GREELEY, Colo. — Thousands of JBS workers in Greeley are returning to work Tuesday morning after a three-week strike fighting for protection, wages, benefits, and a new pension plan.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 President Kim Cordova said employees will return to the plant as negotiations are scheduled this week.

"During the whole strike, the three weeks the company originally had not agreed to come back to the table, and because of the power of the workers, the company did agree to come back," Cordova said.

JBS workers return to Greeley plant with negotiations scheduled for this week after historic strike

Denver7 has been covering the strike since the start. We have listened to workers' concerns, like Leticia Avalos, a six-year employee and single mother to a six-month-old baby.

“I don't feel like [workers] get paid enough for the job that they're doing, especially because I know they're putting their life at risk,” she said. “It can be a finger that gets cut off, because they don't have the proper PPE.”

Denver7 reported during this strike period that JBS moved production to its other facilities to keep the impacts on production low.

“It's been tough,” said Deborah Rodarte, a three-year employee at JBS who is striking. “You know, we're still out here every day, but everybody's here fighting together, and it's amazing to see that.”

Cordova said negotiations are scheduled with JBS on Thursday and Friday, with employees returning back to their shifts on Tuesday.

"They definitely can do better for their workers. They can protect them and give them the respect that they deserve for doing some of the hardest work in the world. JBS being one of the largest employers in the state of Colorado, they need to do the right thing. This is an ugly look for them that their workers, who work in such a dangerous environment had to take a historic strike," Cordova said.

JBS sent out a statement over the weekend saying "the decision by the union comes without any new agreement or change to the company’s original offer." The company stated its "Last, Best and Final offer remains on the table."

"I take JBS statement as they can't take anything off the table. Their offer is still on the table. It's just that their offer was not sufficient, and we're just starting at the same point that we were," Cordova said.

This three-week strike in Greeley marked the first major U.S. meatpacking strike in over 40 years, and Cordova hopes it raised public awareness that these workers deserve better conditions.

"That the company heard the workers, that they saw the power of the workers. That plant doesn't operate without the employees," Cordova said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.