86ing Harassment

March 6, 2024 marked an historic date for the Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS) organization as well as the beverage and hospitality industries as a whole when the86 Harassment initiative was announced. The first of its kind, 86 Harassment committed itself to creating and administering an action plan with the goal of reducing workplace sexism, harassment, and violence, notably sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

BY EMILY DOCKERY

86 Harassment is working to unify the beverage and hospitality industries through this singular yet comprehensive program. There are five fundamental components to the program which include: inform, organize, act, impact, and evolve. Offering resources to aid in healing from experiences involving harassment and violence, 86 Harassment also provides training to avoid such situations by educating on tactics for bystander prevention, empowerment through laws and policies, access to external hotlines, and more.

While the program was launched by WOTVS, the effort was largely collaborative. The inspirational and important work of the organization’s partners and leaders does not go unnoticed by the administration of the WOTVS. The main framework of council members and sponsors include:

Francis Creighton, President & CEO, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America

Michelle Cubbon, Associate General Counsel, Pernod Ricard North America

Catherine Eaton, Vice President, Finance and Operations at Spirits Canada

Sarah Fitzmaurice, Chief of Staff, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Leah Kelly, Manager, Global Alcohol Responsibility, Brown-Forman Corporation

Melissa Linehan, Region President, Republic National Distributing Company

This group grasped the urgency for a program like 86 Harassment to be constructed and launched and got to work. While being a part of this team and project was certainly a fulfilling endeavor, it was also seen as a major investment into the sustainability of the beverage and hospitality industries. Michelle Cubbon of Pernod Ricard aptlyillustrated not only the experience of personal enrichment but also the clear need for 86Harassment to be a non-performative program with tangible offerings.

“It has been extremely rewarding to be a founding member of the 86 Harassment Council. To truly prevent harassing conduct, employers need to drive an industry-wide effort. In the alcohol beverage industry, we have employees operating outside our workplaces and within the retail workspaces in the control of others. Setting zero tolerance for harassment in our workplaces is the first step, and the next evolution was to ensure that all workplaces in the alcohol beverage industry were free from harassment. 86 Harassment brings this mission to life by providing guidance and resources to all employers, at all sizes, to ensure they have the tools to prevent, respond and stop harassment in their workplaces. It also provides resources for victims of harassment so that they may be supported and understand their options to report harassment so that it may be addressed, with the goal of preventing such issues in the future.”

While the crux of the program certainly lies within a moral and ethical foundation, 86 Harassment also recognizes the importance of the program as it contributes to building and maintaining a sustainable beverage industry. Instances of workplace harassment and violence can have major repercussions on an industry including, but not limited to. employee morale and satisfaction, productivity, hiring and retention rates, and company reputation. Empowering not only individuals but the foundation of the industry is a multi-fold initiative. It requires commitment from corporations, associations, small businesses, employees, consumers, and beyond in order to instill a sense of accountability. That empowerment is where the foundation of its sustainability thrives. Corporations such as Spirits Canada have attached themselves to this philosophy. As an official member of the team at 86 Harassment,

Catherine Eaton has been outspoken as a leader of the initiative not only personally but on behalf of their entire portfolio of entities:

“On behalf of our member companies, we are fully invested in this work, alongside our partners at Women of the Vine & Spirits, to provide this best-in class prevention and response education. The mission is to continue to build an industry community that is safe, open and inclusive for all.” “Empowering victims of sexism, workplace harassment and violence starts with recognizing their voices, meeting their needs and turning compassion into action. Through the meaningful work of the 86 Harassment Council, the industry is creating a future where support leads to change.”

In order to thoroughly understand the background, intentions, current offerings, and future of the 86 Harassment program we sat down with Elizabeth Boyd, Vice President of Women of the Vine & Spirits, to discuss the initiative.

AWS | Please give an overview of what working on 86 Harassment has meant to you.

BOYD | Through my work at WOTVS I have had the pleasure of working alongside so many leaders in the industry who, like myself, are driven to make a positive impact. I can’t think of a better embodiment of this ideal than 86 Harassment, which was launched in 2024 as a free industry-wide resource dedicated to promoting a safer and more respectful work environment in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. 86 Harassment was born out of more than five years of collaboration, volunteered time, incredible creativity, and a desire for a safer and better future for our industry.

I am honored to have worked so closely with Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits, and our 86 Harassment council members to bring 86 Harassment to life. I, along with Deborah and our Council have seen the impact the trainings and resources have made already on this industry and it means so much to bring tangible tools and invaluable support to so many individuals and companies in our industry.

AWS | Describe how the concept of 86 Harass- ment was conceived and how the launch was strategized? What were some catalysts that made the need for 86 Harassment apparent?

BOYD | Aligned with our mission of empowering and advancing women, WOTVS is deeply committed to providing tangible resources that support the growth, development, and safety of the beverage alcohol industry. This commitment became particularly urgent in 2020 following the New York Times exposé on sexual harassment and assault within the Court of Master Sommeliers. In response, we immediately issued a Pledge of Commitment to End Sexual Harassment in Beverage Alcohol, making a clear statement to the industry and galvanizing individuals in the industry to take a stance.

To further this commitment, we hired RAINN, North America’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, to develop customized Level 1 and 2 training programs for the beverage alcohol and hospitality sectors, which we offered on a monthly basis at no charge to participants. Shortly after these trainings began, the beer industry experienced its own reckoning with widespread accounts of sexual harassment on social media, further highlighting the critical need for safer workplaces.

During this time, a small team from Pernod Ricard North America, Kayla Campbell and Michelle Cubbon, being the catalysts, approached WOTVS with a vision to do more, hoping to offer both resources for employers and education for employees. We recognized that while many large corporations had comprehensive policies in place, smaller companies like micro-distilleries, craft distilleries, wineries, and breweries often lacked such resources. This was the initial idea behind 86 Harassment – to provide resources available to all in our industry. Our small but mighty team quickly took action, collaborating with leaders in the sexual harassment industries to learn everything we could about how best to support our industry.

In March of 2024, 86 Harassment was officially launched. 86 Harassment was built with the support and collaboration of industry leaders who share our vision of addressing sexual harassment as an industry. We extend our gratitude to Pernod Ricard North America for their guidance, vision, and financial support in creating and launching 86 Harassment, and to BrownFor- man, DISCUS, RNDC, Spirits Canada, and WSWA for believing in this vision and supporting the longevity of this industry-wide resource. Their financial contributions enable us to offer this resource to the industry at no cost, making sexual violence prevention education and survivor support accessible to all.

AWS | How are the needs for victims of sexism as well as a variety of workplace harassment and violence facilitated through support and action executed via the mission of 86 Harassment?

BOYD | While individuals may be familiar with their company’s internal policies and procedures, many struggle with knowing how to effectively intervene as a bystander. 86 Harassment directly addresses this challenge by equipping individuals with valuable tools to prevent incidents before they occur. Recognizing that smaller brands, bars, and restaurants often lack the resources of larger companies with HR departments to implement robust sexual harassment policies, 86 Harassment was designed as an industry-wide resource to support organizations of all sizes, guiding companies and employees on the path to prevention. Key components include a centralized hub of resources with toolkits, training guides, downloadable posters, and more, a confidential industry-specific hotline operated by RAINN, and customized training programs developed by experts in sexual violence prevention. 86 Harassment is accessible 365 days a year, 24/7, to anyone in the industry.

AWS | What are some projects or initiatives 86 Harassment has launched so far? What has the impact been?

BOYD | 86 Harassment offers a range of valuable resources, taking a holistic approach to creating a safer beverage alcohol and hospitality industry.

Trainings: 86 Harassment is currently providing free training sessions customized for the beverage alcohol and hospitality industry, developed and conducted by experts in sexual violence prevention, including RAINN, Safe Bars Inc., and Safe Bar Network. These trainings focus on crucial topics such as bystander intervention, setting boundaries, active allyship, and creating safer communities. New training sessions are continually being added to the calendar.

Confidential Hotline: 86 Harassment provides an industry-specific, dedicated confidential crisis intervention hotline operated by trained staff at RAINN. Available 24/7, the hotline is offered in both English and Spanish. RAINN specialists trained to meet the unique needs of the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries, are available 24/7 to provide empathetic listening and warm handoffs to local service providers. Survivors can receive the help they deserve through RAINN’s relationships with these providers.

Resource Hub: The 86 Harassment centralized resource hub offers a wealth of information, including educational content, glossaries, articles, reports, and educational materials for anyone in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. This hub also provides downloadable resources like handouts, toolkits, and visual aids for easy distribution and on-site implementation.

AWS | What does the future of 86 Harassment look like? How is the organization collaborating with its supporters, sponsors, beneficiaries, and the

industry to create success?

BOYD | 86 Harassment is committed to adding new and relevant training modules to address evolving needs and challenges within the industry. This ensures that the resources remain current and effective. In addition to this, the centralized resource hub

will continue to grow, with more translated materials, toolkits, and educational resources becoming available. This will increase accessibility and impact a wider audience. Contributing to this resource and seeing the collective impact of our work has been incredibly fulfilling. I am very excited to continue growing 86 Harassment in 2025 and beyond. The passion and commitment behind and within the program and its leaders is clear to see. In an industry that has been confronted with a reckoning in recent years, and on multiple fronts, the urgency in getting this program off the ground, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity, and imploring accountability is noteworthy. With so many initiatives and coalitions proving to be performative at best, 86 Harassment has set the tone for championing and celebrating the burden of obligation within an industry. This work is not easy, not comfortable, and certainly not reflective of the typical jovial

aesthetic of the beverage and hospitality industries. This work can be caustic, raw, and arduous. However, the fulfilling and healing results of developing 86 Harassment and its resources is imperative for an evolving industry pledged to maintaining accountability. In order to put the mission of 86 Harassment into a concise narrative, Chris Swonger, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, simply states, “Sexual harassment has absolutely no place in our industry.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Dockery is theExecutive Director for the Michigan Wine Collaborative, michiganwinecollaborative.com. She also co-chair of the Inclusion & Expansion Committee and has extensive experience in the retail wine sales industry and is a graduate of the Lake Michigan College enology and viticulture program.

86 Harassment is actively seeking industry sponsors to support their mission. If you are interested in learning more about how to get engaged, please reach out to info@86harassment.com.