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2021 Kellogg's strike

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2021 Kellogg's strike
Part of Striketober
Workers picketing on October 31, 2021, in Battle Creek, Michigan
DateOctober 5 – December 21, 2021
Location
United States
Caused byDisagreements over terms of a new labor contract
Methods
Parties

Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union

  • Local 3G (Battle Creek)
  • Local 374G (Lancaster)
  • Local 252G (Memphis)
  • Local 50G (Omaha)

The 2021 Kellogg's strike was a labor strike started on October 5, 2021, and ended December 21, 2021, involving about 1,400 workers for food manufacturer Kellogg's, unionized as members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM). The strike was caused due to disagreements between the union and company concerning the terms of a new labor contract, with particular points of contention concerning the current two-tier wage system (with legacy workers making $35/hr and new hires $22/hr), health care, holidays, retirement benefits, cost-of-living adjustments, and vacation time.[1] The strike affected all of Kellogg's cereal-producing plants in the United States, consisting of plants in Battle Creek, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee. It is one of several strikes conducted by the BCTGM in 2021, including strike action against Frito-Lay and Nabisco.[2][3]

The strike is the first to affect Kellogg's Battle Creek plant since 1972, and the first at the Lancaster plant since 1985.[4][5] The strike ended after union workers voted to approve a new five-year labor contract.[6]

Background

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A color photograph of a manufacturing building with a sign that says "Kellogg's" in front
Kellogg's Battle Creek plant, 2019

Kellogg's is an American food manufacturer that derives about a third of its profits from its line of breakfast cereals, which includes brands such as Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes.[7][8] In the United States, the company operated four cereal-producing plants in Battle Creek, Michigan (also where the company is headquartered); Omaha, Nebraska; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee.[9] Going into October 2021, the company had been negotiating for over a year with the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM),[9] a labor union that represents about 1,400 workers at these plants.[2][10] The union and company had had a rough relationship over the past several years, with the company performing a lockout at their Memphis plant in 2013 and 2014,[11] firing about 187 workers at their Battle Creek plant in 2018, and in September 2021,[12] announcing that they would be firing about another 200 employees from that plant, a majority of whom would be union employees.[13] One worker, describing the situation at the Lancaster plant, compared it to a "death of a thousand cuts".[13][14] While the contract between the union and company had expired in 2020, an extension renewed the existing contract until October 2021.[15]

On September 8 and 9, 2021, both sides submitted their proposals for a new contract and entered into discussions on them.[16] However, during the negotiations, the parties could not agree on several key issues, including policies regarding health care, holidays, retirement benefits, and vacation time.[8][17] In particular, Kellogg's was seeking to expand a two-tier employee system composed of "legacy" and "transitional" employees. According to the company, legacy employees average $35 per hour, and newer "transitional" employees make $22 per hour.[1] Under the system that had been in place in the prior five-year contract, transitional employees received less pay and reduced benefits compared to the legacy employees, but only 30% of all employees could be classified as transitional.[3] Kellogg's, however, was seeking to remove this cap, which the union alleged would cause a majority of employees to become classified as transitional.[3] The union was opposed to these changes and also stated that the company was threatening to move some production work to Mexico if these changes were not implemented.[8][9][18] In response, Omaha, Nebraska BCTGM local president Dan Osborn said: "A lot of Americans probably don't have too much issue with the Nike or Under Armor hats being made elsewhere or even our vehicles, but when they start manufacturing our food down where they are out of the FDA control and OSHA control, I have a huge problem with that."[19] In addition, the president of BCTGM Local 3G stated that the company was seeking to remove cost-of-living adjustments and stop offering pensions to new employees.[13]

Course of the strike

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U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh with workers on strike on October 27, 2021, at the Lancaster, Pennsylvania plant

