Labor Union Files Federal Complaint Over Negotiations With Brown-Forman

Labor leaders at Brown-Forman have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing the spirits maker of unfair labor practices.
Teamsters Local 89 President Fred Zuckerman told  The Courier-Journal workers rejected two proposals before the contract ended Feb. 1, and negotiations this week ended in a stalemate. The union and Brown-Forman agreed to a 30-day extension. But at negotiations Wednesday, Zuckerman said Brown-Forman decided to move forward with its first contract proposal, despite the union's concerns. Phil Lynch, a spokesman for Brown-Forman, said negotiations will continue. The local union represents about 200 employees who work between two Brown-Forman facilities in Jefferson County. Zuckerman said wages, benefits and pensions are points of disagreement with Brown-Forman, which owns Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniel's.