Lansing, Michigan, March 29, 2026, 2:51 PM EDT.
On Friday, union warehouse employees at Neogen turned out at the company’s Lansing site, pushing harder for a first contract and escalating tensions at the food safety firm. Teamsters Local 243 announced plans for the 10 a.m. demonstration just the day before. According to WLNS, workers gathered close to downtown Lansing, urging management to agree to what they called a fair contract.
The timing is key here: Neogen is working to boost both growth and margins after absorbing 3M’s old food safety unit, with management telling investors in January that operational changes are rolling out companywide. Any friction at the Lansing warehouse would hit just as the business—supplier of tests for pathogens, allergens, and other food hazards—faces a delicate stretch.
Local 243 says workers are demanding higher pay, respect on the job, and a bigger say at Neogen, while also alleging the company has engaged in unfair labor practices—actions the National Labor Relations Board notes may involve interfering with workers’ rights to organize. The union’s statement called their effort at the Lansing warehouse a drive for a first contract.
Neogen, responding publicly in February 2025, said the NLRB dropped its unfair-labor-practices claim against the company after both sides reached an agreement—no wrongdoing admitted. “We’re committed to a supportive and equitable workplace where employees feel valued and heard,” chief legal and compliance officer Amy Rocklin said at the time. Neogen Investors
Neogen is still working to boost both earnings and execution. Back in January, the company posted second-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $224.7 million—a 2.8% dip from the prior year—but it bumped its full-year revenue outlook up to a range of $845 million to $855 million. Chief Executive Mike Nassif said management’s focus remains on “improving profitability and delivering shareholder value.” Neogen Investors
Simply Wall St, in a Sunday note, pointed to investor concerns behind the rally, highlighting that labor pressures might translate into either heftier wage bills or some near-term bumps for operations. The site’s fair-value call landed at $8.17 per share—under Neogen’s last trade at $8.70.
U.S. markets were closed Sunday, so the most recent price for Neogen remained Friday’s. Shares finished the session at $8.70, down from a prior close of $9.15.
There’s a longer backstory to the Lansing fight. Back in September 2024, WKAR reported that an NLRB complaint accused Neogen managers of warning workers they could lose benefits—or see jobs shift out of state—if they formed a union. The company rejected those allegations as city leaders signed off on tax breaks tied to a $208 million expansion.
What comes next isn’t clear. There was a rally on Friday—not a strike—but if contract talks drag on, Neogen could face higher labor costs or sluggish operations. The company says it’s still navigating integration and internal-control issues. Progress at the bargaining table might keep the situation from spreading. But if negotiations collapse, that’s another operational headache for Neogen, which is already facing scrutiny.
