Death in a Vineyard: The Real Cost of Two-Buck Chuck

1. Posted by ephgirl97 on Thu, Jun 26, 2008, 11:28 am PDT

Hi Bonnie - I sent an email to Trader Joe's expressing my concern after reading your blog and the links to stories about what happened. Someone from Trader Joe's wrote back to me. This is the response I received: Hi Jessica, The unfortunate and tragic death of Maria Jimenez highlights issues and concerns facing all agricultural industries across America. 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. The media has not correctly presented the details of the matter. 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. 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. Thank you for sharing your concerns. Nicki K. Customer Relations Trader Joe's

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2. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Jun 26, 2008, 3:26 pm PDT

to ephgirl97: Thank you so much for your sharing of this letter above. My understanding, as I researched the story quite a bit, is that Fred Franzia was a co-owner of the vineyard in question and he is the maker of Charles Shaw, whether or not the vineyard where Maria died was being pruned for use in Two Buck Chuck. It's the old migrant worker shuffle, i.e., the contract laborer is to blame, not the end-user, in this case consumers at Trader Joe's. It's complicated, but I stand by my assertion that wines that cost $2 / bottle (and are made by the ocean-full) simply have to run a labor cost that puts workers at risk, or they could never produce that volume. --BG

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3. Posted by Brad Z on Fri, Jun 27, 2008, 12:03 pm PDT

I'm all for being socially responsible but I'm not not sure how just charging more for the wine will automatically improve conditions for the farmers. According to AP, the 17yo migrant worker was paid $8/hour, apretty decent wage considering she was undocumented and a minor. Perhaps if we enforced existing labor laws we would not see these types of situations happening. The connection to TJ is pretty weak, so I really can't hold them responsible. Referring to the migrant worker shuffle...If this issue is wide-spread, then how do you know the same situation does not exist with the $3 or $5 a bottle wine producers?

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4. Posted by Bone Crusher on Sat, Jun 28, 2008, 11:56 am PDT

It's pretty pathetic that someone can show so little respect to the people they depend on to make a living. Not like they still wouldn't be able to offer competitive prices after installing just a couple more water pumps and such to keep their workers productive.

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5. Posted by bigdude on Sat, Jun 28, 2008, 3:29 pm PDT

I agree with Gene R., Let's not blame the price of this particular wine on worker's conditions. I also purchased a case Charles Shaw just yesterday.

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6. Posted by pyro74 on Sat, Jun 28, 2008, 9:26 pm PDT

Bonnie, are you seriously blamming wine consumers for a wine workers death? "It's the old migrant worker shuffle, i.e., the contract laborer is to blame, not the end-user, in this case consumers at Trader Joe's" Instead of complaining to TJ's about something out of their control. I'm going to write to Yahoo, about your assertion that Charles Shaw wine consumers directly contributed to the death of a wine worker.

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7. Posted by Butterflytoos on Sun, Jun 29, 2008, 1:40 pm PDT

An in-depth story was done on two buck chuck by one of the news magazine shows. On the show they stated that the price was so low because Charles Shaw wine makers purchase the surplus grapes from vineyards. The grapes vary from year to year based on who has surplus available. The price has nothing to do with how much the workers are paid.

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8. Posted by destructokitten on Sun, Jun 29, 2008, 7:08 pm PDT

I think I will go buy a case of 2 buck Chuck, and I don't even drink wine..

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9. Posted by azbound_14 on Sun, Jun 29, 2008, 8:28 pm PDT

Uh! Yes, the price of your labor has everything to do with the price of your product. Are you stupid? It's too bad that the low life white trash folk from the trailer park cant get off their ass and do such a job instead of a undocumented worker. If you can't handle the heat then stay out of the kitchen! And of course Trader Joe's wouldn't admit any wrong doing. You didn't really expect them too did you?

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10. Posted by Rachel and Darrell on Mon, Jun 30, 2008, 3:43 am PDT

Wow, Azbound, white trash? Jumping to a really racist attitude aren't you? Just because someone dies working ina field doesn't mean that it was the conttractors fault, was she not allowed to go and get water? Was someone standing over her telling her she couldn't stop and get a drink? Yes the price of the product has to do with labor costs, but also supply costs, and if she was making $8 an hour, then she wasn't working for nothing! I know plenty of adults in the south who don't make that much and are raising kids with less money and would gladly take the job, but they can't get it! WHY? Because illegal immigrants will do it cheaper! There is a real job shortage in many areas of the country because of illegal immigrants and to claim that no one else will do it, is ignorance! There was a time when kids could work after school in their teen years, but now they can't find jobs doing anything because their are so many illegal immigrants here. I am not saying that what happened to the girl was right or anything of the sort. It is a tragedy, but it is not the fault of people who buy wine! It is the fault of the contractor not anyone else, unless the girl just did not go get water of her own accord. At any rate, it has nothing to do with white people living in trailer parks!

