‘Elbows up’ isn’t just for Ontario: Doug Ford’s attacks on Crown Royal threaten more Canadian jobs

TORONTO, Jan. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday, Doug Ford announced that Crown Royal will be removed from LCBO shelves next month. Ford’s attacks on the Crown Royal brand directly threaten hundreds of good Canadian union jobs in Manitoba and Quebec.

Diageo, the UK-based global alcohol company, is closing its Amherstburg Crown Royal bottling plant next month, partially in response to the ongoing U.S. tariffs. UFCW Canada stands in solidarity with the food workers in Amherstburg who are losing their livelihoods.

However, Doug Ford’s stunts, from pouring out bottles of Crown Royal to now pulling Crown Royal from the LCBO shelves, are directly attacking the livelihoods of hundreds of Canadian workers at the remaining Crown Royal operations: UFCW 832 members at the distillery in Gimli, Manitoba and UFCW 501 members at the bottling operation in Valleyfield, Que. The bottles of Crown Royal on Canadian shop shelves continue to be made by hardworking Canadian union members.

“As usual, Doug Ford is serving up another straight pour of betrayal to Canadian workers,” says Barry Sawyer, UFCW Canada National President. “’Elbows up’ doesn’t just mean ‘elbows up for Ontario’; ‘Elbows up’ means all Canadian workers need to stand together in solidarity.”

“Since when does Doug Ford start caring about good union jobs in Ontario?” adds Sawyer. “This is the same premier who is attacking The Beer Store, costing the province thousands of union jobs, which have not been replaced.”

A boycott is not the answer – hundreds of hard-working UFCW members currently make Crown Royal, which has long been enjoyed in Canada. For more information on union-made Canadian products, visit UFCW Canada’s Great Canadian Food Products page.

About

As Canada's leading union for retail and food workers, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Canada) represents over 250,000 workers across the country working in the food retail and processing, agriculture, health care, security, and hospitality industries, as well as other sectors of the economy. UFCW Canada is the country's most innovative organization dedicated to building fairness in workplaces and communities.

Contact:

Rosemary Quinsey
National Communications Representative, UFCW Canada
647-463-4799
rosemary.quinsey@ufcw.ca

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