On Tuesday, June 14, 2005, the Cesar Chavez-founded United Farm Workers asked North American wine consumers to join a new international boycott of the Gallo winery. A noon rally at San Francisco’s City Hall was attended by hundreds of vineyard workers and supporters who kicked-off the UFW’s first major nationwide boycott in more than 20 years. UFW Union President Arturo Rodriguez premiered boycott posters, buttons and bumper stickers spotlighting Gallo’s exploitation of its Sonoma County vineyard workers, 75% of whom are denied any benefits or job protections. “The Gallo’s abuse, cheat and deny the majority of their workers benefits, job protections and humane living conditions in the heart of California’s fabled wine country,” he noted. “The Gallo’s deny responsibility for what is being done to farm workers on their behalf, on their land, to produce their product and to help make their money. Through this boycott people of goodwill can say, ‘No Gallo!’”

When Gallo’s Sonoma County workers voted overwhelmingly for the UFW in a 1994 state-conducted election, all were full-time workers with benefits. Today, however, 75% of the work force is composed of temporary employees with no benefits. Gallo was found guilty of illegally attempting to decertify, or get rid of, the UFW by a state administrative judge and unanimously by the Agricultural Labor Relations Board in 2004. In 1973, Chavez declared the first Gallo boycott after the Modesto-based jug wine producer refused to renegotiate its UFW contract. E&J Gallo Winery has wineries in Fresno, Livingston, Modesto and Sonoma County, Calif., and vineyards across the region. Its wine is sold throughout the U.S. and in more than 85 countries. The company, the leading U.S. wine exporter, is one of the world’s biggest wine makers and the largest in the U.S. by cases sold. For more information, visit www.gallounfair.com or www.ufw.org