Workers at Diageo in Amherstburg have ratified their final collective agreement with the company before it shuts down in February.
The deal, which had to be reached by December 2, was ratified by members of Unifor Local 200 by a margin of 89 per cent.
Local president John D'Agnolo says the timing of the deal came ahead of the crucial deadline, which was paramount for the membership.
"December 2 was the deadline for the collective agreement," said D'Agnolo. "If we went past that deadline, they wouldn't get the two weeks' severance."
In fact, D'Agnolo said the company could have walked away from talks.
"Whenever you're in a position where there's a plant closure on top of the agreement ending, now there's pressure to get an agreement because once that deadline goes past, the company can just say, 'you know what? We're moving forward,' and we have no agreement," he explained.
D'Agnolo is still optimistic that another company will take over the plant. There was word that three companies were interested in the operation, but D'Agnolo said he hasn't heard if those companies are moving forward.
Unifor was able to negotiate funds for a centre to help the workers find new employment.
