On April 20, over 300 workers at the JBS case ready plant in Riverside, Calif., voted unanimously to join UFCW Local 1167. This is the first JBS plant to be represented by UFCW Local 1167.
The workers wanted respect on the job and consistent scheduling, and had no idea how many hours they would be working on a given day, making it hard to plan for visits to the doctor or school activities. Safety was also was a big concern. The workers work in extremely cold temperatures, and the work area is also very slippery. In the past few months, several workers have suffered from slips and falls. The workers also wanted to make JBS a successful company, and felt that by having representation at work, the workplace would be better and, therefore, the quality of the product would be the best possible for the customers.
For some employees at JBS, this marks the end of an eight year journey that started back with the Fresh & Easy campaign. “Employees now have a collective voice to help fight for their rights and to see positive change for all JBS employees,” said UFCW Local 1167 President Rick Bruer. “We could not be more proud to welcome JBS Riverside employees into our UFCW family.”
“We are very happy to have organized our workplace,” said Maria Garcia, who has worked at the JBS Riverside plant for eight years. “After so many years and different owners, 2 Sisters, Fresh & Easy, Yucaipa Foods, and now JBS, we finally accomplished what we set out to do many years ago. We look forward to having representation, better pay and benefits, and respect for all of us at JBS Riverside. That’s why we never gave up!”