Striking Jim Beam workers vote to go back to work

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Striking Jim Beam workers voted to go back to work Friday afternoon.

The 204-19 vote on the new contract offer means that the nearly weeklong strike at two Kentucky distilleries has come to an end.

About 250 workers walked off jobs last Saturday at Beam distilleries in Clermont and Boston after voting down a contract offer. Their main complaint was not money but time -- the union wanted more full-time workers hired, rather than temporary employees. Ballard says the company is promising to hire more full-time workers in an effort to reduce overtime that has some workers putting in 60 to 80 hours a week.

The whiskey brand is owned by Suntory Holdings Ltd. The company released a statement Friday afternoon:

"This outcome is good news for our people, our customers and fans of Jim Beam everywhere," said David Hunter, chief supply chain officer for Beam Suntory. The successful resolution of this matter resulted from constructive good faith dialogue with the union leadership, and valuable listening sessions with a broad cross section of team members. We developed solutions that include less reliance on temporary workers, better management of overtime, and a number of improvements to promote work-life balance. This contract builds on the values shared by our company and our workforce, and will help make these plants even better places to work."

The company's operations in Clermont and Boston will resume Monday at full strength.