Kellogg’s Company: Reinstate Memphis Employee Health and Life Insurance Benefits

American consumers may not have noticed that there are fewer Kellogg’s products on their local grocer’s shelves. If they haven’t noticed yet, it will soon be obvious because warehouse quantity is running low, as the company has locked out employees at its Memphis, TN plant since October 22nd.
The news shared here has been reported in various local Memphis markets. What has NOT been reported is that Kellogg’s has cancelled all of the Memphis employees’ health and life insurance benefits. To clarify for the Change.org audience, Memphis workers have no health or life insurance at this time. Scheduled surgeries and appointments were cancelled. That means employees with severe conditions no longer have access to refills on medications and can’t see their physicians. Individuals badly in need of surgeries and chemo treatments are going into the Christmas season praying for miracles.

In an effort to illegally force union workers to change the 50+ year old Master Union Agreement, Kellogg’s locked out its own employees. Based in Battle Creek, MI, Kellogg’s is trying to replace their current employees with “casual part-time” employees”. This would mean less pay and fewer benefits. The company had been planning this lockout for over a year…called “The Special K project”. It had already laid off 70 employees in early April of this year. If Kellogg’s gets what they want, what is to stop them from permanently firing their regular workers and keeping these new “casual” employees?

A spokesperson for Kellogg’s says that the current costs of the Memphis plant are putting the company as a competitive disadvantage in a “tough cereal category”. However, that disadvantage didn’t stop the company from acquiring Pringles for $2.7B cash in February 2012. Nor has it restricted $6.5M (total package) compensation for CEO John A. Bryant. In fact, his pay increased by 7.7% in 2012, with a performance bonus of a mere $1.1M. Imagine what his bonus will be if he’s successful in hiring new employees with fewer benefits and less pay.

Sign the petition and show Kellogg’s that they may be one of the global big ten brands, but they can’t treat people this way.
Vist their Facebook page and let them know how you feel.
Boycott all Kellogg’s products until they decide that treating their workers with simple compassion and human dignity is the right thing to do.
Negotiations don’t need to make workers suffer!

Kellogg’s Owned Products