by Sloan T. Wilson, The Chicago Times
October 6, 2021
BATTLE CREEK, MI — Kellogg Company’s 1,400 cereal plant workers in the U.S. walked out on strike Tuesday in the United States grinding cereal production to a halt. Supply experts question if cereal products will join the list of growing supply shortages now spreading across the nation under the Biden administration.
According to Daniel Osborn, president of the local union in Omaha, the union and the Battle Creek-based corporation have been at odds for some time over the usual employee-employer concerns of wages and benefits. Kellogg management has communicated increased interest to move production to Mexico where labor is cheaper and less combative.
Kellogg has offered employees earning an average of $120,000 per year a reasonable raise in salaries and benefits.
As a result of the strike Kellogg will most likely hire non-union workers to fill in gaps to limit supply interruptions as best as possible. One benefit to hiring nonunion workers would allow Kellogg to lower prices to compete with bitter rival General Mills. Lower prices would of course be a benefit to consumers now suffering from rising inflation.
The Chicago Times 