9 ms·

11-week Kellogg’s strike to end after multi-year agreement reached

82 points by batmaniam 5y ago

grosswait 5y ago
I guess we’ll see in 5 years how this worked out for both sides.
Flankk 5y ago
Last I read Kellogg's was replacing all 1400 of them. So the union gave up, in other words. Edit: Here is the source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/07/kellogg-strike-workers-pay https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/07/kellogg-stri...
- batmaniam 5y ago
  What? Where did you read that? The worker's union won, with full concessions from management, and with nearly all of the employees hired back. The new employees Kellogg tried to hire to replace the striking workers failed miserably. They didn't have enough workers with domain knowledge to run the plants; the new workers caused the company more money than they saved: > Small fire at Kellogg’s Plant in Lancaster, striking continues in week 11 https://www.abc27.com/news/local/small-fire-at-kelloggs-plant-in-east-hempfield-township/ https://www.abc27.com/news/local/small-fire-at-kelloggs-plan... > UPDATE: Efforts to replace striking Kellogg's workers has been disastrous, workers tell us. Scabs wreaked havoc on the factory, most cereals are not being produced, and a delivery train went off the track yesterday. https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1469417376231866375?t=YBXJnSneWFfYX-U3rcgApA&s=19 https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1469417376231866375... Management yields 100% to workers, all demands met: > Highlights of the new five-year collective bargaining agreement: • No take aways; No concessions • No permanent two-tier system • A clear path to regular full-time employment • Plant closing moratorium: No plant shut downs through October 2026 • A significant increase in the pension multiplier • Maintenance of cost of living raises > https://bctgm.org/2021/12/21/kelloggs-strike-ends-bctgm-members-ratify-new-contract/ https://bctgm.org/2021/12/21/kelloggs-strike-ends-bctgm-memb... Please post your source that said the Union gave up. There's no way to misinterpret this outcome at all; they clearly won.
  - matheweis 5y ago
    I had also read a few weeks back that Kellogg intended to hire permanent replacements for those on strike. Seems that must not have worked out too well for them... > The Kellogg Company announced Tuesday [Dec 12] that a majority of its U.S. workers have voted against a proposed five-year contract and that the company would hire permanent replacements for the employees who went on strike https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062240467/kellogg-to-hire-replacements-for-striking-workers-who-rejected-a-proposed-contra https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062240467/kellogg-to-hire-re...
    - jessaustin 5y ago
      It seems corporate PR isn't made any more reliable by passing through NPR...
    - KittenInABox 5y ago
      My understanding is that proposed contract that was being rejected was being rejected because it created a perpetual underclass of juniors who would've had less benefits. The union was supporting the striking workers by rejecting the contract in order to ensure all their members are treated fairly.
    - ceejayoz 5y ago
      People flooded the online job application with bullshit. https://www.npr.org/2021/12/10/1063112624/redditors-spam-kelloggs-job-portal-striking-workers-union https://www.npr.org/2021/12/10/1063112624/redditors-spam-kel...
      - throwawaysea 5y ago
        This type of action should be illegal. I see it more and more, including spamming political event registrations and things like that. It just doesn’t seem ethical, and gives me cartel vibes.
        runnerup 5y ago
- genocidicbunny 5y ago
  You were actually correct on the first part -- as part of their attempt to bust the strike, Kellogg's attempted to replace all of the striking workers, and technically they did. Critically, the striking workers weren't fired and are thus able to come back to their jobs without any problems. But the union absolutely did not give up -- they can't really control if the company brings in scabs. In the end though, the union won and got everything they were asking for, including giving back the jobs to the strikers.
- notatoad 5y ago
  You're being downvoted because you're commenting on an article from today, December 21, and claiming that the information in an article from December 8 somehow supercedes it. "the last you read" is outdated information. The article linked at the top of this page contains up-to-date information.
  - Flankk 5y ago
rmason 5y ago
The strike has been big news here in Michigan. It's generally seen as a huge victory for the union. With over time the average cereal worker makes $120,000 a year. The union has encouraged workers to vote yes on the latest offer. But opponents brought in Senator Bernie Sanders for a big rally to encourage a no vote and it looks like they were unsuccessful. It also doesn't just effect cereal. I'm a fan of Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls that have been extremely hard to find. Turns out they're owned by Kellogg's now and were a part of the strike.
- runnerup 5y ago
  s/effect/affect
  - kingofpandora 5y ago
    I like finding cases where both effect and affect are interchangeable, as in they create logical sentences but with different meanings. > effect (verb): cause (something) to happen; bring about. "It [the union] doesn't just effect cereal. It also effects Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls." I'll give this one a C-.
