Thread: CO: Swift adds 1,300 Greeley jobs

Swift adds 1,300 Greeley jobs
By Staff

GREELEY - New owners of Swift & Co. said Thursday they will add another 1,300-worker shift at its beef plant in northeast Greeley, boosting employment there to 3,100.

Another 500 managerial and support employees work at the company's west Greeley headquarters.

The decision by the Brazilian owner of the Greeley plant, JBS S.A., solidifies the future of the Greeley plant and other former Swift holdings worldwide, and puts to rest speculation that began last spring that the plant might be closed if the company were sold. Swift has begun recruiting for the new positions with the goal of having 500 additional workers by Sept. 4, and running at full capacity during that month, Swift & Co. spokesman Marco Sampaio said. He added that the work-force boost was reflective of the Brazilian ownership's operating methods more than of a change in the beef market.

"It's not necessarily the market conditions, but more about the tradition we have as a company to run at capacity and maximize our assets," Sampaio said. "That's the way we like to operate."

The addition of a second shift will be a huge boon to Greeley's economy, with almost $33 million added to the company's payroll. Regional economist and regular Business Report columnist John Green said the added jobs translate to an infusion of about $66 million into the region's economy.

Sampaio reported that new employees at the plant would start at $11.75 per hour, joining other production workers who earn $12.25 per hour. The company's top wage is $13.80 per hour.

Swift & Co. officials announced in April that the plant had rebounded from the immigration raids in December that resulted in the arrest of 261 workers at the Greeley plant. The raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents also netted more than 1,000 arrests at other Swift plants in the United States.

In late May, Swift reported the sale of its assets to Brazilian beef giant JBS S.A., a move that made the South American company the global leader in processing fresh beef and pork.

Swift & Co.'s president and CEO, Wesley Mendonca Batista, announced the big jump in employment Thursday evening at a Greeley Chamber of Commerce event at the company's headquarters.

Batista is the older brother of Joesley Mendonca Batista, who is the CEO of the Brazilian corporate parent of Swift & Co. The two men are sons of the meat processing company's founder. Sampaio said the company would, for the present, continue carrying the name Swift & Co.


http://www.ncbr.com/article.asp?id=87563

Are we going to be told if these are Americans working - or what?

There is something odd about this raid. Why did they raid Swift when there are others who are as or more guilty?

It is also odd that just after the raids, the Brazilian company came in and purchased Swift?

I always look for the reasons something is done.

11.75 is higher than the pay at Tyson plants which is $9 to $9.50 starting but it is still way lower than the starting wage of $17 in the late 1980's.