Kellogg Union Rejects Contract, Cereal Company Will Hire New Workers

Dec. 7, 2021, 3:33 p.m. ·

Workers outside the factory hold up signs that say "On Strike," "Equal Pay, Equal Benefits for all"
Omaha Kellogg workers on strike on Oct. 27. (Photo Courtesy Kellogg Union Members Appreciation Page)

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Union workers at cereal maker Kellogg have “overwhelmingly” rejected a tentative deal on a five-year contract. The company said they now have no choice but to hire new workers.

About 1,400 Kellogg workers in Nebraska, Michigan, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania have been on strike for two months.

Dan Osborn, president of the Local 50G Union in Omaha, Nebraska, said workers may have rejected the deal because the cereal maker did not remove the existing pay and benefits system that is not as generous to newer workers.

"Ultimately, that tentative agreement was voted down because it doesn't provide enough security for our future," Osborn said. "We don't want to leave anybody behind.”

In a statement, the company said the union had created "unrealistic expectations for our employees."