(NewsNation Now) — After more than three weeks of a worker strike at Kellogg Co., the effects have started to trickle down to local shelves.
“You can’t buy what you want, that’s for sure,” said one local shopper. “I don’t like it. I wish it was all there.”
Workers at Kellogg’s are now entering day 23 of their strike and, “Morale continues to be strong on this picket line,” according to NewsNation reporter Kelsey Kernstine.
Nearly 300 workers at the Kellogg plant in Memphis went on strike earlier this month. The major points of contention: Pay for the newer workers, as they could see a $13 an hour decrease. There’s also the threat of newer employees having to pay more for benefits.
Kernstine spoke to a consumer expert who said local shops are the first to see shortages at the grocery store, but if a deal is not made in the next five weeks, we could see a national shortage of Kellogg’s cereal.
“It’s going to get tight pretty soon,” the consumer expert said of empty cereal aisles possibly becoming the new normal.
But union workers aren’t backing down.
“I’d rather find a second job than cross a picket line for my union members,” said one striking Kellogg’s worker, while holding her young child. “The solidarity is way more important than just walking across the line and going to work.”
Striking workers say they will continue to fight together for a better future, demanding better pay, benefits and better contracts for incoming workers.
“If they were just reasonable and not so greedy. We wouldn’t have to be doing what we’re doing,” said another striking Kellogg’s worker.
Contract talks between the Kellogg Co. and its 1,400 striking cereal plant workers are set to resume.
The company has said it’s not clear how the strike will affect cereal supplies in stores because it has restarted production at all four cereal plants with salaried employees and outside workers.
The strike includes four plants in Battle Creek; Omaha, Nebraska; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis that make all of Kellogg’s brands of cereal, including Rice Krispies and Apple Jacks.
The workers have been on strike since Oct. 5.