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US government's NLRB reaffirms illegality of Kellogg's Memphis lockout

09.06.15 News
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The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington, D.C., has reaffirmed that Kellogg
illegally locked out over 220 BCTGM members at the company’s Memphis cereal
plant from October 22, 2013 to August 11, 2014.

The Memphis workers were locked out when they refused to agree to company proposals to
casualise new workers hired at their plant. The NLRB panel agreed with the union
that the company’s proposals constituted modifications to the existing Master
Agreement, which cannot be bargained at local level and therefore cannot give
rise to a lockout.

Following a Federal Court order, on 30 June 2014, to end the lockout, 226 BCTGM members
returned to work on 11 August. However, on 7 August, an Administrative Court
ruled that Kellogg was within its rights to impose the lockout! BCTGM
immediately sought a review of that decision by the highest level of the NLRB.

The NLRB has ordered Kellogg to fully compensate all locked-out workers for loss of earnings and benefits suffered during the unlawful lockout.