Having rejected a new tentative agreement, Kellogg’s workers are digging in for an even longer haul, as the company moves to permanently replace the 1400 striking BCTGM members in Omaha, Memphis, Lancaster, PA, and Battle Creek, MI. Joe Biden was finally moved to speak out against the company’s move, which many people were quick to celebrate as unprecedented and an important intervention. It’s better that he said something than if he hadn’t but Brandon Magner quickly pointed out that it’s not unprecedented – Bill Clinton spoke out against Caterpillar during the 17-month UAW strike in the mid-90s. Which, I’ll just let this screenshot of two news headlines of the Caterpillar strike illustrate what a statement, in the absence of legislative or economic action on behalf of the federal government, is worth. Biden is going to need to do more if he’s actually serious about intervening.
Jonah Furman: The week in US unions, December 4-11, 2021