The strike began at 1:00 a.m. the next day,[4] October 5, 2021, with picketing commencing outside Kellogg's facilities.[20][21] The strike affected all four of Kellogg's American production facilities,[9] with all of them ceasing operations.[22] The same day, the company stated that they were "implementing contingency plans" to reduce supply disruptions,[9][21] with one union member stating that the company would try to bring in strikebreakers.[22] The company later clarified that they would be using "salaried employees and third-party resources" to cover for the strikers.[23][24] Additionally, Newsweek reported that whether the strike would significantly affect supply of Kellogg's products remained unclear.[25] Shortly after the start of the strike, Battle Creek Mayor Mark Behnke urged both sides to return to negotiations.[26] Speaking to HuffPost, a union spokesperson stated that while the union was not officially instituting a boycott, "supporters and consumers could certainly support the Kellogg workers and their fight for a fair contract by choosing NOT to buy Kellogg cereals while the strike is ongoing."[3] According to the union, the strike was open-ended and would continue until a new contract was agreed to.[27] On October 11, third-party contractors began to arrive at Kellogg's plants to serve as replacements for the striking workers.[28] The next day, Kellogg's issued a press release in which they clarified the "myths" and "facts" of the contract proposal and working conditions at their plants.[29] Following this, the president of Omaha's Local 50G stated that he was recommending strikers return to work for a 90-day period under the terms of the previous contract while a new contract could be ratified.[30] Despite this, a negotiator for Local 50G stated on October 13 that negotiations remained at an impasse.[31] That same day, a large rally was held near the factory that was attended by strike supporters and members of several other labor union groups, including members of the AFL–CIO's Omaha Federation of Labor.[31] The rally's speaker was the president emeritus of that federation, who had previously worked at the Kellogg's plant.[31][32] Around this same time, a photograph of a striker picketing through a torrential rainstorm in Omaha on October 12 went viral online,[32] with many sharing the image and commenting in support of the strike.[33]

On October 14, several members of the Nebraska Legislature, including Carol Blood, Megan Hunt, Mike McDonnell, and Tony Vargas, issued a press release in support of the strikers and urging Kellogg's to bargain in good faith with the union.[34] The next day, Newsweek reported that Kellogg's had released an advertisement seeking replacement workers willing to "cross the picket line" and help with production while the strike was occurring, with the ad stating, "While these are temporary positions at this time, they could lead to permanent opportunities in the future."[35]

Proposed agreement

On December 2, Kellogg's management and the BCTGM leadership announced a tentative agreement for a five-year contract, which would have raised wages by 3% for longtime workers and put in place standard wage rates for all employees ranked as "in transition", the proposition starting salaries at $22.76 for when workers are hired and receiving a $0.90 raise per year, for the 6 first years. The agreement would also give all transitional employees a promotion to legacy if they had worked for the company for 4 years, and would have included enhanced dental and vision benefits for all workers. Transitional employees would also gain additional vacation time based on their tenure with the company.[36] However, the contract would have also preserved the two-tiered wage system favored by company management, the removal of which was the primary objective of the union.

Announcement of replacement of workers

The union membership overwhelmingly rejected the tentative agreement in a December 5 vote.[37] Following the vote, on December 7, Kellogg's management announced they would seek to replace all 1,400 striking workers.[38]

Ending of strike

On December 21, about 1,400 Kellogg workers approved a collective bargaining agreement, ending the strike, which had lasted 77 days.[39][40][41]