    - germinalphrase 5y ago
      More commonly, effect is used as a noun while affect is used as a verb.
      - kingofpandora 5y ago
        That's the challenge.
    - runnerup 5y ago
      I think this definition of 'effect' as a verb has some extra nuance in real usage that isn't entirely captured by the dictionary definition. Generally you'll see it used as "[actor] effects [intangible/ephemeral noun]", rather than "[actor] effects [physical object noun]". "Trees effect oranges." would generally not be considered proper English, despite meeting the dictionary definition. Sometimes it's important to use the most(-ly) correct word, rather than merely a correct word. In both cases, "produce" would work much better: "Trees produce oranges". "It [the union] doesn't just produce cereal. It also produces Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls." produce (verb): make or manufacture from components or raw materials. I agree with the C- though! It's certainly not entirely wrong. And a really fun opportunity to talk about effect as a verb!
sydthrowaway 5y ago
Why isnt this factory completely automated
- dougmwne 5y ago
  After all the blowback Kellogg got over this strike, that question is certainly being asked. The reality of course is that there are limits to automation, at least currently.
- CamperBob2 5y ago
  Safe to say they're working on it.
- spamizbad 5y ago
  Because it's actually an extremely difficult problem to solve. Also: it will likely require many recipes to change dramatically to be appropriately viscous etc. Changing recipes carries a massive market risk. If I buy a box of Corn Flakes I expect it taste like Corn Flakes; not something adjusted to meet an automated process.
  - google234123 5y ago
    > If I buy a box of Corn Flakes I expect it taste like Corn Flakes Machines are much better at producing uniform things than humans. Not sure what "magic" you think that humans can bring to a baking process.
    - spamizbad 5y ago
      Yes but changes in the baking process or recipe will impact flavor. So for automation to replace the humans your automation has to be compatible with the existing recipe. If it's not, and requires a recipe adjustment, you're likely going to see a change in flavor that consumers will probably reject. Products developed with automation from day-one do not have that problem, but Kellogg's value is locked into existing products. Automation is not "Do the exact same thing the exact same way a person would do it, but with a machine." You adapt your product to facilitate the manufacturing process. That's how stuff gets automated.
chrisseaton 5y ago
Main bit I don't understand is who is eating cereal anymore? Literally don't think I've seen someone eat a bowl of cereal in twenty years.
- jimt1234 5y ago
  I eat cereal almost every day. The only thing that's changed since I was a kid is the type of cereal. It used to be Trix and Froot Loops, then it was Honey Nut Cheerios, now it's Bob's Red Mill Homestyle Granola.
- codsane 5y ago
  Kellogg’s sells a lot more than just cereal: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Kellogg%27s_brands https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Kellogg%27s_brands
- missedthecue 5y ago
  They do over a billion dollars in sales every month. Post does a $2 billion per quarter, General Mills does $5 billion a quarter So a lot of people are eating cereal it seems.
- blamazon 5y ago
  In that period have you seen someone eat Cheez-Its, Pop-Tarts, or Pringles? These are also Kellogg’s brands.
  - chrisseaton 5y ago
    Not seem a Pop-Tart in about a decade. Doesn't really fit modern ideas of diets. Pringles I've seen at a few parties.
    - bumblebritches5 5y ago
- silisili 5y ago
  I used to think the same thing, but realized I just got older. I don't know your experience, but we grew up low middle class at best and ate tons of cereal. Now that I'm older and more affluent, I guess I don't personally know anyone who really eats it anymore. But I also don't really know many kids, either. I assume it's still selling, supermarkets aren't dumb enough to devote an entire aisle to something nobody is buying.
forgotmyoldacc 5y ago
It's interesting that it's known as the "Kellogg's strike", when the union is "The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers’ International Union", encompassing a lot more than Kellogg. My guess is that having tobacco workers in the name would cause fewer people to support the strike.
- WaxProlix 5y ago
  I assumed it was because it was mostly(all?) Kellogg's employees who were striking, and not other (or all) BCTWGMIU members.
- ryathal 5y ago
  It wasn't a general strike. When GM workers were on strike a while ago it wasn't a UAW strike either because the UAW was still working everywhere else.
tcmart14 5y ago
A reference for those who think the strike was just about pay and hours. A large portion of it was about the two-tier system. [1] [1] https://omahadailyrecord.com/content/kellogg%E2%80%99s-union-rejects-deal-kept-2-tier-system https://omahadailyrecord.com/content/kellogg%E2%80%99s-union...
sys_64738 5y ago
I'm down to my last box of Rice Krispies so this is great news. Didn't fancy eating the disgusting generic Krispy Rice supermarket's own brand again.

