BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — The union has stated that employees will be voting the tentative agreement on Sunday, December 5, but expect to know the results early in the week.
It has been eight weeks of striking, but Kellogg and its union workers have reached a tentative agreement.
The tentative agreement is a five-year labor contract covering 14,000 employees, according to Kellogg.
The employees included in the pending agreement work out of the U.S. cereal plants in Battle Creek, Mich., Lancaster, Penn., Memphis, Tenn., and Omaha, Neb.
The strike and weeks of negotiations were fueled by union workers wanting better pay and benefits.
According to the cereal company, the tentative agreement includes an accelerated, defined path to legacy wages and benefits for transitional employees, *and wage increases and enhanced benefits for everyone.
Tentative agreement highlights:
- Accelerated, defined path for transitional employees to legacy wages and benefits
- Wage increases for all, including:
- 3% upon ratification for legacy employees, and COLA thereafter
- Substantial increases for Transitional employees depending on years of service
- Increased pension multiplier for legacy employees
- Enhanced benefits for all employees
Throughout the strike -- we checked in with union workers who said the negotiations fight was necessary.
"We felt like we were 300 facing a company by ourselves. But we're fast finding out that there's so many people behind us," said Todd Manusos, material transfer operator at Kellogg. "Is it fun? No, but I mean, it's necessary. This fights necessary."
Kellogg has been running their plants with replacement workers -- some of whom are being hired permanently.
The negotiation committee is expected to present the plan to workers Thursday.
The tentative agreement is being voted on this upcoming Sunday, but Kellogg says we could know the results earlier than that.
