Kroger Fails

[maxx]

http://action.ufw.org/page/speakout/krogercocKrogers lets Giumarra violate their code of conduct


Since the beginning of this year, clergy and farm worker supporters have been expressing concern to the Kroger grocery chain over widespread accounts of worker abuse at Giumarra Vineyards. Giumarra supplies Kroger with table grapes and other fruits and vegetables under their Nature’s Partner label. Concerned consumers nationwide have sent letters, e-mails and even met with company representatives in order to urge Kroger to hold Giumarra accountable. Kroger has failed to respond. Take a moment to let this retail giant know that they have a responsibility to uphold the standards they have set for their vendors.

In its 2010 Sustainability Report, Kroger features a Code of Conduct for its vendors [[page 19). In addition to listing out standards for suppliers, the code states that vendors must be able to demonstrate compliance. But, according to worker testimony, Giumarra is NOT in compliance:

Workers may not be exposed to unreasonably hazardous, unsafe, or unhealthy conditions.
Giumarra worker Juana Estrada describes an incident where the company was spraying a sulfur-smelling chemical near workers picking grapes: "It turned out that they were spraying, but by then some people were vomiting, others were feeling dizzy or had headaches.”

The workplace must be free from harassment, which includes sexually coercive, threatening, abusive or exploitative conduct or behavior or harassment because of one’s race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
EEOC v. Giumarra Vineyards Corporation, et al, Case No. 1:09-cv-02255: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [[EEOC) charged in a lawsuit that Giumarra Vineyards Corporation violated federal law by subjecting a teenage female farm worker to sexual harassment. Further, the EEOC said, the company retaliated against a group of other farm workers who came to her aid at its Edison, Calif., facility. All of the victims identified in the lawsuit are indigenous Indians from Mexico.

Workers at all times must be treated fairly with dignity and respect.
Giumarra worker Imelda Valdivia describes the following: “They put fear into the workers and so we force ourselves not to leave for water, because when the boss tells the Supervisor they stop us from working from one to two hours without pay.”

Wages paid to workers must meet or exceed legal and industry standards.
Class Action Complaint: Current and former employees of Giumarra Vineyards have filed a Federal class action lawsuit alleging that the company requires workers to work off-the-clock and provide their own tools and equipment with no reimbursement. Workers report not being paid for time spent maintaining materials necessary for harvest despite the company’s requirement that they do so.

[Mikeg]

"Krogers lets Giumarra Vineyards violate their code of conduct"

What an inchoate statement - if you want to inspire others to action, you gotta do better than that!.

Your post provides no evidence that Giumarra Vineyards has been found guilty of any of these charges. Should the Kroger Company terminate their contract with Giumarra Vineyards just because of unproven allegations?

Seems to me that if you're trying to promote a letter-writing campaign based on these allegations, it would make a lot more sense to send them to the alleged cause of the problems - the management at Giumarra Vineyards.

[gnome]

I'm gonna buy myself some grapes, ... from Kroger.

[Downtown Lady]

Thanks for the information, Maxx. The United Farm Workers, founded by Cesar Chavez, is certainly a reputable and respected watchdog for workers' rights. I clicked on your link and sent an email to Kroger.

[sumas]

While Krogers is not my favorite place to shop, I had cause once to email them regarding a policy I thought discrimanatory. I got a personal call with an explaination that was adequate and a followup letter. Within six months the policy was ammended.

[oldredfordette]

thanks, Maxx. I don't shop at Kroger, and I won't but I'll watch for those grapes where I do shop.

[East Detroit]

What an inchoate statement - if you want to inspire others to action, you gotta do better than that!.

Your post provides no evidence that Giumarra Vineyards has been found guilty of any of these charges. Should the Kroger Company terminate their contract with Giumarra Vineyards just because of unproven allegations?

Seems to me that if you're trying to promote a letter-writing campaign based on these allegations, it would make a lot more sense to send them to the alleged cause of the problems - the management at Giumarra Vineyards.

Why would the alleged cause of the problems react to a letter from a downstream buyer?

The call to action is asking direct customer Kroger to ask GV to address the concerns by asking for proof of compliance with their standards. Very straightforward.

Quite simply, from Kroger's own vendor code of conduct page:

This Code of Conduct, which follows the U.S.
Department of Labor regulations and the
Fair Labor Standards Act, is an integral part
of all Kroger purchase orders and includes
the following:
• Child, indentured, involuntary or prison
labor must not be used or supported.
• Workers may not be exposed to
unreasonably hazardous, unsafe or
unhealthy conditions.
• Workers may not be unlawfully
discriminated against on the basis of race,
color, religion, gender, national origin, age,
disability or sexual orientation.
• The workplace must be free from
harassment, which includes sexually
coercive, threatening, abusive or exploitative
conduct or behavior or harassment because
of one’s race, color, religion, gender, national
origin, age, disability or sexual orientation.
• Workers at all times must be treated fairly,
with dignity and respect.
• Wages paid to workers must meet or
exceed legal and industry standards.
• All vendor workers performing work within
the United States must be legally eligible
for employment in the U.S.A. under the U.S.
Immigration Laws. Vendors must require
and review, prior to each non-U.S. citizen
Associate’s assignment, documentation
establishing such eligibility for all vendor
workers who perform services for Kroger
within the U.S.
• Vendors may not engage in any conduct
likely, intending or appearing to improperly
influence any Kroger representatives in the
performance of their job responsibilities.
Bribes, cash payments and business gifts
and entertainment of more than token
value are expressly prohibited. Vendors
must refrain from engaging in any conduct
that may appear improper or may result
in a conflict of interest when viewed from
Kroger’s point of view.
• Vendors and their contractors must
maintain written records evidencing
compliance with the provisions of this Code
of Conduct and must make those records
available to Kroger upon request.

