Union workers, upset by the prospect of extending weekend shifts, have been picketing the bottling and warehouse operations of Kentucky-based Heaven Hill Distillery, one of the largest producers of bourbon of the world.
The ride, on its third Monday, involves about 420 members of the 23D of United Food and Commercial Workers Local. Last week they overwhelmingly voted to reject a new five-year contract offer and formed picket lines Saturday at Heaven Hill operations in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Heaven Hill, family owned and operated, produces Evan Williams, one of the best-selling Bourbons in the world. Other Heaven Hill brands include Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna, Old Fitzgerald, Larceny and Parker’s Heritage Collection.
The dispute over weekend work is a sign of the growing pain of the Bourbon industry, which is trying to keep up with growing global demand.
Heaven Hill noted it wanted to assign new contracts to nontraditional schedules that included weekend jobs, Local 23D president Matt Aubrey said in a telephone interview Monday. The company was vague about the generalization of weekend shifts and how it would affect existing workers if weekend shifts could not be covered by new employees, he said.
This raised a “red flag” with union workers and helped drive the exit, Aubrey said.
“We know that Heaven Hill is family owned. They say to these workers, ‘You are family, just like us. You are our family, “Aubrey said, adding that most workers have their own families.” If you push them into this non-traditional schedule, that will take them away from their loved ones. “
The union said the company’s contractual offer would also remove the limit on increases in health insurance premiums, reduce overtime and reduce the salary to take home.
Heaven Hill said its employee support “has been a source of pride” since its founding.
“For the past few months we have been holding productive talks with the union on components of the contract,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to work with UFCW leadership to achieve this first-class workforce package.”
Workers often spend long careers at bourbon distilleries in Kentucky, and jobs often attract several generations of families. Disputes arise from time to time and in recent years there have been other strikes in Jim Beam and Four Roses, other emblematic names in the Bourbon sector.
The Bourbon industry has been on a long-lasting upward trajectory. Combined sales in the United States of bourbon, Tennessee and rye whiskey rose 8.2%, or $ 327 million, to $ 4.3 billion in 2020, despite declining bar and restaurant sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the United States Distillated Spirits Council. this year.
Kentucky distilleries produce 95% of the world’s bourbon supply, according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.