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As workers filed out of Diageo’s Amherstburg, Ont., Crown Royal bottling facility for the last time on Wednesday, some expressed anger — not just at the company that put them out of work, but at the provincial government for not following through on a promise to pull Crown Royal off shelves if the plant closed.
“You told me man to man that the day I walked out of here, being the last person, you were going to pull it off the shelf,” said Doug Benekritis, the Diageo chair for Unifor Local 200, addressing Premier Doug Ford directly.
“As far as I’m concerned, I held up my end of the bargain and you didn’t.”
Benekritis said the region helped propel Ford into government with its election of several Progressive Conservative MPPs but says he’ll “never vote Conservative again.”
Earlier this month, the provincial government struck a deal with the global spirits giant Diageo that would see its Crown Royal whisky remain on LCBO shelves in exchange for a $23 million investment — mostly in the province’s alcohol and agriculture sectors.
Much of the money is headed to the Greater Toronto Area, with just about a million bound for the Windsor-Essex area.
Workers left the Amherstburg Diageo bottling plant for the last time on Wednesday, two days earlier than expected. But as workers left, some expressed anger, including at the province, which recently struck a deal with Diageo to keep Crown Royal on the shelves in exchange for nearly $23 million in spending in the province’s spirits industry. The CBC’s Jacob Barker reports.
When asked about the deal Thursday at an unrelated event, the area’s Progressive Conservative MPP declined to comment.
“I’ve got nothing to say on that,” Essex MPP Anthony Leardi told a CBC reporter, adding “Another time,” before closing the door.
A spokesperson for Leardi later said he would not be available that day, but would have more to say at a later date.
Asked about the deal on Thursday, Ford said he “fought like hell” for workers in Amherstburg and the deal with Diageo represents money the province would not have otherwise gotten.
“We’re supporting them in a massive massive way,” Ford said, responding to a question about the union’s criticism of the deal. “But I promise you I’m going to call the head of Unifor, no one fought harder in this entire country for their members than I did.”
Work finished at the Diageo facility on Wednesday, two days ahead of the Feb. 28 scheduled closure date of the plant with nearly a century of history in the community.
“This community is going to get a half million dollars, maybe,” said Dean Lennox, a Diageo worker of 23 years. “And it’s not going to the community, it’ll probably go to some charity, I don’t know but these are my personal opinions and it’s disgusting.”
“He could have sent that money down here and at least got them benefits,” said Larry Renaud, a Diageo retiree.
Over the summer, Ford poured a bottle of Crown Royal onto the ground, calling the company “dumb as a bag of hammers” for closing the plant.
As part of the deal, $500,000 will go to the economic development group Invest WindsorEssex, and another $500,000 will come to Amherstburg for other community projects.
Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue said Thursday he hasn’t received any information about the second $500,000.
