Premier Doug Ford’s impending Crown Royal boycott could impact Ontario workers in Brampton, where 680 NewsRadio has learned a manufacturer produces the glass bottles for the whiskey. It comes as Ford seemingly offered up an off-ramp to the liquor manufacturer, which he says would prevent him from removing Crown from the LCBO store shelves.
Glass manufacturer O-I Brampton produces the glass bottles that Crown Royal goes into, as well as producing glass bottles for other Diageo brand liquors. O-I declined to comment when asked by 680 NewsRadio what the impact of the potential boycott would be to its employees and its operations.
When asked on Monday if he’s worried that removing Crown Royal from LCBO shelves would hurt these workers in Brampton, Premier Ford said, “No, not at all.” Ford has promised to remove the liquor from the LCBO in response to Diageo closing its bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ont., impacting approximately 200 workers.
Twice this week, Premier Ford appeared to soften his stance, offering the company an off-ramp to avoid the boycott.
“I’m flexible,” Ford said on Monday, suggesting that if the company were to come up with a proposal to replace the 200 jobs elsewhere, he would cancel the boycott
“Show me a plan that’s going to replace those jobs, and then we’re good,” the Premier said Wednesday.
Diaego did not respond to questions from 680 NewsRadio when asked if it would comply with the Premier’s request.
Diego tells 680 NewsRadio that it directly employs more than 100 people in Ontario, outside of the workers who will lose their jobs in Amherstburg, and that it allocates more than $100 million per year to companies in Ontario for things like advertising, goods and services.
Premiers in two other provinces have urged Ford not to remove Crown Royal from the LCBO. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew asked Ford to “do a 180,” noting that the liquor is distilled in Gimli, Man., while Quebec‘s finance minister also raised concerns as Quebec is home to a Diageo bottling facility.
Ford has pledged to pull Crown Royal from the LCBO when the company closes it’s Ontario bottling facility on February 28.
