved vacation and paid leave. Today’s contract ratification means better wages, safer working conditions, and a more stable future for workers in this industry. A new standard has just been set in meatpacking.”

BACKGROUND

• This contract establishes the creation of a new Taft-Hartley pension fund that will be jointly managed by the union and the employer on behalf of UFCW JBS members. The new pension fund established by this agreement is the first to be offered by a meatpacking employer since 1986.
• Under the contract, workers will now be able to participate in a paid sick time program at JBS – making it an industry standard that the overwhelming majority of meatpacking employers now offer.
• The newly ratified agreement also increases paid vacation and leave, allowing workers more time to spend with their families and loved ones.
• By creating a uniform policy to establish Safety and Ergonomic Committees in each plant, proactive measures will be in place to address concerns with clear timelines so safety issues can be identified and resolved in real time.
• A designated walking steward will be present during all shifts at each facility to enforce contract provisions, including safety measures, such as line speed, to further protect workers on the job.
• The contract also includes significant wage increases for UFCW members, including retroactive pay and a ratification bonus. With the average weighted compensation for meatpacking workers being $23 to$24 an hour, this will bring even more financial security for these essential workers.
• The union and JBS will also establish a National Joint Labor Management Committee to improve communications and review the impact of any new technologies before they are introduced in the workplace.

The contract will cover more than 26,000 workers at JBS Regional Beef, Fed Beef, and Pork processing facilities in Hyrum Utah; Tolleson, Ariz.; Grand Island, Neb.; Omaha, Neb.; Beardstown, Ill.; Cactus, Texas; Worthington, Minn.; Plainwell, Mich.; Lenoir, N.C.; Green Bay, Wis.; Souderton, Pa.; Marshalltown, Iowa; and Ottumwa, Iowa. Workers at these facilities are represented by UFCW Locals 99, 222IN, 431, 540, 663, 951, 1208, 1473, 1776KS, and 1846 respectively, whose bargaining committees came together to create the largest nationally coordinated bargaining effort for meatpacking workers in UFCW history.

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