When contract negotiation was extended an extra year, union members started to save money and prepare for a fight. At midnight on Oct. 5, the master contract for Kellogg’s union workers expired and a massive walkout took place across four states.

In Battle Creek, 325 union workers are on the picket line. Workers are taking their usual shifts and even coming early or staying late to support coworkers they don’t usually work alongside. There’s been friction among shift workers due to pay inequity, but on the line, workers share stories about their families and their own sacrifices, Akins said.

“Kellogg’s doesn’t understand what they’ve created here,” he said. “They’ve created a battle-hardened workforce. You’ve got folks that are standing side by side with each other. Right now, we’re getting to know each other.”