Bernie Sanders to visit Battle Creek to stand with striking Kellogg Co. workers
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Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont and two-time presidential candidate, will visit Battle Creek to hold a rally in support of striking union workers at Kellogg Co.
The rally is planned for 3 p.m. Friday at Festival Market Square in downtown Battle Creek, across the street from Kellogg's World Headquarters.
On Oct. 28, Sanders and six of his colleagues sent a letter to Kellogg Co. CEO Steve Cahillane in support of the workers who have been on strike since Oct. 5.
"Over the past several weeks, we have been closely following the efforts of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers (BCTGM) workers who have gone on strike at the Kellogg’s cereal plants in Battle Creek, Omaha, Lancaster, and Memphis," the senators wrote. "We write you today to express our strong support for their goals and to express our sincere hope that a fair contract will be reached as soon as possible between the Kellogg Company and BCTGM."
On Dec. 10, President Joe Biden released an official statement condemning the company's plan to hire permanent replacement workers.
MORE: Biden admonishes Kellogg Co. for plan to replace striking workers
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Some 1,400 workers at the company's cereal plants walked off the job following the expiration of a one-year extension of their contract, demanding better wages and benefits.
The strike has centered on the company's two-tiered compensation structure agreed upon in 2015 under which employees are divided between "legacy" and "transitional" workers. The transitional workers are newer employees who receive lower wages and fewer benefits than their veteran colleagues.
Following several rounds of bargaining, Kellogg Co. and the BCTGM negotiating committee reached a tentative agreement. But union workers "overwhelmingly" voted against the tentative agreement on Dec. 5.
The last nationwide walkout among Kellogg's cereal makers was in 1972 and lasted 21 days.
Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Bernie Sanders to visit Battle Creek to rally with striking Kellogg's workers
