First wave of Kellogg's job cuts begins at the end of March

The first round of the layoffs announced by Kellogg Co. in August begin at the end of March.

The company gave notice last year that it planned to cut 223 jobs from its ready-to-eat cereal plant on Porter Street.

Just last week, the company submitted a notice to the state of Michigan's workforce development agency that the first wave of layoffs, affecting 14 employees, will begin March 31. The cuts are expected to conclude by the end of the year.

"In August 2017, Kellogg announced our intent to simplify and streamline our operations by focusing each of our ready-to-eat-cereal (RTEC) plants on at least two scaled manufacturing platforms," said Kris Charles, Kellogg Co. spokesperson.

"While making these changes is the right thing to do for our business, these changes will be difficult as they will impact some of our employees at the Battle Creek plant."

The spokesperson declined to say whether the final number of layoffs would remain at 223.

Representatives from the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union, Local 3-G, the union that represents close to 400 Kellogg Co. employees, could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

In September, union president Trevor Bidelman called the layoff plans "devastating news to our entire membership as well as this community, and all of the families possibly impacted by this announcement."

He also said that the union's "sole intention will be to work with the Kellogg company and the community leaders to avoid this decision becoming the company's course of action."

More:

Kellogg plans to cut 223 jobs in Battle Creek

Union: Kellogg job cuts are 'devastating news'

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Contact Natasha Blakely at (269) 223-0114 or nblakely@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter at @blakelynat.