Hiram Walker & Sons and Unifor Local 2027 reach agreement

WINDSOR, ON, Dec. 1, 2017 /CNW/ - Hiram Walker & Sons Limited is pleased to announce that a four-year collective agreement has been ratified between the company and Unifor Local 2027, which represents its 137 production and skilled trades workers at the historic distillery in Windsor, Ontario. 

The new agreement was reached six weeks before it was due to expire. Approximately 66% of the union membership voted in favour of the new deal that addresses key issues for the Canadian-based facility.
"We are very pleased to have reached this important agreement with Unifor." says Jim Stanski, Vice-President of Operations for Pernod Ricard North America. "Our employees are at the core of our business and of everything we do here at Hiram Walker and this agreement provides a good platform on which we can build a healthy and globally-competitive manufacturing business in Windsor."

The deal provides for the following changes:

• 4 Year Collective Agreement
• Early Signing bonus of $3000
• Wage increases of 2% per year
• Lump Sum payments in lieu of COLA in year 1 & 2 of the agreement
  (totaling $3000 for production & $3500 for trades over the life of the contract)
• Health Care Benefit improvements
• 30 voluntary retirement incentive packages over the life of the contract
• Establishment of a Defined Contribution Pension Plan for future hires

In preparation for anticipated retirements, Hiram Walker & Sons will begin recruiting for production roles. All positions will be posted online at corby.ca/careers.

Hiram Walker & Sons Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pernod Ricard S.A. and is the proud home of J.P.Wiser's^® Lot No. 40^®, Pike Creek^®, and Gooderham & Worts^® Canadian whiskies, Polar Ice^® vodka, Lamb's^® rums, and McGuinness^® and Malibu^® liqueurs. Hiram Walker & Sons bottles over 4.5 million cases of spirits and distills 48 million liters of absolute alcohol each year. Pernod Ricard's other key international brands include: ABSOLUT^® vodka, Chivas Regal^®, The Glenlivet^® and Ballantine's^® Scotch whiskies, Jameson^® Irish whiskey, Beefeater^® gin, Kahlúa^® liqueur, Mumm^® champagne, and Jacob's Creek^®, Wyndham Estate^®, Stoneleigh^®, Campo Viejo^® and Graffigna^® wines.

SOURCE Hiram Walker & Sons Limited