82 points by batmaniam 5y ago

I guess we’ll see in 5 years how this worked out for both sides.

Last I read Kellogg's was replacing all 1400 of them. So the union gave up, in other words. Edit: Here is the source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/07/kellogg-strike-workers-pay https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/07/kellogg-stri...

batmaniam 5y ago
What? Where did you read that? The worker's union won, with full concessions from management, and with nearly all of the employees hired back. The new employees Kellogg tried to hire to replace the striking workers failed miserably. They didn't have enough workers with domain knowledge to run the plants; the new workers caused the company more money than they saved: > Small fire at Kellogg’s Plant in Lancaster, striking continues in week 11 https://www.abc27.com/news/local/small-fire-at-kelloggs-plant-in-east-hempfield-township/ https://www.abc27.com/news/local/small-fire-at-kelloggs-plan... > UPDATE: Efforts to replace striking Kellogg's workers has been disastrous, workers tell us. Scabs wreaked havoc on the factory, most cereals are not being produced, and a delivery train went off the track yesterday. https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1469417376231866375?t=YBXJnSneWFfYX-U3rcgApA&s=19 https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1469417376231866375... Management yields 100% to workers, all demands met: > Highlights of the new five-year collective bargaining agreement: • No take aways; No concessions • No permanent two-tier system • A clear path to regular full-time employment • Plant closing moratorium: No plant shut downs through October 2026 • A significant increase in the pension multiplier • Maintenance of cost of living raises > https://bctgm.org/2021/12/21/kelloggs-strike-ends-bctgm-members-ratify-new-contract/ https://bctgm.org/2021/12/21/kelloggs-strike-ends-bctgm-memb... Please post your source that said the Union gave up. There's no way to misinterpret this outcome at all; they clearly won.
- matheweis 5y ago
  I had also read a few weeks back that Kellogg intended to hire permanent replacements for those on strike. Seems that must not have worked out too well for them... > The Kellogg Company announced Tuesday [Dec 12] that a majority of its U.S. workers have voted against a proposed five-year contract and that the company would hire permanent replacements for the employees who went on strike https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062240467/kellogg-to-hire-replacements-for-striking-workers-who-rejected-a-proposed-contra https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062240467/kellogg-to-hire-re...
  - jessaustin 5y ago
    It seems corporate PR isn't made any more reliable by passing through NPR...
  - KittenInABox 5y ago
    My understanding is that proposed contract that was being rejected was being rejected because it created a perpetual underclass of juniors who would've had less benefits. The union was supporting the striking workers by rejecting the contract in order to ensure all their members are treated fairly.
  - ceejayoz 5y ago
    People flooded the online job application with bullshit. https://www.npr.org/2021/12/10/1063112624/redditors-spam-kelloggs-job-portal-striking-workers-union https://www.npr.org/2021/12/10/1063112624/redditors-spam-kel...
    - throwawaysea 5y ago
      This type of action should be illegal. I see it more and more, including spamming political event registrations and things like that. It just doesn’t seem ethical, and gives me cartel vibes.
      - runnerup 5y ago
genocidicbunny 5y ago
You were actually correct on the first part -- as part of their attempt to bust the strike, Kellogg's attempted to replace all of the striking workers, and technically they did. Critically, the striking workers weren't fired and are thus able to come back to their jobs without any problems. But the union absolutely did not give up -- they can't really control if the company brings in scabs. In the end though, the union won and got everything they were asking for, including giving back the jobs to the strikers.
notatoad 5y ago
You're being downvoted because you're commenting on an article from today, December 21, and claiming that the information in an article from December 8 somehow supercedes it. "the last you read" is outdated information. The article linked at the top of this page contains up-to-date information.
- Flankk 5y ago

rmason 5y ago

The strike has been big news here in Michigan. It's generally seen as a huge victory for the union. With over time the average cereal worker makes $120,000 a year. The union has encouraged workers to vote yes on the latest offer. But opponents brought in Senator Bernie Sanders for a big rally to encourage a no vote and it looks like they were unsuccessful. It also doesn't just effect cereal. I'm a fan of Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls that have been extremely hard to find. Turns out they're owned by Kellogg's now and were a part of the strike.