Boycott and social media backlash

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After various calls on social media, made after the announcement that workers would be fired, a boycott was initiated.[42][43] The subreddit r/antiwork, devoted to discussions on worker exploitation by the rich and powerful, began a campaign in solidarity with striking workers to flood Kellogg's job application site when Kellogg's opened up applications to replace striking workers. Reddit users also created automated scripts and defeated attempts by Kellogg's to block automated applications.[44][45] When this made recruiting replacement workers difficult, Kellogg's switched to hiring through staffing agencies instead of direct recruitment.[46][47][48][49][50] A spokesperson for Kellogg's denied claims that the website had crashed, and said that the hiring process was "fully operational".[51] President Joe Biden raised ethical concerns over Kellogg's behavior, stating "permanently replacing striking workers is an existential attack on the union and its members' jobs and livelihoods" and that he has "long opposed permanent striker replacements and...strongly [supports] legislation that would ban that practice".[47]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Scheiber, Noam (December 7, 2021). "Kellogg Workers Prolong Strike by Rejecting Contract Proposal". The New York Times. ..veteran workers, who Kellogg has said make about $35 an hour on average, would have received a 3 percent wage increase in the first year and cost-of-living adjustments in subsequent years. Newer hires make almost $22 per hour, according to the company.
  2. ^ a b Gregg, Aaron (October 6, 2021). "Workers on strike at all of Kellogg's U.S. cereal plants". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Jamieson, Dave (October 7, 2021). "Why Kellogg's Workers Are On Strike". HuffPost. BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Buckley, Nick (October 5, 2021). "Kellogg Co. union workers strike in Battle Creek after contract expires". Battle Creek Enquirer. Gannett. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  5. ^ Bunch, Will (October 7, 2021). "A 'strike wave' is coming to save America's working class the old-fashioned way". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Blystone, TJ (December 21, 2021). "Kellogg strike ends after 11-weeks, union workers accept new labor deal". WWMT. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Boycott Kellogg's Cereals". October 6, 2021. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Paramasivam, Praveen (October 5, 2021). Ganguli, Shinjini (ed.). "Kellogg's U.S. cereal plant workers go on strike". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e Funk, Josh (October 5, 2021). "Workers at all of Kellogg's U.S. cereal plants go on strike". AP News. With contributions from Dee-Ann Durbin. Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Isidore, Chris; McLean, Rob (October 6, 2021). "Kellogg's strike: 1,400 cereal factory workers hit picket lines". CNN Business. With contributions from Danielle Wiener-Bronner. CNN. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  11. ^ Broders, Brad (October 5, 2021). "Kellogg's workers in Memphis begin strike over new hire wages and benefits, other issues". WATN-TV. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  12. ^ Krafcik, Mike (September 3, 2021). "Kellogg Company to cut 212 jobs in Battle Creek". WWMT. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c Sainato, Michael (October 7, 2021). "'Death of 1,000 cuts': Kellogg's workers on why they're striking". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  14. ^ Murillo, Ana Lucia (October 11, 2021). "Should You Boycott Kellogg Brands? Workers Strike Over Pensions, Health Care and More". Money. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  15. ^ Schweizer, Errol (October 11, 2021). "Why Are Kellogg's Workers On Strike?". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  16. ^ Waldman, Leigh (October 5, 2021). "Kellogg's workers go on strike in Omaha, other cities". WOWT. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  17. ^ Campos, Giulia (October 6, 2021). "Cereal Killer? What Kellogg's Strike Will Mean For Your Breakfast Favorites". International Business Times. IBT Media. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  18. ^ Powers, Sara (October 6, 2021). "Kellogg's Strike: More Than 1,000 Workers Protest Wages, Benefits In Battle Creek, Other Cities". WWJ-TV. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  19. ^ "Strike halts work at all Kellogg's cereal plants in US". WREG.com. October 6, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  20. ^ "Workers at Kellogg cereal factories go on strike". The New York Times. October 5, 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Press, Alex N. (October 7, 2021). "Workers at Kellogg's Cereal Plants Across the Country Are on Strike". Jacobin. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Feuer, Will (October 6, 2021). "Workers at Kellogg's US cereal plants go on nationwide strike". New York Post. News Corp. