With a closure agreement in place with the over 200 unionized workers at Diageo in Amherstburg, mayor Michael Prue is now questioning if the company will sell its facility located at 110 St. Arnaud Street.
As reported, the employees represented by Unifor Local 200 voted 89 per cent in favour of the tentative closure agreement during a ratification vote Sunday.
Prue said he was aware through the union that closure agreement negotiations were happening.
"The important thing for the town is that this agreement has been reached and the workers of Diageo can receive their money or their pensions or whatever provision applies to each and every one of them," said Prue.
Prue said with an agreement in place Diageo will find it easier to sell the property.
"They've made their deal with the union and with the workers, now the question is what do they do with the property? This frees up any discussion, it's just how much is the property worth to them, are they willing to sell it," he said.
Prue confirmed there's at least one unnamed beverage producer still interested in purchasing the property and previously said the province had been involved in ongoing discussions.
Premier Doug Ford had been very vocal about his frustrations with the closure, even threatening to remove Diageo products from the LCBO shelves.
However, Prue said recent calls to Ford's liaison have not been returned and he would like to receive a call back.
"As the time ticks people will want to know what's going to happen in February. If we can make this seamless, if Diageo will sell this property, and if this company will come here and start production the next day, it'll be fantastic," he said.
Diageo is expected to continue operations in Amherstburg until February 2026.
AM800 News has reached out to the premier's office and Diageo for comment.