UFW: ‘How can this rich, greedy corporation deny basic health care to [its] workers?’
United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez made the following statement at a march by hundreds of farm workers and supporters today (Saturday, Nov. 22) in Santa Rosa, Calif.:
November 22 marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. For decades the Kennedy family has championed the farm workers’ cause. We can pay no greater tribute to President Kennedy than by once again taking a stand for them.
Today we kick off a major new campaign to convince Matt Gallo, president of Gallo of Sonoma, to stop denying health benefits to the 75 percent of his workers hired through farm labor contractors–or face a renewed boycott of Gallo wines.
Gallo of Sonoma is part of the Gallo wine empire, with annual sales of $1.7 billion. This is the world’s second largest winery. One out of every four bottles of wine sold in America today is from Gallo.
Gallo has spent more than $100 million reinventing itself—from cheap jug wines to wines for up-scale, high-end consumers produced by Gallo of Sonoma. But Gallo has failed to change how it treats the farm workers who make Gallo’s success possible. The new, up-scale Gallo still treats its workers with deceit and disrespect.
How can this rich, greedy corporation deny basic health care and other benefits to the great majority of workers who are the flesh and blood of its success? Matt Gallo’s denial of health care to his workers cannot be justified. His dishonesty in blaming the UFW for the workers’ lack of health benefits cannot be explained.
During this holiday season, when all of us partake of the rich bounty farm workers produce, Gallo workers ask consumers to send a message to Matt Gallo: Fulfill your promise. Agree to a UFW contract that provides basic health and other benefits to the employees of your farm labor contractors.
Contact Matt Gallo today at Gallo of Sonoma, 3387 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, Calif. 95448, phone: 707-431-5500 or e-mail Gallo by visiting the UFW web site, ufw.org, and clicking on the Gallo action alert.
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