UFCW meatpacking and food processing members work to feed America and beyond.
UFCW packing and processing workers contribute to our national food chain more than you might think – whether it’s at Tyson’s, Cargill, JBS, Hormel, or Smithfield, it’s the hard work of UFCW members behind the scenes that helps put some of our nation’s favorite foods on the kitchen table.
With their union, UFCW packing and processing staff aren’t just keeping our communities fed: they’re also fighting hard to raise the bar for the way food processing staff should be paid, treated, and supported on the job. Meatpackers and processing workers who’ve unionized with UFCW have won strong contracts with better wages, a wide range of benefits, and safer, more consistent working conditions.
The union difference in the packing and processing industry is clear, and UFCW is here to support packinghouse workers who are ready to turn their jobs into great careers. Below, you can connect with a UFCW organizer and talk about what it would take to start a union at your facility.
Learn More About the Meatpacking Union:
Start a Union at Your Packing / Processing Plant
Hear from Our Members
What Our Union Contracts Secure
We negotiate our working conditions and benefits together with our employer, with the support of UFCW bargaining pros. Here are some highlights from contracts we’ve won for packers and processors across the country:
Higher Wages
We negotiate for raises that keep our wages high enough to take care of our families even in the face of the rising cost of living.
Guaranteed Schedules
Our schedules give a clear path for us to full or part-time status based on our needs, plus the opportunity for daily and weekly hour limits to make work-life balance possible at our facilities.
Seniority Over Favoritism
Get rewarded for experience, not whether your boss likes you or not. Our contracts make it so the years you put into your company give you access to higher pay scales, preferred jobs & schedules, and more.
Respect and a Voice on the Job
Racism and other forms of discrimination & disrespect have no place in our union facilities. When a manager breaks the code of conduct set in our union contracts, we have the power to hold them accountable.
Job Security
With our union, we can protect ourselves and each other from being fired or disciplined without good reason. With our grievance procedures guarding us, we get to focus on doing our best work, instead of worrying about we’ll have a job tomorrow.
Health & Safety
We’ve also fought to secure transparency in injury and illness reporting by employers, and have partnered with other unions to strengthen whistleblower protections and OSHA protections for workers who speak out about dangers on the job. Learn more about our priorities for safer packing facilities here.
No one should have to fight for workplace protections alone. The UFCW has worked with OSHA to conduct targeted inspections in high hazard industries, including the poultry and meatpacking industries.
Ready to start a union at your facility?
Ready to negotiate together for bigger paychecks, stronger benefits and better lives? If you are, the steps to joining the UFCW are simple.
