Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will rally with striking Kellogg's workers in Battle Creek, Michigan on December 17, 2021. (Image: Bernie Sanders/Twitter)
Dec 14, 2021
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday that he will travel to Battle Creek, Michigan later this week to rally with striking Kellogg's workers as the company's management attempts to permanently replace the 1,400 employees who walked off the job in October to protect their benefits from deep cuts.
"Kellogg's workers made the company billions during a pandemic by working 12-hour shifts, some for more than 100 days in a row. But Kellogg's is now choosing corporate greed over the workers they once called 'heroes,'" tweeted Sanders, chair of the Senate Budget Committee. "On Friday, I'm going to Michigan to stand with the workers."
According to Sanders' office, the rally is scheduled to take place at 3 pm ET at Battle Creek Farmers Market.
"Kellogg's is a company that is worth tens of billions of dollars. They paid their CEO over $11 million last year," Sanders said over the weekend. "Let's stand with the workers."
\u201cKellogg's workers made the company BILLIONS during a pandemic by working 12-hour shifts, some for more than 100 days in a row. But Kellogg's is now choosing corporate greed over the workers they once called \u201cheroes.\u201d\n\nOn Friday, I\u2019m going to Michigan to stand with the workers.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1639503047
Last week, Kellogg's confirmed that it plans to replace the cereal plant workers still on strike in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee after a majority of the employees voted to reject the latest contract proposal negotiated by company management and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM).
The union has accused Kellogg Company's management of threatening to send jobs to Mexico in retaliation for the strike, an allegation the company denies.
"The members have spoken. The strike continues," Anthony Shelton, international president of the BCTGM, said in a statement following the contract vote. "The International Union will continue to provide full support to our striking Kellogg's members."
The profitable corporation's plan to replace workers who are striking in a bid to stop cuts to their retirement benefits and other management proposals has drawn widespread condemnation, including from Sanders and President Joe Biden.
"Permanently replacing striking workers is an existential attack on the union and its members' jobs and livelihoods. I have long opposed permanent striker replacements and I strongly support legislation that would ban that practice," Biden said on Friday in a statement, referring to the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
"Such action undermines the critical role collective bargaining plays in providing workers a voice and the opportunity to improve their lives while contributing fully to their employer's success," Biden continued. "Unions built the middle class of this country. My unyielding support for unions includes support for collective bargaining, and I will aggressively defend both."
Shelton of BCTGM welcomed Biden's remarks, declaring that they reinforced "the position our Kellogg members have taken."
"They will not be bullied at the negotiating table and are ready to bargain a fair and just contract that rewards them for their hard work and does not sell out future generations of Kellogg employees," Shelton added.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday that he will travel to Battle Creek, Michigan later this week to rally with striking Kellogg's workers as the company's management attempts to permanently replace the 1,400 employees who walked off the job in October to protect their benefits from deep cuts.
"Kellogg's workers made the company billions during a pandemic by working 12-hour shifts, some for more than 100 days in a row. But Kellogg's is now choosing corporate greed over the workers they once called 'heroes,'" tweeted Sanders, chair of the Senate Budget Committee. "On Friday, I'm going to Michigan to stand with the workers."
According to Sanders' office, the rally is scheduled to take place at 3 pm ET at Battle Creek Farmers Market.
"Kellogg's is a company that is worth tens of billions of dollars. They paid their CEO over $11 million last year," Sanders said over the weekend. "Let's stand with the workers."
\u201cKellogg's workers made the company BILLIONS during a pandemic by working 12-hour shifts, some for more than 100 days in a row. But Kellogg's is now choosing corporate greed over the workers they once called \u201cheroes.\u201d\n\nOn Friday, I\u2019m going to Michigan to stand with the workers.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1639503047
Last week, Kellogg's confirmed that it plans to replace the cereal plant workers still on strike in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee after a majority of the employees voted to reject the latest contract proposal negotiated by company management and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM).
The union has accused Kellogg Company's management of threatening to send jobs to Mexico in retaliation for the strike, an allegation the company denies.
"The members have spoken. The strike continues," Anthony Shelton, international president of the BCTGM, said in a statement following the contract vote. "The International Union will continue to provide full support to our striking Kellogg's members."
The profitable corporation's plan to replace workers who are striking in a bid to stop cuts to their retirement benefits and other management proposals has drawn widespread condemnation, including from Sanders and President Joe Biden.
"Permanently replacing striking workers is an existential attack on the union and its members' jobs and livelihoods. I have long opposed permanent striker replacements and I strongly support legislation that would ban that practice," Biden said on Friday in a statement, referring to the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
"Such action undermines the critical role collective bargaining plays in providing workers a voice and the opportunity to improve their lives while contributing fully to their employer's success," Biden continued. "Unions built the middle class of this country. My unyielding support for unions includes support for collective bargaining, and I will aggressively defend both."
Shelton of BCTGM welcomed Biden's remarks, declaring that they reinforced "the position our Kellogg members have taken."
"They will not be bullied at the negotiating table and are ready to bargain a fair and just contract that rewards them for their hard work and does not sell out future generations of Kellogg employees," Shelton added.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday that he will travel to Battle Creek, Michigan later this week to rally with striking Kellogg's workers as the company's management attempts to permanently replace the 1,400 employees who walked off the job in October to protect their benefits from deep cuts.
"Kellogg's workers made the company billions during a pandemic by working 12-hour shifts, some for more than 100 days in a row. But Kellogg's is now choosing corporate greed over the workers they once called 'heroes,'" tweeted Sanders, chair of the Senate Budget Committee. "On Friday, I'm going to Michigan to stand with the workers."
According to Sanders' office, the rally is scheduled to take place at 3 pm ET at Battle Creek Farmers Market.
"Kellogg's is a company that is worth tens of billions of dollars. They paid their CEO over $11 million last year," Sanders said over the weekend. "Let's stand with the workers."
\u201cKellogg's workers made the company BILLIONS during a pandemic by working 12-hour shifts, some for more than 100 days in a row. But Kellogg's is now choosing corporate greed over the workers they once called \u201cheroes.\u201d\n\nOn Friday, I\u2019m going to Michigan to stand with the workers.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1639503047
Last week, Kellogg's confirmed that it plans to replace the cereal plant workers still on strike in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee after a majority of the employees voted to reject the latest contract proposal negotiated by company management and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM).
The union has accused Kellogg Company's management of threatening to send jobs to Mexico in retaliation for the strike, an allegation the company denies.
"The members have spoken. The strike continues," Anthony Shelton, international president of the BCTGM, said in a statement following the contract vote. "The International Union will continue to provide full support to our striking Kellogg's members."
The profitable corporation's plan to replace workers who are striking in a bid to stop cuts to their retirement benefits and other management proposals has drawn widespread condemnation, including from Sanders and President Joe Biden.
"Permanently replacing striking workers is an existential attack on the union and its members' jobs and livelihoods. I have long opposed permanent striker replacements and I strongly support legislation that would ban that practice," Biden said on Friday in a statement, referring to the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
"Such action undermines the critical role collective bargaining plays in providing workers a voice and the opportunity to improve their lives while contributing fully to their employer's success," Biden continued. "Unions built the middle class of this country. My unyielding support for unions includes support for collective bargaining, and I will aggressively defend both."
Shelton of BCTGM welcomed Biden's remarks, declaring that they reinforced "the position our Kellogg members have taken."
"They will not be bullied at the negotiating table and are ready to bargain a fair and just contract that rewards them for their hard work and does not sell out future generations of Kellogg employees," Shelton added.
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