Winery Workers Reject Offer, Call for Boycott

Striking California winery workers called for a national boycott against 11 wineries Thursday after overwhelmingly rejecting management’s latest contract offer. A management spokesman responded that strikers may be permanently replaced.

“This is our last tool,” said Bob Fogg, president of Local 186 of the Winery, Distillery and Allied Workers union.

The boycott will be targeted at wineries that produce more than half of California’s wine, including Gallo, the world’s largest wine producer, as well as Christian Brothers, Charles Krug, Franzia, Vie-Del, Almaden, Bronco, Lamont, Fromm & Sichel and Gibson and Sierra.

Robert Lieber, attorney for the Winery Employers Assn., said he viewed the announcement as “a very bad omen” for any possibility of settling the dispute.

About 80% of 1,750 striking workers at plants from Bakersfield to the Napa Valley on Wednesday rejected the Winery Assn.’s latest offer.

The workers have objected to management demands that they agree to wage reductions, reduced pension and medical contributions from employers and elimination of supplemental worker’s compensation benefits.