2 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁over ▁an ▁labor ▁contract ▁that ▁exp ired ▁On ▁December ▁ 3 1 . ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁Neg oti ations ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁contract ▁had ▁begun ▁the ▁previous ▁May . ▁The ▁strike ▁last ed ▁three ▁weeks ▁and ▁ended ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁contract ▁was ▁to ▁run ▁till ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁the ▁product ▁line ▁showed ▁a ▁complete ▁shift ▁away ▁from ▁to ys ▁and ▁included ▁the ▁Empire ▁line ▁of ▁electric ▁coffee ▁mak ers ▁and ▁party ▁ur ns , ▁slow ▁cook ers , ▁electric ▁k ett les , ▁pop - c orn ▁po ppers , ▁egg ▁cook ers ▁and ▁po ach ers , ▁hot ▁cu ps , ▁travel ▁k its , ▁Lady ▁Arist ette ▁hair ▁dry ers , ▁and ▁the ▁combination ▁Kar ▁' N ▁Home ▁k its . ▁ ▁The ▁line ▁of ▁metal ▁to ys ▁was ▁dropped ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁due ▁to ▁increasing ▁federal ▁safety ▁reg ulations . ▁New ▁products ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁included ▁the ▁Little ▁F ry ▁mini ▁deep ▁f ry er ▁and ▁the ▁Empire ▁Tra vl - M ate ▁automatic ▁coffee ▁mak er ▁k it . ▁▁ 1 9 8 1 - 2 0 1 4 ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁marked ▁a ▁major ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁company ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁ac quis itions ▁of ▁related