Tuesday, June 24, 2008

17 Year Old Farm Worker Who Died in California Linked to "Two-Buck Chuck"

Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez was a 17 year old farm worker who died while working in a vineyard near Stockton, California. She was working in 100 degree plus heat and died of heat stroke. The vineyard that she worked for is a supplier to the Charles Shaw winery that makes a wine sold at Trader Joe's stores nationwide, including Ohio. In California the wine sells for around $2.00 and has earned Charles Shaw the nickname of "Two-Buck Chuck."

The United Farm Workers is urging customers of Trader Joe's to contact the company by email and urge them to make sure that growers who are supplying Charles Shaw provide their workers with adequate water and give them work breaks. You can read more about the UFW's campaign by clicking here.

Our family shops at Trader Joe's and often buys Charles Shaw wines. That's why we have joined the UFW's email campaign. If you are a customer of Trader Joe's, we urge you to click on the link above and, if you agree with the UFW's position, to send the recommended email.

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