12-hour work days and reduced healthcare coverage, here's why Nabisco workers are on strike
Mondelez Nabisco workers at the company’s cookie plant in North Portland entered their 26th day of striking on Sept. 4 after union members walked out of the plant on Aug. 10 due to major contract disagreements.
After Mondelez recorded more than $3.5 billion in profits in 2020, workers said the company’s demands for 12-hour work days, no overtime or holidays off and reduced healthcare coverage is unacceptable.
“This was never necessary,” bakery worker Paul Brock said Sept. 4. “We made them a lot of money during the first round, and they should’ve been satisfied with that because we’re going to get another round of this again, but instead of calling us essential workers and said, ‘Hey, we need you again.’ But no, ‘We want to take away your benefits. We want to take away your overtime. We want you to work for twelve hours a day.’ That’s just sinful.”
Cameron Taylor, a Local 364 business agent, told Street Roots one of the major issues the union sees with Mondelez’s proposed new contract is that it would shift employees to a seven-day, 12-hour, alternating shift workweek and remove overtime pay for weekends.
“Nobody wants to walk off the job, but it’s unacceptable what the company is asking for in terms of concessions,” Taylor said. “The company stole these people’s pensions in 2018, and we get to the bargaining table after a year of the pandemic and making record profits, and they come and want more from us. I mean it’s unacceptable to the people. They voted to strike, and that’s when we took them out.”
When asked for a comment regarding the strikes, Mondelez directed Street Roots to a statement on their website: “Our goal is to bargain in good faith with union leadership to reach new contracts that recognize the contributions of our represented employees and provide good wages and competitive benefits, while also modernizing some contract aspects which were written several decades ago to set up our U.S. employees and bakeries for long-term success. This website serves as a resource to share updates and information related to these negotiations.”
After workers in Portland walked out, workers at facilities in Illinois, Colorado, Georgia, Virginia followed suit — more than 1,000 Mondelez/Nabisco employees are on strike nationwide.
Jerald Baylis
Street Roots: Why are you striking?
Jearld Baylis: We’re out here striking for better working conditions and better pay. The company wants to cut everything, even though they made $3.5 billion in profits last year, so it comes to a point where you have to stand up and take a step.
SR: What has the strike been like?
Baylis: It’s been great. You know it’s been a part to show unity and maybe even get more out to the community and make them aware of some of the things that’s going on.
SR: What has the support from the community been like?
Baylis: It’s been great, you know, there are rallies and some of the stores that have been receptive to the message that we’re giving, and here out on the street, people have been receptive. They’re giving us the physical and moral support that we need to keep things running.
SR: What are you hoping to gain from striking?
Baylis: We’re hoping to gain a fair pay. Mainly medical and pay are the big things that we’re wanting to keep that they’re trying to cut. They’re trying to cut our pay, so we’re just wanting a fair shot, and not for them to keep taking, even though they’re profiting, and even though we’ve worked through the pandemic completely.
SR: How long have you worked for Nabisco/Mondelez?
Baylis: 12 years.
Tina Bryan
Street Roots: Why are you striking?
Tina Bryan: I’m striking out here for a fair contract that covers current employees and future employees.
SR: Why are you calling for a boycott of Nabisco/Mondelez products?
Bryan: Nabisco — owned by Mondelez — everything’s all about numbers, about money and that’s where you’re gonna hurt them the most. So, we want everybody to boycott because otherwise, the company doesn’t listen. If they see their stock prices falling, if they see people not buying the product, they’re forced to react. They don’t think we’re founded in what we’re asking for; it’s not anything more than we are asking for now. We want to keep what we have now. They just keep wanting to take away and take away, so boycotting Nabisco products would get their attention.
SR: What has the strike been like?
Bryan: It’s been scary at times. It’s a little exciting when things are happening, but it’s a little scary, you know, but we’re all hanging in there. I’m hoping that everything we’re doing now will ensure our jobs for the future.
SR: What has the support from the community been like?
Bryan: The support from my community has been tremendous. I’m shocked by all the different unions that have come out and all the different people. There are local people, you know, the people of this community are coming out. It’s heartwarming that people are joining and not, you know, just kind of ignoring us.
SR: How long have you worked for Nabisco/Mondelez?
Bryan: I’ve worked for Nabisco for 10 years.
Doug Long
Street Roots: Why are you striking?
Doug Long: Everybody’s on strike because the company is now coming after employees to take back their overtime. This is the major, major issue. They also want the new hires, the young people — they want them to pay more for their health care. That is something we refer to as the union as selling your young. In other words, they’ll give you a good contract, but you have to sell out the young, so (older workers) pay less for insurance.
SR: Why are you calling for a boycott of Nabisco/Mondelez products?
Long: We’re on strike here, and they just come to the store and pick up the product. That is the main thing we’re trying to get out of here. The cash you have to buy that product, leave it on the shelf. It’ll be closer to them, possibly giving up on their demands and getting these workers back in to produce.
