CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa—Workers at General Mills’ cereal-production facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are “likely” to go on strike as soon as Nov. 6, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 110 said Nov. 1. The about 520 workers in production, sanitation, and maintenance joined the RWDSU in January and are seeking their first union contract. They voted to authorize a strike Oct. 3 and will vote Nov. 6 on whether to accept General Mills’ “last, best and final” offer. “Workers will have no other choice than either voting for an empty contract or going on strike,” the RWDSU said. It said the offer contains “no significant raises” and would not maintain benefits, and also “seeks to install unfair scheduling practices, and third-party subcontracting that could move jobs from Cedar Rapids to non-union facilities nearby or abroad.” “I am stunned, to say the least,” said Tim Sarver, who’s worked at General Mills for over 38 years. “General Mills cannot get away with this, we are united, and if we have to, we will go on strike and shut down this plant.” Read more
