Employees at major Ky. bourbon distillery trying to form union

VERSAILLES, Ky. (WKYT) - Employees at one of Kentucky’s major bourbon distilleries are trying to form a union.

Labor union Teamsters Local 651 tell us employees at Woodford Reserve have filed for a union election. We’re told teamsters officially filed for the election with National Labor Relations Board on October 12.

“Woodford Reserves workers are the lowest paid among the bourbon industry in the bluegrass region,” said James Brant, Teamsters Local 651 president.

Brant tells us they’re organizing in search of “better pay, healthcare and job security.” He says the Woodford Reserve employees began their organizing efforts back in February of this year.

Brant says the election will happen on November 17.

“We have been notified that the teamsters have filed for a unionization vote,” said Elizabeth Conway, Director of Brown-Forman Brand and External Communications, “Brown-Forman is committed to having a positive working environment and empowers our distillery employees to communicate directly with leadership. We value this relationship, and we do not believe that unionizing is in the best interests of our production team at the Woodford Reserve Distillery.”

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