I am not a wine drinker and I don’t know a great deal about this – but respect and support the group – thought I’d pass it along.
PurpleOcean is a public membership organization of the SEIU
They sent this release in support of a campaign by the United Farm Workers.
Lately, Gallo Wines is worried about too much publicity. And more specifically, they’re worried about the Internet. Why? Because they’re doing something wrong.
more of the release from Purple Ocean after the jump. If you know more about this, please add info in the comments. Thanks.
The Gallos are one of America’s wealthiest winemaking families, but their seasonal contract workers often endure miserable living conditions without health benefits. The Gallos are right about one thing–they should be very, very worried about the power of the Internet. By adding your name to the Gallo boycott, you’ll send a message to Gallo confirming their worst fears–that exploiting workers can have a very high cost.
Already, tens of thousands of people from across the country have pledged their support in this boycott, started by the United Farm Workers. It’s simple: by standing together, we can convince the Gallos to do the responsible thing. Actions have consequences–and with your help, the Gallos are about to find out that they can’t get away with mistreating their workers.
The famous winemakers have already been found guilty in 2004 by the State of California of illegally trying to get rid of their workers’ union, the Cesar Chavez-founded United Farm Workers. Add your name to the boycott and join Americans across the country in sending a strong message for economic justice.
http://www.purpleocean.org/nogallo
Your support means so much to the workers in California. Thank you.
In solidarity,
Andy Stern
I think one way Liberals regain power in this country is for us to support our workers and make economic issues a mainstay. Crossposted to MyLeftWing and dKos.
signed and delivered
but you don’t drink any more so your protest doesn’t mean much, does it? Me, on the other hand, I love wine with my evening meal.
But, I already disliked Gallo. After visiting their “refinery” I realized their product is a chemical soup similar to rot-gut moonshine. The Berringer Brothers, on the other hand, had actual caves with oak casks. And, being Benedictine Monks, one would hope they treat their workers better. Well, probably not. So, as long as no one is asking me to boycott all wine, it’s easy to put the screws on just one producer.
Heck, I can even boycott all CA wines very easily. There are a number of local providers hereabouts who use high school and college students at minimun wage as seasonal workers. I toured one and the “bunk houses” were very nice; off-season they rent them out to tourists.
So, where does this take us? If we boycott all CA vineyards then the migrant workers have no income at all and what does that accomplish? I once heard a libertarian make a very good case for putting a family of South Americans in their garden shed and how they’d be better off than if they were left in a hovel in San Paolo.
I don’t know: Conditions and wages are relative to one’s level of desperation. What looks like horrible abuse to us could be the victim’s idea of doing better for themselves. When you spite the plantation owner, you also starve their slaves. It’s a complex issue…
Indeed it is – very complex – I tend to trust the United Farm Workers decision making.
I remember not eating table grapes for more than 2 yrs, thanks to UFW. I hope this helps them with Gallo
Done and forwarded to my colleagues here in the Tucson latino community! Thanks for the diary.
Recommended!
(I haven’t eaten a grape since 1997 due to watching a screening of “Uvas No!” (No Grapes!) Cesar is a personal hero of mine.