Daily Kos 08: (2 Buck Chuck) Trader Joe's, Fred Franzia and Farm Workers Rights

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/07/10/548999/-Trader-Joes,-Fred-Franzia-and-Farm-Workers-Rights

By Five Husbands

When you walk into a Trader Joe’s past the beautiful cut flowers and shelves full of artisan breads back to the small sample area staffed by a friendly employee dressed in jeans and a Hawaiian shirt you feel like you are walking into your neighborhood grocer. Employees are all kind of laid back, everyone seems at home and, if you are a regular, chances are they know your name. It’s just that kind of a place.

On the surface, that is.

Truth is Trader Joe’s is big business for a trust owned by mega discount chain Aldi’s co-founder Theo Albrecht, Sr.

Aldi has its roots in Germany and operates 7,500 stores internationally in a dozen countries. The first U.S. store opened in 1976. Aldi has annual U.S. sales of about $5 billion, according to business research company Hoovers." Business Week Online

Albrecht bought Trader Joe’s in 1979 when it was a small California specialty grocery store chain. It was a very good investment for Albrecht. In 2004 sales

were estimated $2.1 billion, or $1,132 per square foot, twice that of traditional supermarkets, according to the Food Institute, a nonprofit research group in Elmwood Park, N.J.

Trader Joe’s magic is a combination of its low prices and "feel good" atmosphere - plus, in the words of one consultant, "they have no competition." Business Week Online

FULL story at link.

[99th_Monkey]

1. I kept waiting for some proverbially "other" dastardly shoe to drop.

But it never did.

So pray tell, what dastardly deeds have the owners of TJ's been involved in again?

I mean, I pretty much knew it was a huge chain store with market-savvy owners, who
maybe paid a bit more attention to details of ambiance and product quality than
does say the likes of Albersons, Safeway, et. al.

Did I miss something?

[Omaha Steve]

2. Worker died pruning on Two Buck Chuck co-owner's land

Maria died tending wine grapes intended for their stores in bottles of 2 Buck Chuck. The contractor had been fined before, but the fine wasn't paid. All Joe's had to do was tell Franzia to hire a different labor contractor that followed the law by providing water, shade, and a break. Trader Joe's instead issued a misleading response to the public and did nothing else. Like many companies the $ was more important than making sure the work environment was safe. Those that were responsible got probation. They could have done something. They did nothing.

Maria's story made the DU greatest page awhile back: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=9261132



Tell Trader Joes to chuck the excuses: http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2162

You may have seen the news of the tragic heat death of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez. She died on a farm that contracts with Broonco Winery, producer of Charles Shaw "Two Buck Chuck" which 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.

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. Please 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.



Maria

NPR's version of her death: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91240378


http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/485720/worker-died-pruning-on-two-buck-chuck-co-owner-s-land

* Friday 13 June 2008

The 17-year-old who died last month pruning vines in California was working in vineyards part-owned by Fred Franzia of Two Buck Chuck fame.

On 13 May Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, 17, passed out from heat exhaustion while pruning vines in mid-90 degree temperature, and later died in hospital. She was two months pregnant.

Jimenez was working in vineyards owned by West Coast Grape Farming, which is owned in part by Fred Franzia of California’s Bronco Wine Co – the producer of the Charles Shaw brand, also known as Two Buck Chuck.

Her fiancée told officials that the supervisors did not call for medical help after Jimenez collapsed, didn’t offer her water or shade, and later told him to lie to hospital staff about his fiancee’s age and whom she was working for.

West Coast Grape Farming officially declined to comment on the incident.

Other workers said that the labor contractor for whom they were working, Merced Farm Labor, had not provided sufficient water or shade for breaks during the workers’ 9.5 hour shifts. Labor laws prohibit minors under the age of 18 from working such long shifts.

Merced Farm Labor had been cited and fined last year by work safety inspectors for failing to train its employees and supervisors in how to prevent and treat heat exhaustion.

FULL story at link.


Trader Joes opened it's first store in Omaha last year. I won't go in until they apply pressure on Franzia to take better care of their workers.

OS

[99th_Monkey]

3. Thank you so much for spelling it all out for me in such detail.

I really mean that. I had no idea, and if UFW is pressing this I wish them well.
I've always kind of wondered how Chas. Shaw wines could be so cheap. There was
another shoe after all.

[Omaha Steve]

4. I postd so everybody would know

It wasn't aimed at you.

OS

[99th_Monkey]

5. All the better ;-) nt