Unifor is demanding transparency from Diageo as the liquor giant prepares to shut down its Amherstburg, Ont., plant while maintaining that Crown Royal whisky will continue to be produced entirely in Canada for all markets.
The union represents more than 200 workers at the plant, which currently blends and bottles Crown Royal. Diageo plans to close the facility by February 2026 but has not specified which facilities will take over the Canadian production it claims will continue.
Workers dispute company claims
Front-line employees who have processed Crown Royal for decades challenge Diageo’s statements, according to the union. These workers point to the current blending process at the Amherstburg location, which adds Canadian water and other ingredients.
“Diageo refuses to specify which U.S. facilities it is moving Canadian jobs to, while continuing to placate the Canadian public with claims that Crown Royal will not change,” Unifor said in a statement. “We are just months away from the planned closure of the Amherstburg plant that currently blends and bottles Crown Royal without additional Canadian capacity to take over the work that they claim will still be done in Canada.”
Company maintains Canadian production
In a statement issued through a New York crisis management firm, Diageo said all Crown Royal will continue to be blended in Canada for all markets, including the United States. The company said Crown Royal meets Canadian whisky labelling requirements, which mandate the product “must, among other things, be mashed, aged, and distilled in Canada.”
Workers question the practicality of shipping unbottled liquid product to the U.S. without affecting quality and creating safety risks, according to Unifor.
Union cites Alabama plant construction
Unifor Local 200 President John D’Agnolo said the closure decision was made by Diageo’s board in England. “It’s time for Diageo to come clean on how it plans to bottle Crown Royal past February of next year – beyond vague statements of multiple sites in the U.S. and unspecified plans to mash, blend, age, and distill in Canada,” D’Agnolo said.
The union noted that Diageo announced construction of a plant in Montgomery, Alabama in January 2025, following President Trump’s inauguration. Alabama is a right-to-work state where union organizing faces legal restrictions.
Unifor represents 320,000 workers across Canada’s private sector, according to the union.
