Diageo Canada agrees deal with workers

Employees at Diageo Canada’s Crown Royal Canadian whisky bottling plant have ratified a new three-year contract agreement following earlier union negotiations.

Employees at Diageo Canada’s Crown Royal Canadian whisky bottling plant have ratified a new contract

Around 160 members of labour union Unifor Local 200 employed at the Amherstburg-based facility have agreed to the “highly competitive” contract.

The news comes as union members in the UK voted in favour of industrial action over proposed pension cuts in the run up to Christmas.

A spokesperson from Diageo said: “We are very pleased that Unifor member employees at our Amherstburg bottling facility have ratified a new contract agreement.

“The three-year contract is highly competitive and enables a reliable and efficient supply chain for Crown Royal Canadian whiskies.”

In 2014, more than 100 unionised employees faced redundancy at the Amherstburg plant leaving a workforce of 92. In retaliation, members of the union voted in favour of going on strike if job security negotiations were not settled.

In March this year, around 50 workers at Crown Royal’s Gimli-based distillery went on strike after negotiations with Diageo stalled.