Administration:
Checks and Balances

Seagram Office Building, circa 1970. View Image Notes in New Window

The management staff, or "the company employees", as they were called by the unionized workers, were responsible for overseeing the day to day operations of the plant. Responsibility for ensuring the efficient running of the entire distillery ultimately rested with the plant manager. Knowledgeable in all aspects of the operation, the manager was responsible for the following: meeting production quotas, quality requirements, and cost objectives; carrying out corporate policies; and dealing with employees, community associates and customers. Community work was also an important part of the manager's job. As a liaison between the company and the community, he served on the board of directors or participated in the activities of several local charities and professional organizations. Most plant managers were company men who had worked in management positions in other Seagram distilleries across the country prior to their appointment to Waterloo.

Supporting the work of the plant manager was a team of superintendents, department heads, supervisors and administrative staff. The Seagram Company strived to provide its management group with opportunities to receive experience and training in a broad range of operational procedures. There was a great deal of mobility within the company for members of the management group. Individuals were often hired as specialists, and were promoted into positions of responsibility as their overall knowledge of operational procedures grew. The management team was responsible for meeting the objectives set by the plant manager, for implementing policies, supervising staff, and implementing Union contracts.

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