Kellogg said it's permanently replacing around 1,400 striking factory workers

• Kellogg said it's replacing striking factory workers after the union representing them rejected a pay deal.
• The union is representing about 1,400 striking Kellogg workers.

Kellogg said it's permanently replacing striking workers who rejected the latest pay deal in a long-running union dispute.

Around 1,400 workers at four Kellogg's cereal plants across the US have been on strike since early October over what they say is unfair pay and benefits.

The union leading the strike against Kellogg, the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) union, said in a post Tuesday that members had "overwhelmingly voted to reject" the five-year tentative agreement between Kellogg and the union.

Kellogg said in a statement Tuesday: "The prolonged work stoppage has left us no choice but to hire permanent replacement employees in positions vacated by striking workers."

Kellogg said it was "disappointed that the tentative agreement for a master contract over our four U.S. cereal plants was not ratified by employees."

The agreement, which Kellogg said was reached on December 1, offered 3% salary hikes and preserved health benefits, according to a company presentation.

Kellogg spokesperson Kris Bahner told Reuters that interest in the permanent replacement roles "has been strong at all four plants, as expected. We expect some of the new hires to start with the company very soon."

Kellogg said that it had scheduled no further bargaining and the company had no plans to meet with the union.

Anthony Shelton, BCTGM international president, said in the union's post: "The members have spoken. The strike continues."

The move comes after Kellogg filed a lawsuit against the BCTGM union in November, alleging that members on strike had intimidated non-union staff at its cereal plant in Omaha, Nebraska, and blocked vehicles from entering and exiting the facility, Bloomberg and AP reported.

Kellogg and the BSTGM union didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.