JBS Workers' Union Pushes for Bathroom Break Protections

Union lobbies Colorado lawmakers to mandate access to restrooms for meatpacking employees.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:00am

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A photorealistic studio photograph featuring a polished metal bathroom stall lock and a roll of toilet paper, conceptually representing the corporate policies and workplace dynamics around employee access to restrooms.A symbolic still life highlighting the ongoing battle for basic worker rights in the meatpacking industry.Greeley Today

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union, which represents JBS meatpacking plant workers in Greeley, Colorado, is pushing state lawmakers to pass legislation that would require companies to allow employees access to bathroom breaks. Union president Kim Cordova says the union is seeking government intervention and penalties against companies that deny workers this basic right.

Why it matters

Bathroom access is a longstanding issue in the meatpacking industry, where workers often face pressure to minimize breaks and disruptions to production. This push for state-level legislation aims to enshrine worker protections and hold companies accountable for denying bathroom breaks, an issue that has drawn increased scrutiny in recent years.

The details

The UFCW Local 7 union is lobbying Colorado state lawmakers to pass a law that would mandate companies provide employees with access to bathroom breaks. Union president Kim Cordova says the union is seeking government intervention and penalties to address companies' "bad behavior" in denying workers this basic right.

  • The union is currently lobbying Colorado lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session.

The players

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7

The labor union that represents JBS meatpacking plant workers in Greeley, Colorado.

Kim Cordova

President of UFCW Local 7, the union representing JBS workers in Greeley.

JBS

A major meatpacking company with a plant located in Greeley, Colorado.

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What they’re saying

“We have to make sure we have some government intervention with this, in terms of legislation that would have some penalties against their bad behavior,”

— Kim Cordova, President, UFCW Local 7

What’s next

The Colorado state legislature will consider the UFCW Local 7's proposal for a law mandating bathroom break access for meatpacking workers during the 2026 legislative session.

The takeaway

This push for state-level legislation to protect meatpacking workers' access to bathroom breaks reflects ongoing labor issues in the industry, where companies have faced criticism for denying workers this basic right. The outcome of the union's lobbying efforts could set an important precedent for worker protections in the sector.