The Kellogg Company has filed a lawsuit against a local union in Omaha, alleging that some of its members are blocking access to its cereal mill and threatening its replacement workers.
While employees picket outside the facility, the Michigan-based company petitioned a judge to compel the Omaha chapter of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union to stop interfering with its operations. Workers at Omaha and three other Kellogg's cereal mills in the United States have been on strike since October 5.
Around 1,400 Kellogg's employees are on strike at four of its factories in Battle Creek, Omaha, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee, which produce all of Kellogg's cereal brands, including Frosted Flakes and Apple Jacks.
According to the company, all of the factories' production has been restarted with salaried staff and outside labor, and the plants are already employing new personnel.
Kellogg's spokesperson, Kris Bahner, said that while they respect the rights of the employees to protest, their recent actions are now endangering the safety of other workers on the plant. Kellogg's claimed that union members have repeatedly been blocking the plant's entrance and its trucks can no longer enter and leave the facility.
In its lawsuit, the company claimed that protesters have also threatened the lives of the people that have chosen to continue working at the plant. In one instance, the company claims that one union member threatened to assault one worker's wife and young children.
Two days of contract negotiations earlier this month resulted in a deadlock. Kellogg's initiated a public relations effort earlier this week to persuade workers to accept its newest offer after the union refused to put it to a vote. However, the company said on Thursday that its offer to the union had expired and that no further negotiations were planned.
The head of labor relations at Kellogg's, Ken Hurley, said they have already made every attempt to reach a consensus with the workers, but all their offers have so far been rejected. Hurley said the union has continued to make "unrealistic demands." He added that the company is now calling on the union to reconsider getting back on the bargaining table to come up with a new agreement.
Aside from Kellogg's strike, over 10,000 Deere employees are still on strike after rejecting two offers from the tractor manufacturer.
Employees are also less ready to compromise this year after working long hours to keep up with demand during the coronavirus outbreak during the previous 18 months.
