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Unifor National President Lana Payne and Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi toured Pelee Island Winery, represented by Unifor Local 200, meeting with members and seeing first-hand the skill and dedication they bring to Canada’s oldest and largest winery.
“When we talk about supporting strong, local, Canadian businesses, this is exactly what we mean,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Every bottle that leaves here exemplifies the skills of our members, their dedication to their craft, and economic activity that ripples across the country. Good union jobs like these are what keep towns thriving.”
Located at the southernmost point of mainland Canada, Pelee Island Winery’s history stretches back more than 150 years. Today, its 700 acres of vineyards produce over two million litres of wine annually.
The visit included stops in key areas of production. In the cool cellar, Payne and Hashi learned how wines mature over months or years in barrels or how some sparkling wines are stored on racks in inverted glass bottles to help the fermentation process.
On the bottling line, they watched a dizzying line of wine bottles being filled, sealed, and prepared for shipment.
At the grape-crushing area, they observed where the first step of the winemaking process begins, where harvests from Pelee Island and Kingsville vineyards are transformed into the juice that will eventually become award-winning wines.
“It’s so important for us as a union to understand not just the challenges our members face, but how their work fits into the bigger picture,” said Hashi. “By learning how a business like this operates from vine to bottle, we can better represent our members, strengthen their voice, and organize more workers to build power in workplaces like this one.”
Pelee Island Winery is more than a historic landmark, it’s an anchor for the local economy, employing skilled workers who craft products enjoyed nationwide.
“Supporting Canadian-made products supports Canadian workers. It’s about ensuring the next generation has opportunities to work, build a life, and stay in communities like this one,” said Payne.
This winery complements other Unifor members who work at Diageo (Local 200) in Amherstburg, and Hiram Walker and Sons (Local 2027) in Windsor, Canadian Mist Distillers (Local 2003-E) in Collingwood, and Prairie Malt Limited (Local 270) in Biggar, Saskatchewan, as well as Canadian breweries, such as Labatt Brewing Company (Local 250-A) in Edmonton, and Molson Brewery (FFAW) in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