SR: How long have you worked for Nabisco/Mondelez?
Long: I’m a retiree. I had 32 years in the bakery. I’m out here supporting these workers now.
Paul Brock
Street Roots: Why are you striking?
Paul Brock: We’re out here striking because Mondelez has decided that they want to make more profits and they don’t want to compensate the people who have made them rich. I’ve worked here for 20 years. Twenty years I have worked here, seven days a week on, and sometimes 13 to 16 hours a day and now they want to not compensate me for overtime. They want to eliminate some of my benefits. And the new hires, it’s really horrible for them because they will definitely have to pay more for their health care. And I don’t even know how a person with a family or a child would be able to work 12 hour days. They keep saying that this is a life balance. It’s not a life balance when you have a family.
SR: Why are you calling for a boycott of Nabisco/Mondelez products?
Brock: We want them to boycott physical products, not just because of the pain, but also because we need to get them to understand that the consumers know what they’re doing as well as the employees. This has got to stop.
SR: What has the support from the community been like?
Brock: Look around. Every weekend we’ve got people out here for the rallies, talking. We’re on Facebook ... people are talking to us. We’ve heard from Venezuela, we’ve heard from Australia, you know, this is a worldwide event. And it’s been awesome. Amazing.
Regina Klavano
Street Roots: Why are you striking?
Regina Klavano (union secretary): Because I’ve worked 21 years here at Nabisco, and what they’re asking for is just uncalled for. I’m not gonna take it anymore. I just want to keep the health care that we have. I’m tired of giving up in order to get nothing, really. Because they’ve taken our pension in 2018. And honestly, I would love to see us get our pension back. I don’t even understand why we can’t because it’s already been there’s been bailout crops for pensions. And so I’d like to, I’d like to see that. And again, keep our healthcare. And when we’re forced to work over eight hours to get paid for that. And to get paid for being forced on the weekends.
SR: Why are you calling for a boycott of Nabisco/Mondelez products?
Klavano: We’re asking them to boycott because the company now has succeeded in bringing in flour, sugar, and oil, and so they will be trying to make cookies with the scabs that they have inside. So we’re asking people just to boycott all Nabisco products.
SR: What has the support from the community been like?
Klavano: Oh my gosh, it’s been wonderful. I’m out here every day, and going into the fourth week is trying, but ... I don’t even know why I’m breaking down. It’s just overwhelming; the support.
SR: How long have you worked for Nabisco/Mondelez?
Klavano: 21 years.
Jesus Martinez
Street Roots: Why are you striking?
Jesus Martinez (union president): Well, as most of you already know, the company wants us to go out on longer shifts. This fight has been going on for five years. I don’t know why we didn’t strike before, but you heard, they also took our pension. They stole our pension because our pension was money that we were giving up from decades ago and other members have been here for 52 years, 25 (years), 30 (years). They give up concessions, just to get that pension, so they could have a future later when they retire. Now, they just took it away, created a 401k program.
If I’m going to lose family time, at least I should get paid for that. And maybe you know, my kids are going to go to college in a year. I have two other kids who are still in school. But now, they want us to give up everything, and this is a start. If we give this up, what’s gonna happen in the next four years? They’ll go after everything. That’s why we can’t give up right now and that’s the reason we’re on strike. We’re tired of being disrespected and getting hit all the time.
SR: Why are you calling for a boycott of Nabisco/Mondelez products?
Martinez: They’ve been trying to scare us by bringing in scabs, trying to call retired members to come back to work, like why in the hell would they come back to work for this company when they took away our pension. They’re trying to call retirees; they’re trying to call old mechanics that retired and engineers. I think almost 100% have said no. Like ‘Why would I come back to you guys.’ They’ll try to scare us, but it’s not working. We’re here fighting every day 24/7. Even if it’s just six, seven people here at night, we’re here. That shows the company that we’re not giving up.
SR: What has the support from the community been like?
Martinez: As you can see this is, I think, the third or fourth rally. Every time it keeps on getting bigger. Not only that, but we’re getting our local neighbors here that live here. They come down and picket at night, they bring us snacks and water. We’re grateful for that. That shows all our union members their support — locally, statewide and nationwide. Like I said it’s getting worldwide and it’s awesome. So we took the first small step, and it’s growing, and I hope it gets bigger, so people know that they have rights. They should be treated with respect. They’re valuable workers.
SR: How long have you worked for Nabisco/Mondelez?
Martinez: I’ve worked here a little bit over 10 years, union president for almost three years.
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly publication focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. The newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Street Roots newspaper operates independently of Street Roots advocacy and is a part of the Street Roots organization. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
© 2021 Street Roots. All rights reserved. | To request permission to reuse content, email editor@streetroots.org or call 503-228-5657, ext. 404.
