Texas Panhandle Meatpacking Workers Win Historic Union Contract including Raises, Pension

CACTUS, Texas – This month, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)announced the ratification of a first-ever national contract for 26,000 JBS workers at 14 facilities across the country — including workers in Cactus, TX.
The new union contract is a major win for Cactus meatpacking workers, including the first new pension fund to be offered by a meatpacking employer since 1986. Workers will also receive significant wage increases and a newly created paid sick leave program.
“Coming together to win this contract with JBS shows the power of our union. When we stand in solidarity, we can make history, like bringing back pensions to the industry for the first time in nearly 40 years for workers here in Texas and across the country. With raises, paid sick time, and pensions in this contract, workers can feel confident about their financial future,” said Celestino Rivera, secretary-treasurer and packinghouse director for UFCW Local 540, which represents the workers in Cactus. “Meatpacking is a big industry in our region. I hope this shows workers in non-union plants the value and stability a union contract provides. These jobs can be long-term careers where workers can build a life for themselves and their families.”
“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,” said Mark Lauritsen, director of the food processing, packing, and manufacturing division and international vice president at UFCW International. “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 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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The Texas AFL-CIO is the state labor federation consisting of 240,000 affiliated union members and advocates for working people in Texas. Learn more at texasaflcio.org
The UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.2 million workers and their families in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, healthcare, cannabis, retail, and other essential industries. UFCW members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org