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11. Posted by Laura M on Mon, Jun 30, 2008, 11:05 am PDT

Get a life people. Don't we have bigger things to worry about, perhaps, the cost of gas? Geez, is this what the world has come down to, lets stop the blaming and start doing. Lets worry about things like global warming, why aren't there more fuel efficient/electric vehicles available, why is environmentally safe goods more expensive than regular goods, i.e., organic food, recycled paper, energy bulbs, etc...

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12. Posted by Voice of Reason on Mon, Jun 30, 2008, 12:03 pm PDT

As a wine professional myself and someone who actually understands what Ms. Graves is talking about, I have to say that I appreciate the effort she's making to pay attention to where our food and beverages are coming from, but I have to say that we should keep TJ's out of it. The responsibility to make sure their products are being produced humanely rests on the shoulders of Charles Shaw and the consumer. In general, people should pay more attention to where their food is coming from and support local and humanitarian efforts like the Mano Tinta program. Besides, you really shouldn't drink two-buck simply because it isn't good.

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13. Posted by LaLa36 on Mon, Jun 30, 2008, 1:08 pm PDT

I don't think any of this should've become a racial issue. Although I agree that too many illegals cost too many jobs for the American people.,the bottom line is that a young girl trying to make it lost her life as well as her unborn child. If the working conditions were poor, then it is the fault of the contractor. I happen to have grown up in Apts., and trailer parks,and that doen't make me any less of a person than anyone else. Especially a "high class" biggot.

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14. Posted by MARCUS R G on Mon, Jun 30, 2008, 4:31 pm PDT

To say that Two Buck Chuck is "undrinkable" is absurd considering its' popularity. Obviously you don't like it, but lots of people buy it, drink it, and enjoy it. The fact that one person died while producing a product does not mean that the business is at fault until it is proven so, and I see know reason to not purchase a product until it is shown that the business has a record of mistreating workers

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15. Posted by Dawn on Wed, Jul 02, 2008, 5:58 am PDT

One can pay their workers $8 an hour and still run a labor cost that puts workers at risk, ie, by not letting them take breaks for water which is what happened here. The water was a 10 minute walk away, which works out to 20+ minutes every time you need water. I can see how the contractor would discourage breaks as one break an hour would be 1/3 of their productivity.

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16. Posted by sauger0 on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 7:49 am PDT

Ya I suppose the company had a policy prohibiting the woman from bringing a jug of water with her too! Jeez being pregnant and working in those conditions one would think she would have had enough sense and responsibility to take care of herself. At $8 hr she could have invested a half hours wage at the dollar general and been set. Oh well another example of where are society is headed its always someone elses fault. There is always hope of a lawsuit for her family.

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17. Posted by Daffhunter on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 7:59 am PDT

Sorr, but the link to Trader Joe's is weak. WHile I am empathttiec to the death of a young ag worker; it shows just how the immediate employer was a fault, not how Trader Joe's is. And, how do we know the same thing does not happen at $28 dollar a bottle wine levels? Abuse is abuse and negligence negligence; it is not just limited to cheap wine. California has its ag worker problems ( I live here) no matter what arena it is in. I applaude the plea for attention to farm workers, but to say it necessarily was Two Buck Chuck is at best naive.

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18. Posted by Allyn on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 8:13 am PDT

I fail to see how charging more for the wine will suddenly make the contractor a humanitarian. The treatment of farm laborers is a separate issue. This sort of thing goes on regardless of who the wine-maker is and should be addressed appropriately. This blog is just the apathetic attempt of the writer to try and be self-important. Yeah. . .didn't work.

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19. Posted by ricky.rickman on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 8:23 am PDT

I see this fraud campaign is being sponsored by the UFW.Enough said,Another Political hack organization and anti-American group.

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20. Posted by Peter on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 8:26 am PDT

I was once in a vineyard where the owne opened a wonderful bottle of one of their better wines. I commented that he should not do that for us, but he said "They all cost the same to make. The better ones sell for more, but it's just greater profit". The Two Buck Chuck wine costs the same to produce as the wines selling for $15 - $50, only they make less profit. But with larger volumes this makes it worth their while. Nobody forced the ILLEGAL immigrant to work there; if she didn't break the law she would be alive today. The owner should go to jail for breaking the law and employing illegal workers.

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21. Posted by JFK on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 8:34 am PDT

hey, you should boycott disney world too. over 200 people have died from heat related issues over the last 50 years. that mouse must be stopped. or people could have a drink of water. I doubt there is a man on horseback with a bull whip trying to stop workers from having a drink of water. you are an idiot.

