Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

(12) Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings. We are from time to time involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings involving product liability claims, product labeling claims, worker’s compensation and other employee claims, and tort and other general liability claims, as well as trademark, copyright, patent infringement and related claims and legal actions. While we cannot predict with certainty the results of these claims and legal actions in which we are currently, or in the future may be, involved, we do not expect that the ultimate

disposition of any currently pending claims or actions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Environmental. We are subject to environmental laws and regulations in the normal course of business. We did not make any material expenditures during the first quarter of 2020 or 2019 in order to comply with environmental laws and regulations. Based on our experience to date, management believes that the future cost of compliance with existing environmental laws and regulations (and liability for any known environmental conditions) will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity. However, we cannot predict what environmental or health and safety legislation or regulations will be enacted in the future or how existing or future laws or regulations will be enforced, administered or interpreted, nor can we predict the amount of future expenditures that may be required in order to comply with such environmental or health and safety laws or regulations or to respond to such environmental claims.

Collective Bargaining Agreements. As of March 28, 2020, 1,671 of our 2,706 employees, or approximately 61.8%, were covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The collective bargaining agreement covering employees at our Brooklyn, New York facility, which covers approximately 55 employees, expired on December 31, 2019. As previously disclosed, we reached an agreement in principle with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local No. 342 in January 2020 to extend the collective bargaining agreement for an additional four-year period ending December 21, 2024. The new agreement has been ratified by the union employees at our Brooklyn facility. The collective bargaining agreement covering employees at our Roseland, New Jersey facility, which covers approximately 50 employees, was scheduled to expire on March 31, 2020. During February 2020, we reached an agreement in principle with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers of America, Local No. 863, to extend the collective bargaining agreement for an additional six-year period ending March 31, 2026. The new agreement has been ratified by the union employees at our Roseland facility.

As of March 28, 2020, one of our collective bargaining agreements has expired and two of our other collective bargaining agreements expire in the next twelve months. The collective bargaining agreement covering employees at our Ankeny, Iowa facility, which covers approximately 275 employees, expired on April 5, 2020. Prior to the expiration date, B&G Foods and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local No. 238, agreed to temporarily postpone negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and expect to resume neogiations during the second or third quarter of 2020. The collective bargaining agreement covering employees at our Terre Haute, Indiana facility, which covers approximately 95 employees and which had been scheduled to expire on March 27, 2020, was extended by B&G Foods and the Chauffeurs, Teamsters, Warehousemen and Helpers Union, Local No. 135, for an additional year in March 2020 and is now scheduled to expire on March 27, 2021. The collective bargaining agreement covering our Stoughton, Wisconsin facility, which covers approximately 170 employees, is scheduled to expire on March 27, 2021. While we believe that our relations with our union employees are in general good, we cannot assure you that we will be able to negotiate new collective bargaining agreements for our Ankeny, Terre Haute or Stoughton facilities on terms satisfactory to us, or at all, and without production interruptions, including labor stoppages. At this time, however, management does not expect that the outcome of these negotiations will have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Severance and Change of Control Agreements. We have employment agreements with each of our executive officers. The agreements generally continue until terminated by the executive or by us, and provide for severance payments under certain circumstances, including termination by us without cause (as defined in the agreements) or as a result of the employee’s death or disability, or termination by us or a deemed termination upon a change of control (as defined in the agreements). Severance benefits generally include payments for salary continuation, continuation of health care and insurance benefits, present value of additional pension credits and, in the case of a change of control, accelerated vesting under compensation plans.