Picard–Lefschetz monodromy of products

Let f and g be reduced homogeneous polynomials in separate sets of variables. We establish a simple formula that relates the eigenspace decomposition of the monodromy operator on the Milnor fiber cohomology of fg to that of f and g separately. We use a relation between local systems and Milnor fiber cohomology that has been established by D. Cohen and A. Suciu.