"Olga Barrios described the 2006 ICE raid, stating, 'The company, instead of protecting the workers, was actually turning them in.' This event left a lasting impact on her and her coworkers."
"JBS has strategically relied on immigrant labor, with Kim Cordova noting, 'They're really good about bringing in folks from different countries that don't know their rights yet or are here seeking asylum.'"
"The Greeley plant's workforce is now predominantly foreign born, with workers speaking over 50 languages and processing up to 6,000 carcasses daily."
"On March 16, Barrios and her 3,800 coworkers reached a breaking point, walking off the job to launch the first-ever strike at the Greeley plant."
Olga Barrios recalls the traumatic ICE raid in 2006 that led to the detention of 260 coworkers at the Greeley beef-processing plant. The company, Swift, was targeted in a large immigration enforcement action, losing 10% of its workforce. After being acquired by JBS, the plant rebuilt its workforce with immigrant labor, which now constitutes 80-90% of employees. On March 16, 2020, Barrios and her coworkers initiated the first-ever strike at the plant, protesting against exploitation and unsafe working conditions.
Read at The Nation
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