She was 17 and pregnant when she died tending grapes in 100 + heat, no shade and water was not near

[Omaha Steve]

I bought a bottle of wine thinking of Maria. I'll never buy 2 Buck Chuck again. For dinner Marta and I had a bottle of Columbia-Crest ($9.99 on sale at the local Kroger's) Grand Estates. It was a 2005 Cabernet. I'll never be able to drink wine without thinking of those that tend to the fields again. My wife Marta is not Hispanic. Marta is both a Hispanic and Danish name. We learned in school all men (people) are created equal.

http://www.columbia-crest.com/

What products to buy: http://www.ufw.org/_page.php?menu=organizing&inc=orga_label.html

E action below.

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/traderjoes?qp_source=web



Earlier this week we told you about the connection between the tragic heat death of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez and Charles Shaw wines--known as "Two Buck Chuck"--that is sold at Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's boasts about their "great relationship with a valued supplier" (Charles Shaw) on their website.

Thousands asked Trader Joe's to encourage their "valued supplier" to improve conditions for farm workers at the farms affiliated with Bronco Winery, the producer of Charles Shaw wines. Instead of dealing with the issue, Trader Joe's sent many UFW supporters a misleading response full of half-truths and evasions.

Below is the UFW's response to their assertions:

Trader Joe’s assertion: Maria Jimenez was employed by an independent contractor, working in an independent vineyard. The vineyard supplies many wineries, but was not supplying grapes for Charles Shaw.

Reality: Trader Joe's prides itself on serving the most progressive, health conscious consumers in our society. They should not evade the issue by pointing to contractor arrangements made by the winery to insulate itself from responsibility for exploitation of the workers. Trader Joe's needs to take moral responsibility and help end that exploitation.

Trader Joe’s assertion: The company employing the young farm worker has no more of a relation to Trader Joe's than they do to any other wine retailer or restaurant.

Reality: The facts in this case are clear: Maria Isabel Jimenez died a tragic death while working on a farm--West Coast Farms--co-owned by Fred Franzia. Mr. Franzia is also the owner of Bronco Winery, which produces Charles Shaw wines. It is widely reported that 5-13 million cases of Charles Shaw wine is sold at Trader Joe's stores per year.

We are not denying that Maria was paid through a farm labor contractor. As attorney Robert Perez who is representing Maria's family in a wrongful death lawsuit told the Sacramento Bee, "The reason why corporate farms hire labor contractors is not to have to deal with farmworkers themselves and to shield themselves from liability."

However, the above facts need to be considered to understand the complete story. And although we have never said that Maria worked on a field dedicated to Charles Shaw, the set of relationships in play in this incident are very clear.

Trader Joe's assertion: Our vendors have a strong record of providing safe and healthy work environments and we are currently making certain that our vendors are meeting government standards throughout all aspects of their businesses.

Reality: In the case of Maria, the labor contractor she worked for had been fined for heat violations in 2006, though the state never collected the fines. They were shut down after Maria's death. West Coast Farming continues to use unscrupulous labor contractors that don't abide by the law. Last week, workers filed charges with Cal OSHA for lack of water and shade at one of the company's locations.

Trader Joe's touts its concern for safe and healthy work environments regarding its vendors. What specific steps is the retailer taking to make certain that its vendors are meeting government standards in this aspect of their businesses? Why shouldn't the retailer demand better from the contractors its vendors use?

The summer has just begun and more sizzling temperatures are expected this weekend. Please click to send a fax to Trader Joe's corporate headquarters today and ask that they implement a corporate policy to ensure that their suppliers are not violating the law by failing to provide basic protections such as cold water, shade and clean bathrooms.

PLEASE click the link above and take action.


http://www.ufw.org/

[ColbertWatcher]

1. This is outrageous. Thank you for posting. n/t

[villager]

2. Just faxed TJ's....

Thanks for the link...

[Xenotime]

3. This seems to be a common theme.

We were at a winery today and the people there were quite proud that had "mexicans" working in the heat so they didn't have to. Just makes me sick. We left and didn't buy any thing from them.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

4. We,the consumers,don't know the working conditions of

most of those that make the goods that we purchase.

The best way to stop this abuse is for us to just stop buying anything that is unnecessary. Wine isn't necessary.

[pitohui]

6. wine isn't necessary? well that isn't what my dad's cardiologist says

i have to believe my dad's cardiologist, that whole going to medical school thing and all, and he recommended a small glass of red wine daily

wine does add to human health, life expectancies of folks who drink wine is longer than those who don't (i invite you to look up the statistics yourself)

that said, the wine workers who do so much to add to our quality of life need to be decently treated and decently paid

[RadiationTherapy]

11. Yeah! And no more toilet paper! It isn't necessary! We have TWO hands! nt

[iverglas]

14. unfortunately, that's a tad too simplistic

The economy of South Africa, for instance, needs us consumers to buy South African wine.

