SOME Kellogg’s workers in the US state of Michigan are calling for a boycott of the multinational company’s products as their two-month strike over a contractual dispute continues.
The call comes days after bosses said they would sack some of the 1,400 involved in the industrial action as talks with the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers’ International Union, which represents the workers, stalled.
Union negotiators said they were prepared to meet the company for another round of negotiations next week but their offer was rebuffed by bosses, who claimed they were left with no choice but to permanently replace those on strike.
In an open letter on Saturday, the wife of one of the striking workers appealed for support for their plight from the public, including a boycott of Kellogg’s products for the duration of the dispute.
“This is bigger than Frosted Flakes,” she said, adding:
We have learned so much about the monster of corporate greed and the way it threatens the middle class with propaganda, outright lies, and scare tactics.
“All of this to say: please don’t buy any products made by the Kellogg’s company until they come to terms with the union who — despite what you hear the corporation say in the media — is not asking for anything more than what they need to sustain the expectations of the job, what they are owed for their skills, and what it will take to secure those things for the next generation,” the letter continued.
While the call for a boycott is not officially backed by the union, some of its members support the action.
Workers walked out on October 5 in dispute over a two-tier system and plans to implement a new contract bringing worse terms and conditions, including cuts to pensions and annual leave pay.
The Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies maker made a $1.25 billion (£0.94bn) profit last year as sales grew by 8 per cent. Chief executive Steven Cahillane received a $11.6 million (£8.69m) payout in 2020 from a stock buyback programme.