Frito-Lay union workers end strike after 20 days

Frito-Lay’s union workers have been on strike for three weeks, and it finally ended last weekend. The striking workers were from the snack maker’s Topeka, Kansas plant, and hundreds have joined the protest.

After ratification on a revised contract, the workers stopped the strike, and this was confirmed on Saturday, July 24. In the new contract, Frito-Lay addressed the complaints of the workers that were described by the union leaders as making the lives of the workers difficult. They said that the work conditions have diminished the quality of their lives, so they want changes.

The workers’ complaints

According to CNN Business, the workers have listed unfavorable work conditions such as forced overtime, long work hours, and unchanging wage rates. These are the main reasons why hundreds have stopped coming to the plant to protest.

The workers further stated they went on strike as Frito-Lay refused to address the issues they have been voicing out regarding the work shifts. They explained that the schedules have taken away time with their families, plus they do not get a full night’s sleep.

A head shop steward at the Topeka plant, Paul Klemme, said he has been working at the plant for nine years, and at one point, he did not get any day off after working three straight months.

“I missed a lot of time with my children when they were in high school because of the shift that I worked and the hours that I worked,” he shared. “It’s physically draining.”

The New York Times reported that out of 850 employees who are working in Topeka, only 20 of them averaged over 60 hours per week. The snack maker said that based on its records, 19 employees worked 84 hours in a given week this year, and 16 of them volunteered for overtime. Frito-Lay added that just three of the 19 employees were required to work.

Frito-Lay’s revised contract agreements

In any case, Frito-Lay has offered new contract terms that were accepted by the workers. They are now guaranteed a day off every week, and there will be no more “squeeze shifts” where workers do their job for eight hours plus four hours of overtime. The company is also offering a four percent wage increase.

“We are pleased the BCTGM Local 218 members from Frito-Lay’s Topeka site ratified the revised contract offer and we look forward to welcoming all of our employees back to work next week,” Frito-Lay said in a statement. “While Frito-Lay believed its fully recommended July 1 offer addressed those concerns appropriately, the new offer from Frito-Lay provides a guaranteed day off during each workweek, eliminates “squeeze shifts,” creates additional opportunities for the union to have input into staffing and overtime and offers 4% wage increases to employees in all job classifications over the two-year contract.”