Employees at a Windsor distillery have inked a new contract with their employer.
Hiram Walker and Sons Limited and Unifor Local 2027 have reached a four-year contract extension. The deal was ratified this week, six months before the current deal was set to expire."We are very pleased to have come to a new four-year collective agreement with Unifor," said Angelo DeMarco, Hiram Walker's Senior Human Resources Director in North America. "This provides a strong and positive foundation for continued growth at Hiram Walker and Sons."
The contract extension takes effect on January 4, 2022. Among the key points are lump-sum payments totalling $5,o00 over the life of the agreement, an early-signing bonus of $4,000, improvements to vacation scheduling, and the introduction of a temporary part-time student program.
The agreement also allows for 18 early-retirement incentive packages throughout the deal.
"We are very pleased with the outcome and proud to have bargained a fair agreement with the company that provides improvements for our members and contributes to long-term growth and stability," said Unifor Local 2027 President James Mitchell. "I would like to thank Local 2027 membership for their support."
The contract extension was approved with 86 per cent of the membership saying "yes". There are 153 production and skilled trades workers at Hiram Walker's Windsor distillery complex.