Lansing, Michigan, March 29, 2026, 2:51 PM EDT.
Unionized warehouse workers at Neogen rallied at the company’s Lansing warehouse on Friday, demanding a first contract and intensifying a labor dispute at the food safety company. Teamsters Local 243 had called the 10 a.m. protest a day earlier, and WLNS later reported workers gathered near downtown Lansing pressing for a fair deal. 1
The timing matters because Neogen is trying to lift growth and margins after integrating 3M’s former food safety business, and management told investors in January it was pushing operational changes across the company. Friction at a Lansing warehouse would come at a sensitive point for a business that sells tests used to detect pathogens, allergens and other hazards in food. 2
Local 243 said workers want better wages, more respect and a stronger voice at the company, and accused Neogen of unfair labor practices — conduct the National Labor Relations Board says can include interfering with employees’ rights to organize. The union’s release described the fight as a push for a first agreement at the Lansing warehouse. 1
In a February 2025 public response, Neogen said the NLRB had withdrawn an unfair-labor-practices claim against the company after a mutual agreement, with no admission of wrongdoing. Amy Rocklin, Neogen’s chief legal and compliance officer, said then that the company was committed to a “supportive and equitable workplace where employees feel valued and heard.” 3
The company is also still trying to improve earnings and execution. Neogen reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $224.7 million in January, down 2.8% from a year earlier, but raised full-year revenue guidance to $845 million to $855 million. Chief Executive Mike Nassif said management was focused on “improving profitability and delivering shareholder value.” 2
A Simply Wall St note published on Sunday framed the rally as an investor issue, saying labor pressures could mean higher wage costs or short-term operational friction. The site put one fair-value estimate at $8.17 a share, below Neogen’s last trade of $8.70. 4
With U.S. markets closed on Sunday, Neogen’s latest quoted price was still Friday’s session. The stock last traded at $8.70 against a previous close of $9.15.
The Lansing dispute has deeper roots. WKAR reported in September 2024 that an NLRB complaint alleged Neogen managers threatened workers with loss of benefits and even moving work out of state if they unionized, claims the company denied at the time as city officials approved tax incentives for a $208 million expansion. 5
What happens next is uncertain. Friday’s action was a rally, not a strike, but a longer contract fight could raise labor costs or slow operations just as Neogen says it is still working through integration, transformation and internal-control risks. If talks move ahead, the issue may stay contained. If they break down, it would add another execution test for a company already under scrutiny. 1
