OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Kenneth Merritt has worked at the Kellogg's plant in Omaha for two decades. He said he never saw a day like this coming.
"We knew that we were going to have a meeting," said Merritt, who a Kellogg's employee and BCTGM (The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union) Local 50G President. "We didn't know exactly what that meeting was about, but we didn't think it would be this much of a drastic situation."
He learned Tuesday morning in an all-employee meeting that he would not only eventually lose his job, but the whole plant would be closing too.
"I have never seen anything in that fashion happen in that way," he said.
And it's not the only bakery operation to close in the metro. Back in May, the Bimbo Bakeries USA facility in Bellevue announced it would close its facility.
Merritt and other workers KMTV spoke to say some of the reasons they were given as to why the Kellogg's plant would be closing are due to old equipment, and how much it would cost to replace and repair that equipment.
Back in 2021, Kellogg's workers went on strike after the company and the union failed to reach a new deal once its previous contract had expired.
Former union president Dan Osborn said he does not think this was retaliation for the strike that happened three years ago.
"That contract that we had at the end of the strike wasn't very lucrative in the fact that we didn't get huge bonuses like they did at John Deere," said Osborn. "We basically preserved what we had."
In a statement, Mayor Jean Stothert said:
"Kellogg’s notified me of their plan to close the Omaha plant at 7:42am today, with an email to the Mayor’s Hotline and a copy of the company’s news release.
Kellogg’s had not communicated anything previously about the potential to leave Omaha, so this announcement came as quite a shock. I’m certainly disappointed that Kellogg’s would make such a significant announcement this way.
After more than 75 years in Omaha, Kellogg’s will leave a big void. Our first concern will be the Kellogg’s employees, and assisting them transition to new employment as Kellogg’s prepares to reduce production next year and close in 2026." - Mayor Jean Stothert
Merritt hopes this isn't the end. In the next few months, he said his union will present to the company why jobs should not be eliminated and that production should still stay in Omaha.
Kellogg’s plans to scale down its production in late 2025 and fully close the Omaha plant by 2026. It also plans to reduce production at its Memphis location.
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