Kellogg Will Replace Striking Employees Permanently

Bad news for striking employees at Kellogg. The company has said that it will permanently replace striking employees as workers reject a new contract.

A majority of its U.S. cereal plant workers have voted against a new five-year contract, the company announced. 1,400 union workers have been on strike since October 5, when their contracts expired.

Kellogg said there are no further negotiations scheduled and it had no plans to meet with the union.

The company has been forced to hire permanent replacements as employees extend a strike that started more than two months ago.

Temporary replacements have already been working at the company’s cereal plants in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

“Interest in the (permanent replacement) roles has been strong at all four plants, as expected. We expect some of the new hires to start with the company very soon,” Kellogg spokesperson Kris Bahner said.

The company said “unrealistic expectations” created by the union meant none of its six offers, including the latest one that was put to vote came to fruition. The latest one had proposed wage increases and allowed all transitional employees with four or more years of service to move to legacy positions,

“They have made a ‘clear path’ – but while it is clear – it is too long and not fair to many,” union member Jeffrey Jens said.

Politicians like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have backed the union, while many customers have said they are boycotting Kellogg’s products.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.