Boeschen Vineyards Field Workers Get Hazard Pay, Disaster Insurance

In what is a first for Napa Valley vineyards, harvesting crews at Boeschen Vineyards, Doug Boeschen, the owner, told them the winery was now offering them a combination of hazard pay and disaster insurance.

If a major wildfire occurs and the Air Quality Index climbs above 150, Boeschen Vineyards workers can choose to continue working at time-and-a-half or take paid time off. Boeschen will also pay its laborers if they are forced to leave a worksite under an evacuation order.

E&J Gallo, the largest U.S. winery by sales volume, and Eco Terreno, which grows and bottles grapes in the Alexander Valley, have made similar commitments. The benefis at Gallo were negotiated with the United Farm Workers.