Mass vaccination planned at JBS meatpacking plant

The production lines at JBS USA Inc. will stop for at least two days in early March after the meatpacking giant and a union representing a large portion of its workers agreed to a mass vaccination drive at the Greeley plant.

In a statement, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 7 said that with aid from the state and the National Guard, JBS will offer Pfizer vaccines to its workers beginning at 6 a.m. March 6-7.

UCFW Local 7 president Kim Cordova said the goal is to administer about 5,000 vaccinations among the plant’s union and nonunion staffers. The groups also plan to issue the follow-up shot necessary to provide full immunity around the week of March 21.

Employees will be vaccinated based on when they normally would report to work during the day and will be monitored for a short time after getting the shot to watch for adverse reactions.

Employees are not required to work after getting the shot and will be paid as normal, as medical experts have warned that fatigue, muscle aches and other mild symptoms can occur in the hours after the vaccination.

The mass vaccination comes amid continued scrutiny of the meatpacking industry’s broader COVID mitigation efforts or lack thereof in the past year.

A U.S. House subcommittee launched an investigation in early February into allegations that meatpacking plants flouted federal workplace-safety laws and put workers in a position to get unnecessarily infected with the virus. The investigation included a request for JBS to provide documents.

JBS is cooperating with the panel’s investigation and routinely has said it is taking additional precautions to prevent the spread of the virus among its employees, including offering full pay to those at risk of developing life-threatening symptoms.

Cordova said the union still has its issues with JBS management.

As of last week, seven of its members who worked at the Greeley plant have died after contracting COVID.

However, she said the vaccination plan will not only protect her union’s members but also will provide protection to Weld County at large because the plant is the county’s biggest employer.

“In terms of the vaccine, they have really been cooperating with us and with the state in agreeing to shut down production,” she said, mentioning that managers will be on hand to provide translation for non-English-speaking employees and that the company will maintain its $100 bonus for employees who get both shots.