More than 1,000 Nabisco workers are staying off the job in Colorado, Illinois, Oregon and Virginia, according to their union, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International... Nabisco workers have been working without a contract since the end of May, with negotiations breaking down after its parent company, Mondelez International, proposed changes that include turning eight-hour shifts into 12-hour ones without overtime. Workers would receive overtime on the sixth and seventh day, provided they worked their scheduled hours during the week. The company is also proposing that new hires shoulder additional costs of health insurance.

A spokesperson for Chicago-based Mondelez said the proposed changes are intended to "promote the right behaviors" among workers and avoid paying employees a premium for weekend work if they call in sick during the regular work week. "This is not about taking away overtime," the spokesperson said. Most Nabisco workers would not be affected by the changes, which would largely involve those involved in manufacturing products that are heavily in demand, she added.

... Employees at Nabisco said working conditions deteriorated after the company was sold to Kraft Foods in 2000, which spun off its global snacks business as Mondelez International in 2012.