South African wine had been boycotted from before I was old enough to buy wine, so I'd never even picked up a bottle or tasted a drop. Until the day when liberation came to that land, and buying South African wine became a *good* thing. You don't know what a struggle it was to get my right arm to reach up to that shelf and grasp one of those bottles and put it in my cart. ;)

[fudge stripe cookays]

21. For you maybe.

What are you, Baptist? Mormon? Why don't you let the rest of us decide for ourselves, thanks.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. The DU Adbot is about as tastless as some cheap wine I have

had in the past but won't have in the future.


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[iverglas]

13. good god -- you're not kidding?

I use Firefox (edit: oops, Adblock), so I don't see any of this crap. (If I do, it's tailored to Canada, so might have missed it anyway.)

I suppose DU is insulated from moral responsibility by the subcontracting arrangement?

[anigbrowl]

17. See? DU is part of the capitalist conspiracy

about as much as Trader Joe's is. 'Two Buck Chuck' does not come from the winery where this young lady died. I don't see how it is Trader Joe's fault that this incident happened at another winery part-owned by the same guy. I wasn't aware that when you bought from a supplier you had to vet every other business interest of every shareholder of that supplier.

[catgirl]

7. Thanks for this info Steve

I stopped shopping at Trader Faux when I read the ibgredients in their hummus and other products that come
under their label. The tragic death of Maria is heartbreaking though. I'll email Trader Joe's, but I'll never shop there.

[catgirl]

8. Plus- they won't answer questions honestly

I called about the ingredient "chocolate mass", and I got a BS answer. "Chocolate mass" is
the equivalent of "you don't want to know".

[Omaha Steve]

9. Kick for the Monday crowd

This is an important post to me.

[tbyg52]

10. K&R

No Trader Joe's in my area, but I'm glad to have this information.

[Blue_Tires]

12. ttt

[Liberty Belle]

15. Please return your 2-buck chuck and tell Trader Joe you won't buy more;

it is unconscionable for them to use contractors who don't obey CA labor laws.

[anigbrowl]

16. If you read the article

You'll see that that is not what's happening, and even the UFW admits it.

Trader Joe's gets '2 buck chuck' from Bronco Winery
Which is owned by Fred Franzia
Who is also a co-owner of West Coast Grape Farms, another winery
Which is run by a contractor (Merced Farm Labor), who hired the late Ms Jiminez.


All the above is from the OP. Incidentally, Merced Farm Labor is being investigated (by the state) and may well lose their license, as they should if allegations are correct.

Now, the UFW could go protest at the business HQ of the contractor, or they could go protest at West Coast Grape Farms, or they could even go and protest to Fred Franzia. I fail to see how it is in any way Trader Joe's fault. I'm not a big wine drinker but this is certainly not going to cause me to avoid buying Charles Shaw wine. It's dishonest of the UFW, if you ask me. Trader Joe's can specify standards for their supplier (and apparently do), but it's unrealistic to expect them to vet standards at every other company in which the owner of their supplier has a financial interest.

I think the UFW is just picking on Trader Joe's because it is well-known to consumers. The fact that they don't even buy from this West Coast Grape Farm winery doesn't seem to bother the UFW at all. It's guilt by association and completely unreasonable.

[Omaha Steve]

20. Second Calif. farm labor contractor shut down over heat laws

This was posted in labor at the time it happened. It seems it doesn't matter what contractor hires workers. It is up to those that buy the wine to decide do they want it under these conditions. There are no trader Joe's here. But they need to hold suppliers to a higher standard than breaking the law. Perhaps the grape owners should hire their own people and follow the law. To radical? I will continue to buy from companies listed by the UFW when I can!

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_9588080?nclick_check=1

The Associated Press
Article Launched: 06/14/2008 03:15:20 PM PDT

GALT, Calif.—The state has shut down a second farm contractor for not complying with heat regulations for its workers.

The California Department of Industrial Relations ordered Galt-based Solis Farm Labor Contractor to stop operating in the fields Friday. The order came a day after the department shut down Merced Farm Labor, who had a 17-year-old employee die last month of heat-related causes.

Officials say Solis laborers were working in the same fields as Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez when she collapsed in the San Joaquin Valley vineyard on May 14. The company also has received prior citations, including one for failing to provide heat illness prevention training to its employees.

The department says it's in the midst of conducting undercover sweeps of many farm labor contractors following the death.

———

Information from: The Record, http://www.recordnet.com/

[otherlander]

18. This is fucked up beyond words.

I tried to rec this thread but it wouldn't let me. Thanks for the "What Products To Buy" link, Steve.

[KoKo]

19. Very Sad....but it's what you get to drink "2 Buck Chuck." How do you think

a 2-Buck wine isn't going to have alot of abusive labor practices behind it. Not that a 10 or 20 Bucks wine is better...but folks carry on about "2-Buck Chucks" should have figured with a price that low...had to be something wrong there. :shrug: