Kelloggs: "Not half of what we went out for"

Submitted by martin on 23 December, 2021 - 6:42 Author: Angela Paton
Kelloggs strike

The BCTGM union in the USA has announced that a new five-year contract at Kellogs has been ratified, ending a nearly-three-month long strike by workers.

The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco workers & Grain Millers union have signalled this as a win, saying there is a “clear path to regular, full time employment” for transitional workers; but evidence shows that the deal and the democracy surrounding the deal are very much flawed.

The contract ratified is virtually the same as the one workers rejected three weeks ago, and will cost Kelloggs no more than the ones workers previously rejected. It continues a two-tier wage system and most dangerously removes the caps on the number of “transitional” workers that Kelloggs can hire. In return workers get only a small wage increase, in the first year only, for legacy first tier workers, plus only cost of living adjustments for the remaining 4 years.

Transitional workers, even according to Kelloggs, will take six years to get to first tier status. All this could be moot, considering the union could sell out workers at the next contract negotiations in five years.

The union leaders have shown a shocking disregard for democracy and for their members, by refusing to publish vote totals, turnout and the margin of victory, saying only that it was “close”. The ratification process is ripe for corruption and ballot rigging according to those inside the union, where ballots carried out on Monday and Tuesday were shipped to the union HQ in Maryland for counting, out of view of the workers. Most unions count ballots at local union halls in front of their members.

BCTGM shut down local Facebook pages to prevent workers discussing the contract or organising opposition. According to some workers at Battle Creek, Michigan, who say they were sold out and that “we didn't get half of what we went out for”, that is only one of many questionable tactics.

The BCTGM has declared national and local assets in excess of $72 million, but paid a paltry $105 a week to strikers. (Even the United Auto Workers paid striking John Deere workers $215 a week.)

Allegations of racism have come to light, where union officials have publicly conducted an anti-Mexican campaign, using racist comments, to urge Kelloggs to close a plant in Mexico.

All of this is part of a wider picture in American labor unions, whose leaderships are not representative of their members, and democracy is often absent across union structures. Union officials ram through deals workers don’t want after cosying up to management.

The continued implications for workers in the US will be very apparent in 2022, with several huge contracts up for negotiation, not to mention the hundreds of local agreements, where several thousand workers in each workplace are affected.

The largest contract in the US is due up next year, in UPS, the United Postal Service, where the Teamsters represent 350,000 members. The continued push by Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) on the back of their recent electoral successes within the Teamsters will be key to getting UPS workers a fair deal.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) has an important convention. Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) are mobilising for it in the wake of their recent 61% referendum success in getting one member, one vote to elect officials.

The Teamsters have committed to organising in Amazon in 2022.

We should publicise the democracy campaigns of American unions, such as UAWD and TDU, and work with grass roots rank and file members to help them in practical ways if possible.

American socialists and trade unionists will have to be ready to step up and intervene in the inevitable disputes that will arise in 2022 across the US, providing ideological and practical support. They should also be exerting pressure on the anti democratic and in many cases corrupt leaderships to actually fight for their members, instead of bullying and harrassing of their own members, and ramming through contracts that benefit the companies, not the workers.

As socialists, we should be offering international solidarity with workers across the US and call for democratisation of their unions, publicising attempts of the rank and file to organise.

The Kelloggs strikers have shown courage in taking on a huge multinational company. But what they've won was far, far from the victory their union makes it out to be.

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.