In 2021, our members at McCormick Foods ran a six-week strike and 24-hour picket line after five years without a pay rise, drawing massive community support. Their grit and determination won a 9 pay increase, 5,000 sign on bonus, and preserved their four-day week, showing the power of staying united through sustained industrial action.
After enduring five years without a pay rise, 71 McCormick Foods workers in Clayton South showed what real determination looks like. They launched a six-week strike that became a symbol of worker resistance, maintaining a 24-hour community picket line that drew support from across the union movement. When management tried offering 0% pay rises and threatened to strip conditions, workers doubled down. Backed by over 1,250 donations to their strike fund and high-profile support from union leaders and politicians, they refused to back down. Their resolve broke the company’s resistance, winning a 9% pay rise over three years, a $5,000 sign-on bonus, and protection of their four-day work week. This gutsy fight proved that when workers stick together and hold the line, they can beat back employer attacks and win real gains.
“We got everything we wanted without losing anything. It took us six weeks, but we finally got what we deserved.” – McCormick worker