2021 Heaven Hill strike

On October 22, over a month into the strike, negotiators announced that a tentative agreement had been reached and that a new contract would be put to a vote the following day.

[1] Going into September 2021, the company had been negotiating with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 23D over the terms of a new five-year labor contract that would affect about 240 employees at the facility.

[3] Despite the negotiations, neither side could come to an agreement on a new contract, with the union stating that the company's offers would reduce overtime work and take-home pay and remove a limit on health insurance premiums.

[1] Some workers interpreted the company's statements and certain "gray areas" in the contract to mean that they would be required to work on weekends without extra pay.

[7] Additionally, labor disputes had recently occurred at other bourbon producers in the area, including at Four Roses and in the 2016 Jim Beam strike.

[14] The strike occurred several days before the 2021 Kentucky Bourbon Festival, leading the Lexington Herald-Leader to report that Heaven Hill would not be participating in the event.

[17] On September 15, in a show of solidarity with the strikers, the local Buffalo Wings & Rings restaurant agreed to not sell any Heaven Hill products until the strike was over.

[19] The negotiations were organized by an outside mediator, which, according to a union steward, was not a good sign and showed that the company was not fully willing to restart discussions.

[24] On October 4, local CBS-affiliate WLKY reported that about 20 union members had already left Heaven Hill and found employment at other companies, with the article stating that that number could rise the longer the strike lasted.

[26] On October 13, a delivery driver near the facility flipped his truck in an automobile accident after making a "threatening gesture" to picketers near the entrance.

[27] On October 18, having declared that the negotiations were at an impasse, Heaven Hill announced their intention to hire permanent replacement workers.

[33] Additionally, the union members would receive an hourly pay raise of $3.09 for the duration of the contract,[33] as well as a 4.25 percent increase for employer contributions to their healthcare plan.