runnerup 5y ago
s/effect/affect
- kingofpandora 5y ago
  I like finding cases where both effect and affect are interchangeable, as in they create logical sentences but with different meanings. > effect (verb): cause (something) to happen; bring about. "It [the union] doesn't just effect cereal. It also effects Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls." I'll give this one a C-.
  - germinalphrase 5y ago
    More commonly, effect is used as a noun while affect is used as a verb.
    - kingofpandora 5y ago
      That's the challenge.
  - runnerup 5y ago
    I think this definition of 'effect' as a verb has some extra nuance in real usage that isn't entirely captured by the dictionary definition. Generally you'll see it used as "[actor] effects [intangible/ephemeral noun]", rather than "[actor] effects [physical object noun]". "Trees effect oranges." would generally not be considered proper English, despite meeting the dictionary definition. Sometimes it's important to use the most(-ly) correct word, rather than merely a correct word. In both cases, "produce" would work much better: "Trees produce oranges". "It [the union] doesn't just produce cereal. It also produces Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls." produce (verb): make or manufacture from components or raw materials. I agree with the C- though! It's certainly not entirely wrong. And a really fun opportunity to talk about effect as a verb!

sydthrowaway 5y ago

Why isnt this factory completely automated

dougmwne 5y ago
After all the blowback Kellogg got over this strike, that question is certainly being asked. The reality of course is that there are limits to automation, at least currently.
CamperBob2 5y ago
Safe to say they're working on it.
spamizbad 5y ago
Because it's actually an extremely difficult problem to solve. Also: it will likely require many recipes to change dramatically to be appropriately viscous etc. Changing recipes carries a massive market risk. If I buy a box of Corn Flakes I expect it taste like Corn Flakes; not something adjusted to meet an automated process.
- google234123 5y ago
  > If I buy a box of Corn Flakes I expect it taste like Corn Flakes Machines are much better at producing uniform things than humans. Not sure what "magic" you think that humans can bring to a baking process.
  - spamizbad 5y ago
    Yes but changes in the baking process or recipe will impact flavor. So for automation to replace the humans your automation has to be compatible with the existing recipe. If it's not, and requires a recipe adjustment, you're likely going to see a change in flavor that consumers will probably reject. Products developed with automation from day-one do not have that problem, but Kellogg's value is locked into existing products. Automation is not "Do the exact same thing the exact same way a person would do it, but with a machine." You adapt your product to facilitate the manufacturing process. That's how stuff gets automated.

chrisseaton 5y ago

Main bit I don't understand is who is eating cereal anymore? Literally don't think I've seen someone eat a bowl of cereal in twenty years.

jimt1234 5y ago
I eat cereal almost every day. The only thing that's changed since I was a kid is the type of cereal. It used to be Trix and Froot Loops, then it was Honey Nut Cheerios, now it's Bob's Red Mill Homestyle Granola.
codsane 5y ago
Kellogg’s sells a lot more than just cereal: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Kellogg%27s_brands https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Kellogg%27s_brands
missedthecue 5y ago
They do over a billion dollars in sales every month. Post does a $2 billion per quarter, General Mills does $5 billion a quarter So a lot of people are eating cereal it seems.
blamazon 5y ago
In that period have you seen someone eat Cheez-Its, Pop-Tarts, or Pringles? These are also Kellogg’s brands.
- chrisseaton 5y ago
  Not seem a Pop-Tart in about a decade. Doesn't really fit modern ideas of diets. Pringles I've seen at a few parties.
  - bumblebritches5 5y ago
silisili 5y ago
I used to think the same thing, but realized I just got older. I don't know your experience, but we grew up low middle class at best and ate tons of cereal. Now that I'm older and more affluent, I guess I don't personally know anyone who really eats it anymore. But I also don't really know many kids, either. I assume it's still selling, supermarkets aren't dumb enough to devote an entire aisle to something nobody is buying.

forgotmyoldacc 5y ago

It's interesting that it's known as the "Kellogg's strike", when the union is "The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers’ International Union", encompassing a lot more than Kellogg. My guess is that having tobacco workers in the name would cause fewer people to support the strike.

WaxProlix 5y ago
I assumed it was because it was mostly(all?) Kellogg's employees who were striking, and not other (or all) BCTWGMIU members.
ryathal 5y ago
It wasn't a general strike. When GM workers were on strike a while ago it wasn't a UAW strike either because the UAW was still working everywhere else.

tcmart14 5y ago

A reference for those who think the strike was just about pay and hours. A large portion of it was about the two-tier system. [1] [1] https://omahadailyrecord.com/content/kellogg%E2%80%99s-union-rejects-deal-kept-2-tier-system https://omahadailyrecord.com/content/kellogg%E2%80%99s-union...

sys_64738 5y ago

I'm down to my last box of Rice Krispies so this is great news. Didn't fancy eating the disgusting generic Krispy Rice supermarket's own brand again.