BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As the wine and table grape sectors face economic challenges, The Wonderful Company announces significant layoffs, leaving many workers in distress.
- The Wonderful Company plans to lay off around workers due to challenges in the California wine and table grape industries.
- The company is winding down its grape vine business.
- Affected workers were notified via email, but many claim they did not receive this communication.
- Some employees express distress over the sudden layoffs, with long-term workers feeling particularly devastated.
- The Wonderful Company promises support for affected employees, including severance packages and potential job opportunities.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Major challenges in the wine and table grape industries are causing layoffs in Wasco. The Wonderful Company is laying off hundreds of employees.
Maria Gutierrez has worked at Wonderful Nursery for 25 years. Last month, she says company officials told her she would be laid off. "La verdad nos cayó de sorpresa a todos que iban a cerrar porque no lo esperábamos." Gutierrez says she and other co-workers—around 500 of them—were taken by surprise when they found out they were losing their jobs.
The Wonderful Company says hard economic times in the table and wine grape industry have led the company to wind down and close its grapevine business.
Wonderful says no one has yet been laid off. However, on February 12th, the company sent out an email to those workers. It reads:
"This business wind-down is different than our usual seasonal layoffs, and we are even more committed to helping every employee as much as possible. As jobs are impacted over the coming months, our HR department will be working with Wonderful Nurseries employees on other opportunities within Wonderful Company business units and offering other support, including severance packages. For seasonal employees of our farm labor contractors, we will also work to identify job opportunities within our sister Wonderful companies, along with other support for those who have been working with us in 2025."
23 ABC reached out to these workers, and they told us they weren't sent this email nor were they made aware of other job opportunities within The Wonderful Company. They said they were only told they were being let go.
Ana Lopez and her mother Leticia Navarro used to work for The Wonderful Company and they say, "There was no letter sent out. It was verbally—they let her know that was it. They let her know they were cutting people, and the layoffs had just begun. When she got home, she was devastated because she’s been working there for years and years. Where else is she going to find another job?"
Lopez says her mother has been working for Wonderful since 1997, and she feels there’s more to the story when it comes to the layoffs. She believes an ongoing legal battle between Wonderful and the United Farm Workers Union contributed to the layoffs.
We reached out to the United Farm Workers Union for comment, but have not received a response.
The Wonderful Company says “The decision for Wonderful Nurseries to wind down its grape vine business is based on the state of the industry and has no connection to the union.”
One thing appears certain, though: long-time workers say they are being left without a means to support their families.
"Porque nosotros tenemos muchos años trabajando aquí y no es justo que nos quiten el trabajo." Gutierrez says, "We have many years working here, and for them to take our jobs away is not right."
The Wonderful company says they will have a phased workforce approach as 2025 orders are fulfilled.
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