The main trade group representing Sonoma County vineyard owners and managers announced Thursday a campaign to improve the social plight of their workforce in the midst of a tight labor market.
The Sonoma County Winegrowers organization, which represents more than 1,800 county grape growers, will revive its nonprofit foundation to help fund the initiative, which will be rolled out with a few pilot projects by year’s end, President Karissa Kruse said. The foundation, launched in 2002, had been used for education programs.
The effort comes on the heels of a survey of the estimated 5,000 county farmworkers, primarily Latinos who almost all work in the $600 million local grape crop. The survey found only 30 percent of the county’s farmworkers reported having health coverage, compared to 86 percent of all county adults.
Approximately 30 percent received housing support from their employer, with 14 percent living on the worksite. About one-third lived in overcrowded residences, sharing a bedroom with two or more roommates. The national rate is less than 3 percent.
The initiative comes as local vineyard managers are finding it more difficult to attract and retain employees due to tighter immigration curbs and a dwindling supply of qualified workers. In addition, Napa County has long been ahead of Sonoma in providing housing to attract workers. It has three farmworker housing centers operated by Napa Valley Housing Authority.
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