Workers arriving for shifts at the Cargill beef plant in Fort Morgan Wednesday morning found the facility closed, leading to large crowds gathering downtown throughout the day.

Teamsters Local 455 says more than seventeen hundred union members across the region have been locked out after contract negotiations stalled over wages, health care, and workplace safety protections. Union officials stressed that workers are not on strike and described the closure as a lockout by the company.

An estimated fifteen hundred employees gathered outside the Teamsters office on Main Street Wednesday morning. Fort Morgan Police later redirected the crowd to Glenn Miller Park after traffic and pedestrian safety concerns developed in the area.

Union representatives from Denver were on site throughout the day assisting workers and saying negotiations are expected to continue.

The Fort Morgan Cargill facility is one of the largest employers in the region and processes millions of pounds of beef each year. Workers at the gathering said the shutdown affects not only plant employees, but also families and businesses across the community.

Cattle slaughtering had been suspended since April 23^rd, at the Fort Morgan facility. The U.S. beef industry is going through a time with record prices, strong demand, but also the smallest heard in about 75 years. Cargill’s competitor JBS resolved their worker’s dispute last month, as both sides are pushing back on the issues.

In Fort Morgan on Thursday morning, hundreds of Cargill workers were lined up near Burlington Avenue, outside of the Cargill plant, with picket signs, as vehicles drove by honking their horns in support. Sign were also posted on many front yards leading up to the plant with the slogan, ‘Support LOCAL BEEF Farmers! Stand with CARGILL TEAMSTERS'.