So, Kroger should make the request. Easy. Meanwhile, Nature's Partner is off my shopping list.

Thanks, maxx.

[Mikeg]

Why would the alleged cause of the problems react to a letter from a downstream buyer?

I never said they would react to it. However, Kroger does not have to react to alleged problems at one of their suppliers until they have been proven in a court of law. So if you feel the need to write a letter so that you feel like you have "done something", it's a waste of time to write it to Kroger and you might as well just address it to the supplier.

If these allegations are true, the supplier is the one who has to change their ways and improve the working conditions of their employees, not Kroger. Isn't that what you want - the employees to be able to have employment and a harassment-free workplace? Or do you just want Kroger to terminate them and cause their employees to have to look elsewhere for work?

BTW, if you had read the EEOC court filing, you would know that the complainant could not even provide the name of the co-worker who was allegedly sexually harassing her. Something doesn't sound right, surely she would know [[or could find out) the name of the person was bothering her.

[Det_ard]

I've been itching to boycott something, so Kroger it is. No more Krogering for me. Hello Wal-Mart. I'm doing well by doing good.

[East Detroit]

I never said they would react to it. However, Kroger does not have to react to alleged problems at one of their suppliers until they have been proven in a court of law. So if you feel the need to write a letter so that you feel like you have "done something", it's a waste of time to write it to Kroger and you might as well just address it to the supplier.

If these allegations are true, the supplier is the one who has to change their ways and improve the working conditions of their employees, not Kroger. Isn't that what you want - the employees to be able to have employment and a harassment-free workplace? Or do you just want Kroger to terminate them and cause their employees to have to look elsewhere for work?

BTW, if you had read the EEOC court filing, you would know that the complainant could not even provide the name of the co-worker who was allegedly sexually harassing her. Something doesn't sound right, surely she would know [[or could find out) the name of the person was bothering her.

We could debate the issue, or we could just discuss those who disagree with us instead. It really is tiring to see on DetroitYES, although in this case so blatant that I had to point out the hilarity of it as I summarily dismiss the attempt to debate my person.

Times I used "you" in my original response: 0

TImes I got the "you" treatment in the response to my opinion on the matter: 8

[fryar]

I never said they would react to it. However, Kroger does not have to react to alleged problems at one of their suppliers until they have been proven in a court of law. So if you feel the need to write a letter so that you feel like you have "done something", it's a waste of time to write it to Kroger and you might as well just address it to the supplier.

If these allegations are true, the supplier is the one who has to change their ways and improve the working conditions of their employees, not Kroger. Isn't that what you want - the employees to be able to have employment and a harassment-free workplace? Or do you just want Kroger to terminate them and cause their employees to have to look elsewhere for work?

Kroger is not legally obligated to react to it, and the supplier also deserves a fair hearing, but I do expect Kroger to take its policy seriously. I can go anywhere for grapes, but if I go to Kroger, I know their production involved some baseline measure of ethics. The same applies to their various other products. I need to watch how I spend my money, certainly, but as I am not exactly going hungry, it behooves me to insist that people be treated decently. Pressure like this can be constructive.

Nobody's saying we should all show up on the CEO's doorstep, shouting, red-faced, telling his or her children, when they get off the school bus, that their daddy is a rapist.

[maxx]

http://action.ufw.org/page/speakout/naturespartner1110
"When the time comes to apply the pesticides they do not allow us to leave the room. They apply many liquids, some are specific, like to enhance the color of the fruit, without regards to the fact that there are many young women who someday may have little children and may suffer risks due to the chemicals. The same fruit that is produced is not normal; for example to the cherries they try to give it a redder color and one time they put something too strong that we were choking."

[oladub]

I thought that Kroger's pays union wages to it's store employees. So if you boycott Kroger will you be shopping at another union store or going to Walmart?

Being as socially conscious as I am, I take my grocery shopping up one notch higher than shopping at a union employee store by doing most of my grocery shopping at a local grocery and Woodman's which are employee owned. Woodman's is the only large grocer I have come across in Wisconsin which stocks Vernors and Faygo products and sells multiple brands of olive oil by the gallon. How Faygo employees and olive pickers in Italy, Tunisia, and Turkey are treated I don't know.

What I do know is whether my grocer's employees are part owners or at least union paid employees. So which grocery stores are you former Kroger shoppers going to start frequenting and how do you know that your new store treats it's produce field workers better than Kroger's?

[maxx]

Oladub:
SO we have to correct all grocery stores at once or not bother with Kroger, right? The Farm Workers' site gives a list of brand names that treat their workers badly. One can always ask about such matters at whatever store you shop at.

[oladub]

Oladub:
SO we have to correct all grocery stores at once or not bother with Kroger, right? The Farm Workers' site gives a list of brand names that treat their workers badly. One can always ask about such matters at whatever store you shop at.

So the only thing we should consider when grocery shopping is the information found on the Farm Worker's sight? We shouldn't consider balancing information that with how a grocery store treats it's own store employees? The question I asked was where you are now going shopping for groceries and why you think shopping at that store or chain is a more moral choice than shopping at Kroger's which, at least, pays it's local employees union wages.

[East Detroit]

Obfuscation is a good way to pretend to care about an issue by smothering it with condescending noise.

Kinda like saying one cares about "small business owners" when in fact the person is actually a Wall Street cheerleader looking for tax cuts for rich people.

Next, we'll hear... "yes, but the scabs have to feed their families, too."