Page 15 - Sonoma County Gazette MARCH 2020

FARMWORKERS cont’d from page 14
Towards an Equitable and Sustainable Wine Industry
birth-defects; attention deficit, autism, and other developmental disorders; neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s), respiratory conditions (asthma, chronic bronchitis); and cancers (non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate, and skin).
A sustainable wine industry is impossible without a living wage, comprehensive benefits, and improved working and living conditions for farmworkers.
The CDPR calculated that the state’s wine industry applied 300,000 lbs. of Roundup in 2017, with 76,000 lbs. applied to Sonoma County vineyards. Also in 2017, glyphosate was added to the California Proposition 65 list of known cancer- causing chemicals.
To address runaway inequality and working poverty, 33 California cities and one county have implemented local minimum wage laws higher than the state’s (now $13 for large and $12 for small employers) and by 2023 are phasing-in to $15/hr. for all employers. Last year Petaluma implemented a $15 minimum wage covering all workers employed at least two hours a week within the city limits and phasing-into $15 for large employers by January 1, 2020. Subsequently, Santa Rosa approved a citywide $15 minimum wage by July 1, 2020.
Roundup also is likely harmful to consumers’ health: in 2015, the nonprofit advocacy organization Moms Across America reported finding low levels of glyphosate in all ten of the major Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa wines tested.
The Alliance for A Just Recovery—a broad
Sonoma County Conservation
Action has initiated a grassroots Toxic-
Free Future campaign to ban Roundup.
The County of Sonoma and the cities
of Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Windsor,
Healdsburg, and Sonoma now prohibit
Roundup application on public property
such as parks, roads, schools, open space,
and marinas. Dozens of other California counties, cities, school districts, and the UC system have approved full or partial bans of glyphosate. But the governor and legislature have yet to enact a complete ban on agriculture.
coalition comprised of every major labor, environmental, immigrant rights and faith organizations in Sonoma County—proposes that the Board of Supervisors start by approving a $15 countywide minimum phase-in to $15 by January 1, 2021 (plus an annual COLA). This will align a county $15 minimum wage floor with the two largest cities.
Farmworkers and Wildfire Smoke. Wildfire smoke has now become a challenging health hazard for county farmworkers. Seven of the ten most destructive wildfires in California have occurred in the last five years—three in Sonoma County. Wildfire smoke contains high levels of microscopic particulate matter that can affect cardiovascular health, reduce lung function, and increase the risks of respiratory disorders.
Francisco supervisors, which enables all workers to accrue up to nine paid sick days a year for preventive health or existing health conditions—or to care for ill family members. Sonoma County’s paid sick leave law should enable all outdoor workers to take time off when air quality reaches hazardous levels during wildfires.
The legislature failed to act in 2019 to establish labor and health and safety standards for outdoor workers during wildfires. However, Cal/OSHA did implement a new rule in 2018 that requires employers to monitor air quality and take action when wildfire smoke reaches an ‘unhealthy’ level (151) on the Air Quality Index. Employers must attempt to reduce worker exposure to smoke by altering work hours or location; relocating employees to buildings with filtered air, if possible; or providing workers with N-95 respirators (reducing smoke exposure tenfold) and training proper respirator use.
Lastly, winegrowers should immediately halt Roundup applications and join with local government, environmental organizations, and consumers to eliminate synthetic pesticides throughout Sonoma County. The entire industry should plan for the transition to organic and biodynamic wine production
to protect the health of growers, workers, and consumers, and promote regenerative land management. Benzinger Family Winery in Glen Ellen and Hopland’s Fetzer Winery have already charted that course for others to follow.
But respirator masks are uncomfortable and can impair breathing when used for hours at a time. Respirators also must be individually fitted and tested for maximum effectiveness, and may not fit over facial hair or broad facial features. Sonoma County health officer, Dr. Celeste Phillips, told Kaiser Health News that the best way for workers to stay safe is to limit time outdoors.
The Sonoma County Winegrowers’ sustainability
Most farmworkers are paid by the shift and cannot afford time off–particularly during peak harvest, which now extends into the dry, hot, and windy fall conditions most conducive to wildfires. Most farmworkers have no paid sick leave and are ineligible for unemployment benefits. Undocufund was established in 2017 by county labor, faith, and immigrant rights organizations to assist unauthorized immigrants harmed by the fires. According to North Bay Jobs with Justice Executive Director Mara Ventura, “one of the most common hardships
In 2018, the Press Democrat estimated the value of the North Coast grape harvest–including Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, and Lake counties–at a record
$2 billion and the farmworker’s harvest at 588,864 tons of grapes, nearly one- third more than 2017. Sonoma and Napa counties produce most of California’s premium wines that yield the highest profits. Premium wine production is dominated by three global corporations including Constellation Brands, E and J Gallo, and The Wine Group.
for undocumented residents who need assistance is sudden income loss due to evacuation, lost workdays and/or job loss.”
These companies have the resources to create an equitable and genuinely sustainable wine industry that can become a model for the entire world.
Martin J. Bennett is Instructor Emeritus of History at SRJC and a member of North Bay Jobs with Justice. Contact him at: mbennett@vom.com
In addition, the Sonoma County Department of Health reports that a majority of county farmworkers lack work authorization and, more than 40 percent
work for farm labor contractors, who determine their housing, transportation, and cash flow. Farmworkers fear retaliation, deportation, and job loss; they are unlikely to change work conditions unless directed by the employer or to have N95 masks if not employer-provided.
To also improve farmworker health and give farmworkers time off from work during hazardous wildfire conditions, the Board of Supervisors should approve a paid sick leave ordinance for unincorporated county areas, similar to 2006 legislation passed by San
In addition, during the region’s next air quality-impacting wildfire, vintners should strictly comply with the new California OSHA rule and prepare now to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke—including training all workers to use N95 masks.
certification should include the Agricultural Justice Project’s social justice screen, to ensure “adherence to workplace standards that protect worker rights... and address fair wages and benefits for workers, housing, workplace health, and safety, as well as children on farms.”
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