Nabisco workers on the picket lines in five U.S. states say their first strike in 52 years is about keeping what they already had as employees producing Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers and other snacks for the global food conglomerate.
Roughly 1,050 Nabisco workers are staying off the job in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Oregon and Virginia, according to their union, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International, or BCTGM. The labor dispute began nearly three weeks ago with workers at the Nabisco bakery in Portland calling a strike. The strike has since spread, with workers in Chicago joining the labor action on Thursday and workers in Norcross, Georgia, following suit on Monday.
“We’re fighting for a fair contract, no concessions,” Yvette Hale, who has worked at Nabisco’s Chicago bakery nearly 22 years, told CBS MoneyWatch. “Everyone is angry, as you never know if you’re going to work eight hours, 12 hours or 16 hours.”
Nabisco strike, the first in 52 years, expands to five states
CBS NEWS
Kate Gibson