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  23. ^ Meyer, Zlati (October 7, 2021). "Kellogg's worker strike continues as cereal giant aims to 'mitigate supply disruptions'". Fast Company. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  24. ^ Shanker, Deena (October 6, 2021). "Kellogg Plans to Use Salaried Staff to Reopen Plants Amid Strike". Bloomberg News. Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  25. ^ Palmer, Ewan (October 6, 2021). "List of Kellogg products as workers go on strike". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  26. ^ Genetti, Dominic (October 6, 2021). "Kellogg cereal workers go on strike in four states". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  27. ^ Souchek, Jalyn (October 5, 2021). "Kellogg's employees in Memphis go on strike". WATN-TV. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  28. ^ Shanker, Deena (October 11, 2021). "Contractors arrive at Kellogg's plant amid strike". Crain's Detroit Business. Crain Communications. Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  29. ^ "Kellogg Company Publicly Addresses Cereal Contract Negotiations and Strike". WBTV. October 12, 2021. Archived from the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  30. ^ "'We are continuing operations with other resources': Kellogg's addresses strike in new video". KETV. October 12, 2021. Archived from the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  31. ^ a b c Waldman, Leigh (October 13, 2021). "Kellogg's strike gaining traction, support from Omaha labor unions". WOWT. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  32. ^ a b Wade, Jessica (October 14, 2021) [October 13, 2021]. "Several Omaha labor unions stand in support of strike at Kellogg cereal plant". Omaha World-Herald. Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  33. ^ Beresford, Jack (October 14, 2021). "Photo of Kellogg's worker on strike braving torrential rain on picket line goes viral". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  34. ^ Dorn, Nolan (October 14, 2021). "State Senators show support of Kellogg's employees on strike". KLKN. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  35. ^ Palmer, Ewan (October 15, 2021). "Kellogg's Ad Calls for Strike Replacement Workers "to Cross the Picket Line"". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  36. ^ "RTEC Negotiations" (PDF). RTEC Negotiations. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  37. ^ Bandur, Michelle (December 7, 2021). "No Deal: Union says it has rejected latest offer from Kellogg's". KETV. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  38. ^ "Kellogg to replace 1,400 strikers as deal is rejected". The Guardian. December 7, 2021. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  39. ^ Scheiber, Noam (December 21, 2021). "Kellogg workers ratify a revised contract after being on strike since October". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  40. ^ "Kellogg's Strike Ends: BCTGM Members Ratify New Contract". BCTGM | The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. December 21, 2021. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  41. ^ "Kellogg Company Reaches New Tentative Agreement with Union". Kellogg. December 16, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  42. ^ Langford, Marion (December 12, 2021). "Online call to boycott Kellogg's after firm replaces striking workers". news.com.au. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  43. ^ Glenn, Alex (December 12, 2021). "Kellogg's boycott called for after firm axes striking workers". Euro Weekly News. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  44. ^ Samantha Cole (December 9, 2021). "People Are Spamming Kellogg's Job Applications in Solidarity with Striking Workers". Vice. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021.
  45. ^ u/DaniTheCyberpunkGirl (December 11, 2021). "Kellogs: adds captcha to applications. My version of the bot that guy made: That sign can't stop me because I can read!". Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  46. ^ u/BloominFunions (December 9, 2021). "Apply now! Kellogg is hiring scabs online. Let's drown their union busting. Mods please sticky!". Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  47. ^ a b Alex Woodward (December 11, 2021). "A union fight at Kellogg's has drawn in TikTok, Reddit, Tony the Tiger and Joe Biden". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  48. ^ Mikael Thalen (December 9, 2021). "Kellogg flooded with fake applicants amid company's attempts to replace striking union workers". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  49. ^ u/7rj38ej (December 10, 2021). "Kellogs is now attempting to use outside agencies to hire". Reddit. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ u/tobotic (December 9, 2021). "Kellogg's Megathread (strike info, boycott, and more)". Reddit. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  51. ^ Jankowicz, Mia (December 10, 2021). "A TikToker said he wrote code to flood Kellogg with bogus job applications after the company announced it would permanently replace striking workers". Business Insider. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2021 Kellogg's strike.
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