Heaven Hill reaches 'tentative agreement' with local union on 5-year contract

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Weeks after its employees went on strike, and days before the company threatened to hire permanent replacement workers, Heaven Hill has reached a tentative agreement with the local union, according to a company statement.

"Heaven Hill and UFCW 23D have reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract, with the full recommendation of the UFCW negotiating committee," the statement reads. "The agreement continues Heaven Hill's long-standing commitment to its team members with industry-leading health care, wage growth and increased schedule flexibility."

Union members are scheduled to vote on Saturday.

Union President Matt Aubrey said he's not sure how members will vote, and if it is voted against, the strike will continue.

"I think right now, they’re just, emotions are kind of high. They don’t know what they’re walking into. They don’t know what the future’s going to hold for them. If they vote 'no' again, then they’ll be right back out here right after the vote," he said.

Katie Gaffney has worked at Heaven Hill for more than a decade. The past several weeks, she's been standing outside the facility with fellow union members on strike.

"It does you know, make me tear up but, (I've) got to stay strong," she said.

Gaffney said she's hopeful and nervous, and doesn't know yet which way she'll vote.

"I will base that decision when I read and hear what everyone has to say, but if I don’t agree with it I will not vote in favor," she said.

Earlier in the week, Heaven Hill said its "last, best and final" contract offer would go into effect Oct. 25 and if union employees didn't accept, the company would start the process of hiring permanent replacement workers.

Aubrey said Thursday the company and union came to the table once again.

"We had a meeting yesterday, a last second meeting yesterday with a federal mediator, he brought both sides together," said Aubrey. "The union continued to do good faith bargaining during the movement. After 12 1/2 hours of meeting, it reached to a five-year tentative agreement."

The terms of the contract were not immediately available. Aubrey said changes had been made, but he would not comment exactly what those changes were.

"It’s always been a great relationship between both sides (union and company)," said Aubrey. "Just here recently, lately, it’s just been kind of a dysfunctional family moment I guess you could say, so now maybe this is a first step in making a relationship kind of build back up."

Aubrey said union members will vote on the tentative agreement early Saturday afternoon. He said there will be an informational meeting with a Q&A before the vote.

Heaven Hill declined a request for an interview or additional comment Friday.

Since Sept. 11, more than 400 United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23D have been on strike. Union leaders said wages and potential shift changes are the two biggest issues. The company and union leaders have been negotiating since late July. And then September, the 400 union members overwhelmingly rejected a five-year contract.

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