California’s wine industry continues to feel the effects of slowing demand and shifting consumer preferences. One of the sector’s biggest recent workforce reductions is impacting hundreds of employees in the Central Valley.
More than 200 jobs eliminated at Madera winery
Constellation Brands previously laid off 212 employees at Mission Bell Winery in Madera County, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing submitted to the state earlier this year.
The layoffs took effect at the end of March, and stem from the company’s decision to end a longstanding production arrangement with E. & J. Gallo Winery. Mission Bell Winery, one of the largest wineries in the United States, had produced wine and grape products for Gallo under a contract that was no longer being renewed.
As a result, Constellation determined that staffing levels at the facility needed to be reduced. The affected positions included workers involved in production, cellar operations, maintenance and other winery functions.
Contract change drives workforce reduction
Constellation Brands said the layoffs were tied specifically to the expiration of the Gallo-related business rather than the closure of the facility itself…