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Talking to Bourbon Workers on the Picket Line

A conversation with Matt Aubrey, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23D.

Maximillian Alvarez

UFCW

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.

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Maximillian Alvarez is editor-in-chief at the Real News Network and host of the podcast Working People, available at InThe​se​Times​.com. He is also the author of The Work of Living: Working People Talk About Their Lives and the Year the World Broke.

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