NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 A strike at Kellogg that has gone on since early October has ended after workers voted to ratify a new labor contract at the company’s four U.S. cereal plants.<\/b>
\nA strike at Kellogg that has gone on since early October has ended after workers voted to ratify a new labor contract at the company\u2019s four U.S. cereal plants. The contract covers approximately 1,400 workers represented by the union at plants in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Kellogg said Tuesday that the new contract provides immediate, across the board wage increases and enhanced benefits for all. It also provides an accelerated, defined path to top-tier wages, a major sticking point for workers, and benefits for transitional employees. \u201cWe are pleased that we have reached an agreement that brings our cereal employees back to work,\u201d CEO Steve Cahillane said in a prepared statement. Workers who have been on strike since Oct.5 will return to work on Monday, Kellogg said, after the holiday. The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union said the contract is a win for workers. \u201cThis agreement makes gains and does not include any concessions,\u201d union President Anthony Shelton said in a prepared statement. Members of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union voted on the new offer over the weekend. The offer includes cost-of-living adjustments and a $1.10 per hour raise for all employees. Earlier this month, an overwhelming majority of workers voted down a five-year offer that would have provided 3% raises and cost-of-living adjustments in coming years to most, but not all of the workers. Workers have been on strike at plants in Battle Creek, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee. They make all of the company\u2019s well-known brands of cereal, including Apple Jacks and Frosted Flakes. Kellogg\u2019s said most workers at its cereal plants earned an average of $120,000 last year, though union members have said they work more than 80 hours a week to earn that, and those wages are only available to longtime workers. Under the two-tiered pay system the company uses, newer workers are paid less and receive fewer benefits. That pay system has been a sticking point during the negotiations, and Kellogg\u2019s offer didn\u2019t change on that part of the contract. The company has said it will allow all workers with at least four years of experience to move up to the higher legacy pay level as part of this contract. Union officials previously said that plan wouldn\u2019t let other workers move up quickly enough. The company has also proposed eliminating the current 30% cap on the number of workers at each plant who receive the lower wages.<\/p>\n