Gabe Evans: JBS Had History Of Labor Violations, Including Child Labor Violations And Allegations Of Human Trafficking

The Department Of Labor Determined JBS Violated Child Labor Laws When Their Contractor Employed Children In Dangerous Jobs And During Overnight Shifts At The Company’s Facilities In Multiple States Including Colorado

JBS And The U.S. Department Of Labor Reached A Settlement Agreement Over Child Labor Violations. “The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. in which the nation’s leading meat packing processor and slaughterhouse will provide $4 million to assist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide. The Jan. 13, 2025, agreement commits JBS to holding key elements of its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers accountable for illegal child labor…JBS will fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor and supporting victims of child labor nationwide while prioritizing its efforts in the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska.” [U.S. Department of Labor, Press Release, 1/13/25]

• The Department Of Labor Determined JBS Hired Third-Party Service Providers Who Employed Children In Dangerous Jobs And During Overnight Shifts At The Company’s Facilities In Multiple States Including Colorado. “Since 2022, the department has investigated various third-party contractors that provide sanitation services at meat packing establishments and service providers of poultry catching operations across the U.S. These investigations discovered that JBS’s third-party service providers employed children in dangerous jobs and during overnight shifts at the company’s facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. In fiscal year 2024, department investigators found more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws. The division continues to prioritize protecting children and currently has over 1,000 open child labor investigations.” [U.S. Department of Labor, Press Release, 1/13/25]

In Formal Complaints, UFCW Local 7 Claimed JBS Misrepresented Work And Living Conditions While Recruiting Migrant Workers, Which Constituted Human Trafficking

September 2024: UFCW Local 7 Accused JBS Of Abusing Immigrant Workers And Claimed That The Misrepresentation Of Their Work And Living Conditions During Recruitment Constituted Human Trafficking. “Worse still, in a complaint filed by the UFCW Local 7, the Haitians said that inside the JBS plant they were being asked to work at ‘dangerously unsafe’ speeds — sometimes almost twice as fast as workers on the day shift. In September 2024, the union publicly accused JBS of abusing immigrant workers and claimed that the misrepresentation of their work and living conditions during recruitment constituted human trafficking; they filed complaints with the Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Labor Relations Board and other government agencies. JBS denied the allegations, and a spokesperson insisted that the company followed all laws and regulations. But the Haitians said that they were essentially being held in slavery.” [High Country News, 9/1/25]

• UFCW Local 7 Filed Complaints With The Department Of Labor, The Occupational Safety And Health Administration, The National Labor Relations Board And Other Government Agencies Over Human Trafficking Allegations At The JBS Greeley Facility. “Worse still, in a complaint filed by the UFCW Local 7, the Haitians said that inside the JBS plant they were being asked to work at ‘dangerously unsafe’ speeds — sometimes almost twice as fast as workers on the day shift. In September 2024, the union publicly accused JBS of abusing immigrant workers and claimed that the misrepresentation of their work and living conditions during recruitment constituted human trafficking; they filed complaints with the Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Labor Relations Board and other government agencies. JBS denied the allegations, and a spokesperson insisted that the company followed all laws and regulations. But the Haitians said that they were essentially being held in slavery.” [High Country News, 9/1/25]