Community and region need to fight for jobs and support Diageo workers

“We won’t go down without a fight.”

That comment from Unifor Local 200 president John D’Agnolo hasn’t escaped my mind since last Thursday morning. Many who live here, work here or visit here likely thought the same way when confronted by the bad news that came out that day.

When 160 unionized workers and the other non-unionized staff learned they are losing their jobs at Diageo come next February, it was a gut punch to the community. It was news that has to be reported, but it is done with regret, worry and a whole lot of disappointment.

Having a corporation come in and say your job is leaving town in a few months is dreadful news to hear and the stress, anger and shock it causes is totally understandable.

While the direct impact this announcement causes is bad enough, the indirect spinoff effect has to be factored in as well. The employees will have to cut their expenses, focus their purchases even moreso on the necessities of life and that will spill into the business community as a whole. 

The business community employs a lot of people and if those businesses are obtaining less revenue, they could be negatively impacted as well.

There is also the tax factor as the loss of a major company like Diageo could impact the tax rate in a significant way. 

Hopefully efforts to negotiate with Diageo and talk them into staying prove fruitful and we applaud efforts by the union and anyone else fighting to save these jobs. Whatever factored into this business decision has to be countered by the impact moving the jobs out of a community the size of Amherstburg has. The workers at the Amherstburg plant work hard and have been a valuable asset to their company. The company needs to see the value of what the local plant brings - including to themselves through community support - and a business case must be presented to them to show them why these jobs should be left alone.

The workers at Diageo (and Seagram and Calverts etc.) have busted their butts for decades providing for their families and, in the process, not just earned a living but helped build a community. I understand you can’t run a business on nostalgia, but the plant has been able to survive all kinds of economic conditions for many decades so the company needs to see that they can and should continue on here. 

Should the Diageo jobs be gone for good, every economic development officer locally, regionally, provincially and nationally need to act (assuming they are not already working on this, as they should be). Keeping what we have is the priority but Plan B-Z should be to replace these jobs and keep this vital industrial site active.

One thing I’ve learned about living and working in Amherstburg is that this community is tough and resilient.  

Sadly, we’ve seen major employers leave before but Amherstburg has always gotten through it. It stinks that it’s looking like we might have to do it again, but, you can’t keep this town down. But, in the meantime, keep up the fight! The workers, the spinoff businesses and the community as a whole deserve nothing less.

Community and region need to fight for jobs and support Diageo workers

By Ron Giofu