Striking Kellogg workers reject deal, company plans to permanently replace them

In response to the company’s announcement, people have been spamming Kellogg’s application portal in solidarity with the strikers

December 10, 2021 by Monica Cruz
A striking Kellogg worker at the plant in Battle Creek, Michigan. Photo: Twitter

Around 1,400 striking workers at Kellogg Co. voted to reject the latest contract offer from the company. After weeks of threats, the company announced that it has no plans to further negotiate the contract and will permanently replace the workers and has already posted job offers.

In response, people across the internet are spamming the Kellogg’s job portal in solidarity with the striking workers. In a Reddit post, user BloominFunions posted instructions on how to submit a fake application to each of the four production plants.

A TikToker named Sean Black created a script to autocomplete the application, making spamming even easier. Another Reddit user HeyHoLetsGo615 created a program to submit applications using bogus information.

The original post states, “It’s time to clog their toilet of an application pipeline.”

It also calls out how the company is blatantly calling for ‘scabbing’ in its job post which reads: “The Unions representing Kellogg employees in these plants are on strike, and we are looking for employees to permanently replace them, joining hundreds of Kellogg salaried employees, hourly employees, and contractors to keep the lines running.”

The workers, represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), have been on strike since October 5.

A summary of the new agreement by the company states that it would have moved all employees with four or more years at Kellogg into the veteran tier. A small group of lower-tier employees would move into the veteran tier in each year of the contract.

The BCTGM says that members “overwhelmingly voted” to reject the offer, nonetheless.

In addition to the two-tier system, workers are fighting for better pay, less hours and improved benefits.

In a statement, the union’s International President Anthony Shelton said, “The members have spoken. The strike continues.”

He continued, “The BCTGM is grateful for the outpouring of fraternal support we received from across the labor movement for our striking members at Kellogg’s. Solidarity is critical to this fight.”

Monica Cruz is a reporter with US-based media outlet Breakthrough News.