United Food & Commercial Workers Local 23D said heaven Hill Distilleries has broken off contract talks and move to replace 420 Heaven Hill distillery workers as a strike at Heaven Hill’s main distillery in Bardstown, Ky., nears its seventh week.
The union said Heaven Hill is refusing to bargain in good faith and filed a unfair labor practices charge against Heaven Hill with the National Labor Relations Board.
The union noted that the 420 Heaven Hill strikers are part of 100,000 workers on strike this month.
“The reality is that Heaven Hill negotiations are not at an impasse,” said Matt Aubrey, the local president. “UFCW 23D and Heaven Hill workers are ready and willing to meet with the company to continue talks so that we can reach a fair contract. Good faith bargaining by the company with its workers and their union can succeed,” he added.
“Heaven Hill workers launched a new grassroots campaign to show the company that Kentucky families and Americans across the country are calling for action on a fair contract to protect these good Kentucky jobs. In less than a week, support has poured in from the Bardstown community and so many others with nearly 2,000 supporters sending a total of over 5,000 emails to Max Shapira and other company executives.
“Heaven Hill immediately cut the healthcare of its workers and retirees when they spoke out for a stronger contract and went on strike. The contract proposed by the company threatens good jobs in our community by cutting overtime and trying to divide workers with unclear and potentially unfair scheduling.”
Heaven Hill didn’t respond to a request for comment on the union’s charges.