October 24, 2021 – Striking Heaven Hill workers are putting away their picket signs and preparing to return to work this week after ratifying a new five-year contract Saturday. 420 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23-D had been on strike since September 11 at Heaven Hill’s main maturation and bottling facilities in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Both sides will now try to repair damaged relationships following the six-week strike, which led to at least one court hearing, a National Labor Relations Board complaint, and the beginnings of a social media-fueled boycott movement targeting Heaven Hill whiskies after the company declared an impasse last week and announced plans to hire replacement workers.
In a statement, UFCW Local 23-D president Matt Aubrey claimed a victory for his members. The union’s key goal was to prevent Heaven Hill from going to seven-day production with some workers assigned to shifts on Saturdays or Sundays, and the new contract maintains the current Monday-Friday work week while “defining more language on non-traditional scheduling,” as Aubrey indicated in a text message to WhiskyCast.
“This new Heaven Hill contract is a strong reminder of what is possible when Kentucky workers stand together to protect the good jobs that keep our economy growing and our communities and families strong. With the strong support of the Bardstown community, including many local businesses and community leaders, these hardworking men and women at Heaven Hill courageously stood up to fight for what all Kentucky families want – good jobs, affordable health care, and to be treated right by the company they made a success. Together, these hardworking Kentuckians preserved the affordable healthcare, overtime pay, and fair scheduling that enables them to balance work with supporting their families.”
Workers will receive a pay increase of up to $3.09 per hour over the five-year life of the contract, along with maintaining current required overtime hours. The contract also calls for additional company contributions to health insurance and 401(k) retirement plans, along with an increase in paid holidays and vacation benefits.
Heaven Hill executives issued a statement thanking union members for ratifying the new contract.
“We look forward to welcoming our team members as we transition back to normal operations. The agreement continues Heaven Hill’s long-standing commitment to its team members with industry-leading health care, wage growth and increased schedule flexibility.”
WhiskyCast has requested interviews with union leaders and Heaven Hill executives. This story will be updated with additional information as necessary.