Talking to Bourbon Workers on the Picket Line
A conversation with Matt Aubrey, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23D.
Maximillian Alvarez
Around 400 union distillery workers in Bardstown, Kentucky, hit the picket line September 13 after rejecting a contract offer from Heaven Hill Distilleries, which included healthcare price hikes that reduce take-home pay, cuts to overtime, and drastic scheduling changes. Heaven Hill produces some of the most popular bourbon brands in the world, including Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, and Old Fitzgerald. According to Inc. Fact, the company averages annual profits of over $500 million. In this mini-cast, we talk with Matt Aubrey, president of UFCW Local 23D to get an update on the strike and what listeners can do to show support.
Additional links/info below…
- Bruce Schreiner, AP News, “Big Bourbon Producer Heaven Hill Faces Strike in Kentucky”
- WLKY, “Employees on Strike at Heaven Hill in Bardstown Demanding Better Working Conditions”
- Inc. Fact, “Heaven Hill Distilleries: Revenue, Growth & Competitor Profile”
Permanent links below…
- Working People Patreon page
- Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
- Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
- In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
- The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page
Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)
- Jules Taylor, “Working People Theme Song”
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Maximillian Alvarez is editor-in-chief at the Real News Network and host of the podcast Working People, available at InTheseTimes.com. He is also the author of The Work of Living: Working People Talk About Their Lives and the Year the World Broke.
