Nabisco Strike Supporters Share Photos of Unsold Oreos to Claim Boycott Is Working

More than 1,000 staff members at Nabisco bakeries are on strike across the United States in order to win improvements to work conditions and pay—and on social media many have shared images claiming their products are not selling as a result.

Nabisco is a subsidiary of Mondelez International Inc and produces American favorites such as Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, Chips Ahoy! and other snacks.

Supporters of the strike have been photographing these items in stores to claim that consumers are backing their stance by boycotting the company's products.

Worker rights activist Brett Banditelli, who is based in Los Angeles County, tweeted a photograph of packed shelves full of Nabisco products on September 14.

He captioned the image, which shows many packets of Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies, writing: "Facebook comments are filled with pictures of unsold cookies and I love it #NabiscoStrike."

Bonnie Smalley, a disinformation specialist at CTI League, also shared a snap of some store shelves filled with packets of Oreo.

Where the price should be labeled, there is instead a sticker which reads: "Don't buy Nabisco! Respect the Strike!"

A Reddit user named XANA12345, posted another image of the products filling grocery shelves on September 14, writing: "In the middle of the Nabisco strike, nobody at my grocery store is buying their cookies."

However, many on the discussion-based site doubted that this was actually a result of the actions the aggrieved Nabisco employees have taken.

Jbradford5555 typed: "Based off of how many people in this subreddit are unaware of the strike, including me... I would be willing to bet this is just a well managed, faced and stocked grocery store opposed to a shortage of consumers."

Michamus added: "This is literally how the cookie shelf at my grocery store always looks. I could buy 100 boxes of Oreos and before they hit my cart, the shelves would be restocked."

But CCSC96 had a difference of opinion, explaining: "I mean most Redditors live in large metro areas where this isn't nearly the top news story but you can bet your a** labor towns know."

The Nabisco staff members involved in the strike belong to the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM).

They claim the food company is trying to introduce a new labor contract that would see workers put in extra hours while paying less overtime, and are also trying to introduce mandatory weekend work and a new health insurance plan with increased costs.

This is all despite Nabisco having seen record profits during the pandemic.

Staff are also worried that the company intends to outsource jobs to Mexico.

The strike began on August 10 at a factory in Portland, Oregon, but spread to facilities in Georgia, Virginia, Colorado and Illinois. As a result the company is making less food items.

Bloomberg reported that Dirk van de Put, chief executive officer of Mondelez International, said at a recent conference that while production of the packaged food had continued during the strike it is "not to the same level."

On September 15, Mondelez International Inc announced on its website that it had reached a "tentative agreement" with the BCTGM and the union workers would have the chance to vote on it in the coming days.

The company said: "We are pleased to announce that we reached a tentative agreement with the BCTGM bargaining committee on new contracts, which has been fully recommended by both parties.

"Our BCTGM-represented employees at our Portland (OR), Richmond (VA) and Chicago (IL) bakeries and our Aurora (CO), Addison (IL) and Norcross (GA) sales distribution facilities will have the opportunity to vote on ratifying the new contracts in the coming days."

Update 9/16/21, 4:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add information about the "tentative agreement" between the union and the company.