Over 380 members of UFCW Local 1208 who work at the JBS case ready plant in Lenoir, N.C., ratified their first union contract on June 30. This is the first JBS plant to be represented by UFCW Local 1208.
These workers won union recognition by way of card check on June 13 after the company agreed to recognize and bargain with our union. The workers joined our union family because they were concerned about unfair treatment in the workplace. They were also concerned about 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. They were also aware of the union benefits and better wages workers have at the Smithfield pork plant in Tar Heel, who are represented by UFCW Local 1208.
The four-year contract includes wage increases and improvements to scheduling. The contract also includes grievance and arbitration procedures to guarantee just discipline and respect in the workplace.
“I feel the union has set a standard for the working people so we are treated like human beings and not machines,” said Alshemiah Logan, who works at the JBS plant in Lenoir. “Our company is struggling with meeting our demands, but it is a process. With poor management and reconstruction in the building, nothing will change overnight, but I’m proud to say the union will be in house to make sure nothing falls between the cracks when no one is looking.”
“This is a huge victory for the workers of JBS,” said UFCW Local 1208 President Jose Pedro Lira. “I spoke to JBS worker Marlyn Acosta Villalobos who said, ‘We are glad we have a union and someone to represent us.’ I know the workers are excited to have a union in their workplace and deserve fair representation.”