Mondelez, the parent company of snack brand Nabisco, has recently begun offshoring production from the United States to Mexico. In the process, the company will be cutting half of its Chicago workforce (600 union positions). Mondelez intends to reduce its expenses by operating in Mexico, where labor is cheap and disorganized.

The company’s 4,000-person workforce is represented by the BCTGM union. The two sides have been negotiating a new contract for the last few months. Mondelez wants to withdraw from the current employee pension plan and contribute less toward worker health insurance costs.

At Nabisco’s Portland bakery, 100 NE Columbia Boulevard, BCTGM Local 364 President Cameron Taylor says the company’s pension proposal has led 33 workers to retire since March 1 — in a workforce of about 200 — in order to preserve their “Golden 80” rights. Workers whose age plus years of service equal 80 or more are eligible for full pension benefits, but they’d get a smaller benefit if they wait until after the company withdraws from the plan. (nwLaborPress)

Financially, Mondelez reported sharp increases in profits in Q1 2016. The company earned $554 million in profits from January through March, up from $324 million last year. The improved margins were attributed to cost-cutting at company factories.

In response to the offshoring, BCTGM (with the support of the AFL-CIO and other unions) has launched a campaign called Check The Label. The campaign encourages consumers to only purchase Nabisco products manufactured in the US and to refrain from buying those manufactured in Mexico.

“If they want to send jobs out of the country, they’ll have to deal with Americans rejecting products that come back across that border,” said union spokesman Ron Baker.