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22. Posted by palepinklightning on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 8:39 am PDT

I AM VERY SORRY FOR HER FAMILY`S LOSS. IM SURE SHE WAS VERY LOVED AND WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE A WAY IN LIFE. I HOPE THAT HER DEATH BRINGS ATTENTION TO HOW FRAGILE WOMEN ARE WHILE THEY ARE PREGNANT AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HYDRATE PROPERLY WHILE WORKING IN THOSE CONDITIONS. IF THE MANAGER IS ANYTHING LIKE SOME OF THE PPL WHO HAVE POSTED ON THIS BLOG, THEN IM SURE THERE IS SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER DEATH. IF IN FACT HE/SHE JUST DIDNT CARE ABOUT THE POOR GIRL AND HER PREGNANCY THEN MAYBE THEY DIDNT LET HER DRINK OR PERHAPS THREATENED TO FIRE HER IF SHE DIDNT MEET QUOTA, WHO KNOWS, ONE CAN ONLY SPECULATE AT THIS POINT. THE BEST THING ANY OF YOU CAN DO IS PRAY FOR HER FAMILY AND REQUIRE SUCH A COMPANY TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. TAMPA,FL

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23. Posted by kjd on Sun, Jul 06, 2008, 10:50 am PDT

I don't think she knew she was pregnant. The news here in California suggested that her finance found out after her death. The reality is we rely on undocumented workers for our produce. It is wrong to suggest otherwise. Even our Republican president proposed a guest worker program, because we need these workers. If we didn't you can bet Bush wouldn't have suggested it. We are all responsible for how people our treated. If we want to pretend that it doesn't matter because she did not have papers, we are turning our backs on what Jesus calls of us. Get with it people, it is Charles Shaw, Trader Joes, mine, and your fault that this girl died. Take responsibility!!!

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24. Posted by fullertonrat on Sun, Jul 06, 2008, 7:54 pm PDT

this is the biggest bunch of hog wash i have seen. If this did happen the where is the Dept of Labor? no you choose to air it here. The winery does not even grow the grapes they put in this wine, dolt they buy brokered grapes and blend them. Go back to teaching. Your an idiot and your friends hate Fred and you cannot stand that he is printing money and even more than usual in a down economy. Get a life.

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25. Posted by crasso2000 on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 9:10 am PDT

I enjoy wine and have a modest cellar in my home. However I am not the kind of "wine snob" that thinks he has to trash 2 buck chuck simply because it doesn't cost enough. Not many wine lovers in the real world can afford to drink a $50 bottle of wine every day. We enjoy TBC several times a week between the more complex stuff, the same way we enjoy hamburger between the steaks. Voice of Reason needs to understand that their opinion on the taste of 2BC means absolutely nothing to anyone as evidenced by the volume sold. I was told by a WISE wine connoisseur long ago that a great wine is one that YOU enjoy. Truer words were never spoken! I hope Trader Joes continues carrying it for years to come.

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26. Posted by cuttingcowgirl on Sun, Jul 06, 2008, 10:32 pm PDT

It is great to see that despite the media slander, most of the comments are not blaming the winery or retailer. It is the responsibility of each individual to take care of themselves. I too have done a lot of research on the subject and found Maria, the migrant worker, lied about being pregnant, her age, and about being a legal resident. This should have been checked by the contractor, not Bronco Wine Company, that is why they contracted out the labor insted of hiring their own field workers.

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27. Posted by wigglestick on Mon, Jul 07, 2008, 4:04 am PDT

If she had not been here illegally she would still be alive. If business owners where punished for their use of illegal slave labor, we wouldn't have to hear this liberal whinning about the poor miss treated illegal, because they would not be here if greedy people didn't hire them.

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28. Posted by Ask and I'll tell on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 12:59 pm PDT

The C. Shaw wines offer excellent quality at a phenomenal price! You are totally out of line to encourage the public to ask TJ's to raise their prices! Stop being ridiculous

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29. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Mon, Jul 07, 2008, 12:25 pm PDT

I know I should know better than to bother to respond to some of this nonsense, but it's depressing to me to see how uneducated and oddly angry these posts are. Why the rage towards a dead pregnant teenager trying to earn a living? She died in her fiancé's arms, for the record, and I especially love the idiots who think migrant workers should tote Smart Water around their job sites. Wake up America. Mexican labor feeds every single one of you...from the lettuce on your McDonalds' burger to the grapes in your glass of any CA wine, el cheapo or otherwise, domestic food production absolutely hinges on Mexican fingers. I guess bashing "illegals" is the new culturally acceptable racism since hating blacks doesn't fly in the Obama era. This kind of idiocy is super-depressing so I am not going to bother addressing it. Drink whatever you want folks...maybe it will help to drown out whatever poisons you internally such that you think this kind of hatred is acceptable. BG

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30. Posted by cp_mistyrose on Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 1:12 pm PDT

I don't see how blaming TJ is going to change anything. Yes, it's a shame the girl died... But if she can't walk away for 20 minutes an hour for water, why not bring a few bottles with her? I've seen bags designed solely for a water bottle. She should know the risks involved with her job - sunscreen and dehydration to name a few. Then again, if she was a little more responsible, she wouldn't be pregnant at 17, would she? Raising prices of wine won't give employees a raise, nor will it force contracters to hire legal workers. If people are that concerned about her status, they should be writing to their congressmen or that state's labor board instead of complaining to Trader Joe.

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