MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that a 2013 lockout of unionized workers at a Memphis Kellogg’s plant was legal.

The Commercial Appeal reports (http://bit.ly/2bcbPS8) the appeals court on Friday overturned a National Labor Relations order siding with workers, who said the lockout was illegal. The court also granted Kellogg’s petition for review, denied the NLRB’s application for enforcement and vacated the NLRB’s May 2015 order.

The ruling lessens the chance that employees could win compensation for earnings lost during the nine-month lockout.

Kellogg brought in replacement workers after an Oct. 2013 lockout of more than 200 employees represented by a union. The lockout occurred after the union balked at a company proposal to expand use of lower-paid casual workers.

Kellogg’s spokeswoman Kris Charles says the company has since reached a new master agreement that covers the Memphis plant.