Dozens of Workers Walk Off Smithfield Foods Plant After Coworker’s Death
Dozens of workers walked off the job at a Smithfield Foods meat-producing facility in Monmouth, Illinois, following the death of a coworker and reportedly being ordered to continue production.
Greenville Spartanburg Asheville Anderson, SC, September 15, 2026 —
Dozens of employees at a Smithfield Foods meat-producing facility in Monmouth, Illinois, have walked off the job. The work stoppage reportedly occurred following the death of a coworker and subsequent instructions for production to continue.
The exact number of workers who participated in the walkout was not immediately specified, beyond being described as “dozens.” The incident took place at the Smithfield Foods plant located in Monmouth, Illinois. The immediate cause for the workers leaving their shifts was the death of a fellow employee.
Reports indicate that following the fatality, workers were allegedly ordered to continue with production operations. This order reportedly preceded the mass walkout by the employees. Further details regarding the circumstances of the coworker’s death, the specific timeline of the events, and the exact nature of the reported order to continue production were not provided in the available summary.
The name of the deceased coworker and the specific date or time of the incident were not disclosed. Information regarding the company’s response to the walkout, any subsequent negotiations with workers, or plans for resuming full operations at the Monmouth facility were also not made public.
Story summarized from the original created by Elisabeth Ruggiero, Jordan Gartner on www.foxcarolina.com, see more information here.
