More than 500 of them participated in the strike. Local 218 represents about 850 employees at Frito-Lay’s Topeka plant, but only some pay dues because Kansas is a “right-to-work” state. The new agreement also eliminates the hated “suicide shifts”-when workers are forced to stay over an extra four hours after their normal eight-hour shift and then must come in four hours early before their next shift, leaving them just eight hours between shifts. Meanwhile, on forced overtime, the new contract will guarantee workers at least one day off per week, on either the sixth or seventh day of their work week-provided they haven’t used any time off that week, including sick days, or holidays.

Wages at the plant start at $16.33 an hour and can rise to $38.42, depending on the job. A strike was called after workers at the plant voted against the companys latest contract offer, which included a 2 wage hike this year and a 60-hour limit as to how many hours an employee could. Because of compounding, that’s a slight improvement. Where before Frito-Lay had offered two 2% raises, now workers will get a 3% raise in year one and 1% in year two. JHundreds of workers who make Cheetos, Lays potato chips and other popular snack foods at a Frito-Lay plant in Topeka, Kan., have been on strike since July 5, protesting what they call. Workers struck for wage increases and an end to forced overtime, but got only very modest improvements in the modified employer offer. Members of Bakery Workers Local 218 ratified a contract offer by Frito-Lay July 23, ending a strike at the company’s Topeka, Kansas, plant that had been under way since July 5. A 20-day strike by 600 Frito-Lay workers, Local 218 in Topeka, Kansas has come to an end after workers negotiated a wage increase, a day off every week.

Frito lay strike