Kellogg Company workers think their new bargaining agreement is grrreat.
Workers for the Kellogg Company voted to sign a five-year contract with the company, ending an 11-week strike over a range of disputes on pay and benefits. The new agreement with the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union will enact "immediate, across the board wage increases and enhanced benefits for all" as well as "an accelerated, defined path to legacy wages and benefits for transnational employees, among other items," the company said Tuesday.
"Our striking members at Kellogg’s ready-to-eat cereal production facilities courageously stood their ground and sacrificed so much in order to achieve a fair contract. This agreement makes gains and does not include any concessions,” Anthony Shelton, president of the international union, said in a statement.
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The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union said the new agreement includes significant gains for workers. It suggested the company agreed not to shut down plants through October 2026, increase the pension multiplier, and adjust the cost of living raises mechanism.
The company appeared to corroborate some of those details in a Dec. 16 press release highlighting the tentative agreement it reached with union representatives, saying there were no "takeaways" from its workers.
Kellogg's chairman and CEO said he was "pleased" that negotiators "reached an agreement that brings our cereal employees back to work."
The monthslong labor pause that began Oct. 5 included 1,400 workers from plants in Nebraska, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The company announced plans on Dec. 8 to replace the striking workers, claiming it needed to meet its commitment to its customers, drawing sharp criticism from President Joe Biden and other top elected officials.
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With the new contract ratified, however, that will no longer happen, according to the company.
All the employees are welcome to return to work on Dec. 27, Kellogg said.