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Unifor welcomes new members at Pelee Island Winery and Vineyards Inc. in Kingsville, Ont., who joined the union this week.
“The best way to improve your workplace is to organize,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We are thrilled that these brave and dedicated winery workers have chosen our union to stand by them and fight for them for good jobs, fair wages and respect.”
The members at the winery voted in large majority to join Unifor on March 27 to 28 and the union agreed with the Ontario Labour Relations Board to form two separate units. Pelee Island Winery workers chose to organize and join Unifor after workplace conditions were being challenged with new management. There were vacation cutbacks with senior employees, harassment, favouritism, and job security issues.
The union held weekly in-person meetings to discuss any challenges and to keep everyone up to speed with the campaign.
These new members work in clerical, accounting, labelling, bottling, production, and sales.
This winery victory complements other Unifor members who work at hard liquor makers Diageo (Local 200) in Amherstburg, Ont., and Hiram Walker and Sons Ltd. (Local 2027) in Windsor, Ont., Canadian Mist Distillers (Local 2003-E) in Collingwood, Ont., and Prairie Malt Ltd. (Local 270) in Biggar, Sask., as well as Canadian breweries, such as Labatt Brewing Company (Local 250-A) in Edmonton, and Molson Brewery (FFAW) in St. John’s, Nfld. and Labrador.
“This group worked extremely hard for the right outcome, and I congratulate them on this much needed victory,” said Unifor Director of Organizing Justin Gniposky. “These workers joined a long tradition of organized alcohol-manufacturers in Windsor-Essex County. The more momentum we have in this sector, the more solidarity we can build.”
