Stephen Groves

Associated Press

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In this May 20, 2020 photo, residents cheer and hold thank you signs to greet employees of a Smithfield pork processing plant as they begin their shift in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Smithfield Plant Union Enters Contract Talks With OK to Strike

However, union leaders said they hope to avoid a work stoppage as they prepared to meet with company representatives.

Employees of a Smithfield pork processing plant register to vote on June 3 on a contract offer from the company at the union's office in Sioux Falls, S.D. The union voted overwhelmingly against it, escalating labor negotiations.

Labor Talks Escalate at South Dakota Smithfield Pork Plant

A union has overwhelmingly rejected a company contract offer and will next move to bring the prospect of a strike to the negotiating table.

In this May 20, 2020 photo, residents cheer and hold thank you signs to greet employees of a Smithfield pork processing plant as they begin their shift in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Union Members at Virus-Striken Smithfield Plant Considering Strike

The dispute has centered on the wages for meatpacking employees, health care costs and break times.

In this May 20, 2020, file photo, residents cheer and hold thank you signs to greet employees of a Smithfield pork processing plant as they begin their shift in Sioux Falls, S.D. Workers at the South Dakota meatpacking plant that became a coronavirus hotspot last year are considering a strike after contract negotiations between Smithfield Foods and the union have stalled, the union said Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

Union Considers Strike at Smithfield Plant

The dispute has centered on the wages for meatpacking employees, health care costs and break times.

Mike Drinnin checks his cellphone at a feedlot in Columbus, NE on Wednesday, June 10. Drinnin, who owns feedlots in Nebraska, said everyone involved in raising and feeding cattle felt the squeeze this spring when beef and pork processing plants were operating at roughly 60 percent of capacity, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Meatpacking Rebounds While High Prices, Backlogs Persist

Meat plants' efforts to stop the virus spread will likely mean higher prices at grocery stores.

In this photo provided by Cristobal Francisquez, his parents Paulina and Marcos Francisco pose for a photo in front of their house in Sioux City, Iowa, Monday, May 25, 2020. They bought the home after years of working in a meatpacking plant and other food processing jobs.

Meatpacking Worker Shortage Concerns Loom

Immigrants make up nearly 40% of the industry's roughly 470,000 workers.

This April 8, 2020 photo shows the Smithfield pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, SD. The union representing employees at the South Dakota pork processing plant says it will partially reopen on Monday, May 4 after shuttering more than two weeks ago because of a coronavirus outbreak that infected hundreds of employees.

Meat Plants Cautiously Reopen

Employees appear torn whether safety measures can prevent further virus outbreaks at crowded meat processing plants.

John Warminski prepares meat at Ronnie's Quality Meats in Detroit on Wednesday, April 29. President Donald Trump has ordered meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus COVID-19 cases and the impact on the nation's food supply.

Meatpackers Welcome DPA Despite Risks

The executive order was widely seen as giving processors protection from liability for workers who become sick on the job.