Frito Lay workers end strike, ratify contract after management forced to revise offer

Topeka, KS – Around 850 Frito Lay Workers In Topeka, Kansas ended a 20-day strike and are back on the job after ratifying a new contract offer from management. The workers are represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers’ International Union (BCTGM). They began a strike on July 5 which lasted 20 days before management came back to the table with a revised offer addressing many of the strike issues. The union announced on Saturday, July 24 that they were ending the strike after the new agreement had been reached.

One of the main issues the workers struck over was forced overtime. They were being forced to work what they called “suicide shifts” where they were required to work as much as 84 hours a week, often with as little as eight hours turnaround time between double or even triple shifts which the workers say meant they had no time to see family, do chores around the house, or get a full night’s sleep.

In the new contract they won a guarantee of at least one full day off every week, and end to the suicide shifts, as well as a 60-hour cap on forced hours. They also won raises of 4%.

This progress came as a direct result of the Frito Lay workers going on a 20-day strike. The vast majority of the workers honored the picket lines, which forced management to go back to the table and make major movement – even after previous offers in which they refused to do so.