On May 20, employees of Turner Road Vintners, owned by E. & J. Gallo Winery, voted overwhelmingly to be represented by UFCW Local 186D. The 42 new members at the facility in Lodi, Calif., work in the shipping, Tetra Pack bottling, and warehouse departments. They were moved to unionize by a desire for better benefits and wages, as well as job security and fair scheduling policies.
The campaign to organize these workers included talking to teams about their industry-specific concerns and collaborating with SPURs (Special Project Union Representatives), to spread the word about the benefits of unionizing.
E. & J. Gallo Winery is the leading provider of California wines in select markets around the world. Over a thousand winery workers are represented by UFCW local unions throughout California and New Jersey under the E. & J. Gallo brand, in addition to workers at two Four Roses distillery facilities in Kentucky, which the company recently purchased.
Shipping department employee Wakiza Councilman said he’s happy with the vote’s outcome. “I’m pro-union because everyone deserves to be treated equally!”
Bottling worker Tonallo Colon added, “I’m proud to have supported our team in pushing for what we wanted, a union!”
Organizers have reached out to the company and expect negotiations to begin next month.