Topline
Approximately 1,400 Kellogg workers from four states have agreed to ratify a new contract with the cereal maker, their union said Tuesday, ending one of the longest-running labor strikes amid a recent nationwide wave.
Signs are held during a rally where Senator Bernie Sanders spoke to striking Kellogg workers in ... [+]
Key Facts
Unionized employees from cereal plants in Battle Creek, Mich.; Lancaster, Pa.; Omaha, Neb.; and Memphis, Tenn. voted to accept the five-year deal, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) announced.
The vote ends an 11-week stalemate between the company and the striking workers.
The new contract includes across the board wage increases and expanded benefits, Kellogg said.
Key Background
Among other things, the workers were protesting what they said was an unfair two-tiered wage system that gave newer hires fewer benefits and lower pay. Under the new contract there will be no permanent two-tier system and it provides a path to full-time employment for transitional employees, BCTGM said. The strike began on October 5 and has made headlines since, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joining a rally near Kellogg’s Michigan headquarters last week and President Joe Biden saying he was “deeply troubled” by reports the company planned to replace striking workers earlier this month. The company reached a tentative agreement with the picket line members last week after they rejected a different proposal in early December.
What To Watch For
The workers are expected to return to their jobs the week of December 27, Kellogg said.
Further Reading
Kellogg’s striking cereal workers await results of latest contract vote (Washington Post)
Kellogg’s reaches tentative agreement with striking workers (Associated Press)
Kellogg’s Threatened To Replace Strikers. That Doesn’t Mean It Will Work. (HuffPost)
Biden sharply criticizes Kellogg’s plan to replace striking unionized workers (NBC News)
