Migrant Workers Sound Alarm Over Conditions at Greeley Meat Packing Plant
At the JBS Meat Packing Plant in Greeley, Colorado, some migrant workers have raised serious concerns over what they describe as unbearable working conditions.
Their union, UFCW Local 7, has called for a federal investigation into the plant, where hundreds of migrant workers from Haiti and West Africa are reportedly facing hardships.
“When I got here, it was late in the day, and they put us in a room with seven or eight people. There was only one bed,” one worker shared through an interpreter.
This sets the scene for a narrative far removed from the promises of decent living conditions that first drew them in—promises they discovered through a TikTok post. But soon after starting, they learned the reality wasn’t nearly as rosy.
Workers described the daily grind on the meat-cutting line as a pressure cooker, with too few hands to meet the ever-growing demands.
One worker bluntly stated, “Who is supposed to have a better living condition, us or the cows we are killing?”
This sharp comparison paints a picture of the tough conditions they endure while handling livestock. From swelling hands to ignored medical conditions, many feel they’re being pushed to the limit.
In response to these allegations, JBS swiftly banned the non-employee recruiter believed to have misled the workers.
The company assured FOX31 that it does not mandate employees to live in any specific location and has added new human resource leaders to improve conditions at the plant.
A spokesperson noted, “We want all of our employees to have access to safe housing and the opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families.”
As the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigate further, these migrant workers’ plight serves as a stark reminder of the tough conditions often hidden within the meatpacking industry.
Find out how the meatpacking industry is responding to labor concerns and what it means for meat production standards. Get more details on our homepage.