Colorado Representative Faces Criticism Amid Meatpacking Workers’ Strike
Republican Representative Gabe Evans has come under scrutiny for his lack of support for workers during a recent labor strike at a major meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado.
In March, approximately 3,800 employees at the JBS Foods plant initiated a strike that lasted for 19 days. The industrial action ended with the workers securing wage hikes, bonuses, and company-paid protective gear. This marked the first significant strike within the meatpacking sector in over four decades.
Kim Cordova, a union leader pivotal in organizing the strike, shared with the Associated Press that the picketers braved cold conditions because “they knew their worth and refused to be disrespected.”
While many Colorado lawmakers publicly backed the striking workers, Evans chose to remain silent. The union representing JBS Foods employees reported receiving support from Sen. John Hickenlooper and several state legislators, but Evans was notably absent.
The timing of Evans’ silence has raised eyebrows, especially after it emerged that his reelection campaign accepted a $5,000 donation from the JBS Foods PAC on February 23, shortly after the strike was authorized. The PAC had also made a similar contribution to Evans the previous year.
Additionally, between 2024 and 2025, Evans received over $10,000 in contributions from senior members of Cornerstone Government Affairs, a lobbying entity representing JBS Foods since 2023.
Evans has publicly praised JBS Foods, sharing a photo on X in January 2025 with Wesley Batista Filho, CEO of JBS North America Operations, where he described the company as a crucial component of Weld County’s economy and workforce.
JBS Foods has faced multiple allegations of labor and safety misconduct. In 2025, concurrent with Evans’ photo op, the company agreed to a $4 million settlement with the federal government over child labor violations linked to its cleaning contractor, which involved over 100 minors aged 13 to 17.
“The department’s work uncovering a systemic disregard for the safety of children resulted in meaningful commitments to stop and prevent child labor exploitation,” stated Jessica Looman, a Labor Department official at that time.
Currently, JBS Foods is under a federal antitrust investigation.
As Evans seeks a second term, his vulnerability is highlighted, with political analysts considering him one of the most at-risk House Republicans. The Democratic contender aiming to challenge Evans will be determined in the upcoming June 30 primary.
Among the Democrats vying for the position are former state Rep. Shannon Bird and current state Rep. Manny Rutinel, both of whom showed solidarity with the JBS Foods workers by joining them on the picket lines.
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