Why Are Bakery Workers Who Make Oreos, Ritz And Chips Ahoy On Strike?

Since August tenth, unionized bakery plant staff in 5 states who make Oreos, Ritz and Chips Ahoy, have been on strike. Here’s what two placing bakery staff need to say.

Carl Miller has labored for Nabisco for 34 years and is a member of BCTGM (Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco, Grain Millers) Native 358 in Richmond, Virginia.

Mike Burlingham has labored for Nabisco for 14 years and is BCTGM Native 364 Vice President in Portland, Oregon

Notice: This interview has been edited for size and readability.

Errol Schweizer: Inform us a bit about your job.

Mike Burlingham: I’ve been a employee on the Portland biscuit manufacturing unit for 14 years now. And I’ve achieved quite a lot of roles. I believe when individuals hear the phrase baker, you’re picturing the white coats and the tall hat, and so they’re rolling out dough. And for lots of the smaller bakeries, that’s precisely what it’s. However we do issues on a really giant scale. It’s a giant bakery that takes up a number of metropolis blocks. The method begins with big silos, full of our uncooked components and tanks with oil, and goes by means of the method with automation. So we’ve our mixing division, which trickles down into an enormous store the place issues undergo very giant ovens on a really giant conveyor, which then heads down into our packing division the place all the things is usually achieved by machines operated by us. After which it’s despatched out to our warehousing and distribution facilities.

Errol: What has it been like throughout Covid-19?

Carl Miller: After we have been first mandated to be open for manufacturing, we weren’t certain of COVID. We didn’t know the place it got here from. We didn’t know the way it was transmitted. However then as time progressed, just a few people within the bakery had examined optimistic. Now, we wouldn’t get this info till one or two days later, after which discover out the place this explicit particular person truly labored. You start to backtrack in your thoughts as to the place was that? What was I doing? And have I been round them, they’ve been round me? So far as working in a bakery, it is extremely unrealistic to work in a six foot separate capability, plenty of jobs are overlapping, it’s important to give instructions, it’s important to speak, it’s important to share, it’s important to help. It left stress ranges to be moderately excessive. And quantity was simply unimaginable. As a result of we make all of the merchandise that individuals eat for consolation, you realize, all people was sitting on their couches throughout the pandemic consuming Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Ritz crackers, you realize? And the expectation was to be right here. My spouse herself contracted COVID-19. And that, for me was very demanding, very scary. And to nonetheless have the stress to return to work.

Errol: What impressed the strike?

Carl: The backstory is that Mondelez acquired us in a break up with Kraft Meals

KHC
again in 2012. So earlier in 2012, we had simply re-negotiated a brand new contract with Kraft Meals at the moment. When Mondelez acquired us in 2012 we might virtually really feel the environment change instantly, you may inform that the this was an entire totally different animal that we have been going to be working with. Mondelez is a world firm. So, we’re not competing with markets in North America, we’re now competing towards Europe and China. And so when it got here time for renegotiation in 2016, they put out a letter to us, and that mainly summarized that was it going to be our approach or the freeway, these are the concessions we wish you to take. And it was written in a approach as in the event that they have been making an attempt to inform us that us making much less cash and paying extra out of pocket for our advantages is sweet for us. Principally, what which means is, you’ll be able to both take these, or we will take our enterprise elsewhere. They’ve two very giant factories down in Mexico. And 2016 was additionally the identical 12 months that they instructed Chicago to just accept concessions. And Chicago didn’t comply with their phrases. And so true to their phrase, Mondelez closed half of Chicago. So the 1200 particular person workforce went all the way down to 600, similar to that. And so they invested that down in Mexico, which we’ve to imagine was their intent all alongside. Simply in these final seven years, we’ve seen over 2000 individuals now out of labor, as a result of they’ve shut the bakeries down.

Mike: So in 2016 was our first time assembly on the desk with Mondelez. And it was very clear that they had sure issues in thoughts, and so they have been unwilling to budge from these. A kind of issues on the time was to again out of our pension plan. That’s an enormous purpose why individuals have come to work at these Nabisco bakeries, is that we had a pension plan and between the cash you can also make with the advantages together with the pension, it’s a great job. It was a spot you could plan to work for a very long time. And retire from. And that’s precisely what individuals do. There’s people who put my 14 years to disgrace, they’ve been there for 40-50 years. So it’s unimaginable. It’s. It truly is. Now we have one girl in our bakery right here, she’s been there for 55 years. And he or she’s nonetheless going.

Errol: What’s at stake ? 

Mike: We’re not coming into these negotiations with a bunch of needs. We’re coming in saying, we’ve already fought for what we’ve in the present day. We’ve already given up issues prior to now. We’re asking to take care of these advantages and Mondelez, their stance on it’s, “Properly, we weren’t there for that, we all know nothing about it, that is what we wish.” So issues went stagnant. In spring 2018, with out negotiation, the corporate despatched out an announcement that they have been withdrawing from our pension. 

We’ve paid for these lengthy earlier than my time there, the individuals earlier than me, who fought to have that profit. They already gave issues up. And you realize, it’s unlucky to see one thing like that occur, particularly as a result of that is manufacturing. And as automated as some issues are, it’s nonetheless a labor intensive job, you’re placing in plenty of hours, you’ve psychological and bodily fatigue, and you set your physique in danger. And I can communicate personally, that I’ve been injured on the job. So, that’s the commerce off, you’re placing your physique in danger once you go there. And, you realize, the payoff is on the finish, do you’ve one thing you could retire with? And now that’s gone? That’s horrible.

Mondelez specifically, had a really worthwhile 12 months. In 2020, Mondelez, netted $26 billion in income. Their internet revenue for the quarter ending June 30 of this 12 months was $1.08 billion. That’s a 98% improve, or double the second quarter earnings from 2020. Mondelez internet revenue for the 12 months ending June 30, was $4.3 billion. And that’s a mere 24% improve. In order that they’re doing very effectively this 12 months, going into these negotiations.

This isn’t an organization that’s hurting. We’re not coming into these negotiations with a bunch of needs, simply preserve what we’ve. 

Errol: How can the general public support your efforts?

Mike: This can be a nationwide strike with Nabisco. For those who’re close to any one of many areas, exhibiting up and getting the phrase out. For those who’re nowhere close to these areas, whereas we’re out on strike, keep away from shopping for Nabisco merchandise.  

I simply learn a quote from the striking coal miners in Alabama, that this this isn’t nearly us, that it is a battle for America’s working class. So preserve your self educated and battle for what you realize your value.

Carl: It’s simply my opinion that the unions throughout the nation, I believe we’re all impressed by one another proper now. As a result of all people’s having the identical expertise. All of us labored more durable than we ever did throughout the pandemic. We have been uncovered. We have been put in hurt’s approach. And we labored. We confirmed up. We made all of them that cash. After which they arrive to the desk and so they ask for all the things. 

That is our line within the sand. We’re standing up for ourselves lastly. Everyone arise collectively standing with their humanity. We’re united.

Everybody ought to actually take note of what this implies, it’s the center class preventing to remain alive. And we’re all banded collectively proper now. The union motion is powerful. For those who’re not union, you need to be a part of one.