Members at Heaven Hill in Lethbridge ratify a new collective agreement
On Friday, November 28, 2025, members working at the Heaven Hill distillery in Lethbridge voted 92% in favour of accepting the terms of the company’s final offer.
While this offer does not address every issue that was raised by the membership, it does contain significant improvements in a number of areas and exceeds the progress made in previous rounds of collective bargaining. The bargaining committee believes that through the support and solidarity of the membership, they were able to push the company to put their best possible financial offer on the table.
Some of the highlights:
- 5 year term. 3% wage increases in each year of the agreement including retro to the expiration of the contract. This represents an increases over the life of the agreement of $4.49 to $8.53 per hour, not inclusive of the other increases listed below.
- $1 adjustment at ratification for some non-ticketed positions.
- Increased severance pay.
- Stats now paid at rate equal to regular shift and not just 8 hours.
- Increased boot allowance $20 per year.
- Removal of $7 wage differentials for new hires.
- Increase of pay for each module of the International Brewers and Distillers program to $1 per module.
- Increased afternoon shift premium to $2, night shift and shift worker premium to $2.50.
- Increased life insurance, AD&D and dependent life insurance.
- Increased STD coverage to 80% up to a maximum of $1,700 a month.
- Doubled laser eye surgery to $2,000 lifetime maximum.
- Increased vision care to $500 every 24 months and eye exams to $160 every 24 months.
- Increased prescription coverage to 100%.
- Orthodontic coverage (braces) increased to 60% up to $3,000.
- Increased annual maximums for dental coverage.
- Defined benefit pension plan increases $1 per month per year of service for each year of CBA, early retirement calculation reduced by 4 years.
- Defined Contribution pension increased to 7% contributions which is matched by the Company and now is based on gross earnings rather than regular earnings
- Health Care Spending Account increased from $500 per year to $2,500 per year.
The members at Heaven Hill produce Black Velvet whisky and other bulk alcohol products. They have been through a number of tough challenges in the last two years, including the closure of their packaging line, which resulted in the loss of approximately 25 full-time positions, and a reduction of raw product manufacturing due to decreased demand of alcohol spirits across the country.
It is the membership’s hope that a new five-year agreement will help provide some security and stability to the workplace as the industry adjusts to new trends and needs of the general public.
A special thank you to the members of bargaining committee, staff, and administration who put in the hard work to achieve this result. Thank you to everyone who participated in the voting process.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW 401 Bargaining Committee
Posted on: December 08,2025