(NVR) - There is a stench rising up through the vines in wine country in the guise of large corporations, wine groups, billionaires and mergers. This group has consumed a large portion of the wineries that employ most of the lower-wage workers throughout the Napa and Sonoma valleys, not to mention other parts of California, as well. But, to be fair to my fellow workers, let us not leave out the many hotels and inns that charge unspeakable rates for a night stay in the area many of us call home. These conglomerates are the Wal-Mart of the wine industry, and they are paying such low wages for their workers that their actions are borderline criminal.

I speak with many of you about your respective situations and it pains me to hear your stories. For instance, a lady who has been employed at a large corporate winery and who has been a pillar of the organization for nearly 15 years, yet only receives less than $16 per hour, even though this person performs most of the duties of a manager. The pay that this person receives is nothing more than good ole fashion sexism! Or, the Latino housekeeper who works for an inn with a sale price of $35 million, who receives $12 an hour for her services — one of the most physically demanding positions, according to an insider. One could ponder that the policy of paying this employee such a low wage is nothing more than racist.

In the last several years wages in the Napa/Sonoma valleys have become stagnant and the cost of living has risen to critical levels while affordable housing has become a thing of the past. Consider for a moment the income inequality between the management of these big conglomerates and their lower-wage workers. Let us examine what these monetary deficiencies mean for our community.

First off, rent is already skyrocketing due to the ripple effect from the tech industry. Add low wages to that, and apartment complexes, townhouses and single-family homes become overcrowded as our neighborhoods are landlocked by streams of vehicles searching for parking spots, similar to a game of musical chairs. Garage doors are being painted black to quell the heat in the summertime because more and more garages are being converted to living space.

People are being squeezed out of their community because their wages cannot support the high cost of living. I am keeping this conversation going through my letters to the editor because it is the most important issue this valley and our neighbors in Sonoma face. It is about time people in the community step up to the plate, especially if you are a property owner. It’s your property values that will decline as the Wal-Mart of the wine industry continues to swindle our community by using everything that makes this valley special, to their advantage, not yours!

We have low-income housing in Yountville, but not affordable housing for the middle class. Low-income housing in Yountville? Why? Because if the Wal-Mart of the wine industry would pay its workers a living wage, they would fall into the category of middle class, and by God we can’t have that because there would be no place for these individuals to live! So they basically pay crap wages and strap you to a low-income housing unit that gives you the hope that someday you might lift yourself up and move on.

It’s a sham; they’re nothing but high-end slave quarters designed to keep you down! These words might anger some of you but I am not the one to focus your anger. There is enough wealth in this valley for all of us but we’ve allowed ourselves to accept less and less from our employers who bask in their deceitful practices, laughing at us as they conquer yet more wineries, hotels, restaurants, you name it.

We the people built this country and we the people will have a say in our future, raising our children, in the area that our families reside. There is one way to strip the Wal-Mart of the wine industry and that is through collective bargaining through the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) who represent wineries and distilleries. A voice for the workers of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys is long overdue.