Workers made to race in 100+ degree weather
This isn't exactly partnering with nature, is it?
Last week we told you about the outrageous behavior of Giumarra--the world's largest table grape company, who uses the Nature's Partner label. We asked you to write to Nature’s Partner and tell them their behavior of intimidation would not be tolerated by their consumers.
Their response? To block us from allowing our supporters to communicate with them through our e-mail system. Giumarra/ Nature's Partner thinks they are so important, that they won't even listen to the input of their customers. With this attitude, imagine how they respond to farm workers who labor in their fields.
We’ve gotten feedback from farm workers and local supporters. They need your help in getting the message through to Giumarra/Nature’s Partner. Starting on Labor Day through the end of this month, we are asking folks to sign a petition that a delegation will hand to Giumarra/Nature's Partner representatives. Workers are hoping to have at least 25,000 signatures by the end of the month. Will you help? By signing this petition you can help farm workers fight back.
Giumarra’s arrogance is growing. Abuses and threats in the fields are becoming more rampant.
To illustrate how extreme things are in Giumarra's fields, I want to share a story a worker told us last week. It’s the story of long time Giumarra worker, Flavio Duque, who was literally forced to race against other workers in temperatures over 100 degrees to avoid being suspended.
"The foreman yelled at all of our crew and said that he had got a call from Salvador Giumarra saying that the worker with less boxes was going to get suspended.
"We were all running in and out of the rows looking for grape to pick because the rows did not have too much grape to pick. A lot of us were not even taking time to go drink water because all we could think of was to look for grape so that we wouldn’t get suspended."
Flavio went on to tell us at that the foreman followed up with his threat and the workers who picked the least amounts were sent home.
The abuse continued the next day when company President Sal Giumarra came to the fields himself and scared the workers some more by threatening to send the whole crew home for lack of production. Flavio said, "I was afraid to lose my job...We were all afraid because we are in need of our jobs."
Please help the workers stand up to Sal Giumarra by signing the petition today.
Full Petition Text:
I am astonished and dismayed at the length that Giumarra goes to in order to keep workers under control. It reflects negatively on your company and the Giumarra Corporation's new label, Nature's Partner.
Giumarra has a history of intimidating and bullying workers. Back in 2006, Giumarra's unlawful interference forced a union election to be thrown out by an administrative judge. Your history with worker protection is also dismal with two farm workers dying from heat-related causes while laboring in your fields. While charges are being filed left and right, your company continues to violate the law.
Instead of moving forth in a new era, under your new label, you have chosen to rise to new levels of bad behavior. Using this tactic to force workers to pick faster under triple digit temperatures or to retaliate against a worker who has the nerve to question a supervisor is just wrong. How can you be Nature's Partner when your absurd quotas and intimidation force workers to endure the searing sun and go without water, shade and breaks?
It's time for your company to realize that you are not above the law. The consumers of Giumarra and your new Nature's Partner label are watching you. Treat the workers laboring in your fields with dignity and respect and stop retaliating against UFW supporters.
Sincerely:
[Your name]
[Your address]
