T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY The JBS plant at 402 N. 10th Ave. in Marshalltown is pictured. On Thursday, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and JBS agreed on a new contract that includes pay raises, paid sick leave and a pension plan for employees.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.2 million workers in meatpacking, food processing, grocery, retail, and other industries across North America, announced the ratification of a first-ever national contract that will bring wage increases, a newly created paid sick leave program, and, with the support of the company, the establishment of a pension retirement plan for 26,000 JBS workers at 14 facilities across the country.

As part of a press release issued by the union, Mark Lauritsen, Director of the Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing Division and International Vice President at UFCW International, released the following statement.

“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,” he said. “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.”

Thelma Cruz, a union steward at the Marshalltown JBS facility and a member of UFCW Local 1846, offered her thoughts.

“I’ve been working at JBS for 10 years, and when I got the news about the pension, I was excited. My husband also works here, and when we retire, we will both get pension checks every month. And the longer we’re with the company, the greater our checks will be,” she said. “Everything right now is very expensive, and it’s hard to save money for retirement, so this gives us security. With pensions, raises, bonuses, earned sick pay, and improvements to paid funeral leave, this contract won’t just help my husband and me, but also a lot of families.”

JBS USA Head of Corporate Communications Nikki Richardson, a corporate communications specialist, issued a statement on behalf of the company Thursday afternoon.

“Our historic agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union provides the first nationwide pension plan for our industry in nearly 50 years. We are confident that the significant wage increases over the life of the contracts and the opportunity of a secure retirement through our pension plan will create a better future for the men and women who work with us at JBS,” she wrote. “Today’s announcement is a reflection of our commitment to our workforce and the communities across rural America where we live and work.”

Roger Kail, the president of the UFCW Local 1846 chapter in Marshalltown, called the contract “fantastic” and touted the inclusion of a pension plan in the deal.

“That’s something. It’s not huge right now, but it will be in the future,” he said.

In addition to the approximately 2,300 JBS employees in Marshalltown, the contract will cover workers at facilities in Ottumwa, Hyrum, Utah; Tolleson, Ariz.; Grand Island, Neb.; Omaha, Neb.; Beardstown, Ill.; Cactus, Texas; Worthington, Minn.; Plainwell, Mich.; Lenoir, N.C.; Green Bay, Wis. and Souderton, Pa.