Chicago Communities for Fair Food

MODERN DAY SLAVERY MUSEUM

2010-03-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

The "Modern Day Slavery Museum" rolled out across the state of Florida with stops throughout the entire state. The box truck depicts how in 2010 modern day slavery is still enforced in many farming communities throughout the State of Florida.

"The white truck's cargo space is dark, cluttered and hot - walls lined with stained plywood, cardboard boxes stacked head-high, a clanking steel roll-down door that locks from outside.

This is what home looked like for some of the Navarrete family's slaves.

The replica of the box truck in which the Navarette family of Florida kept their slaves locked up before they went to federal prison in 2008 for keeping 12 slaves they forced to pick tomatoes on some of Florida's biggest farms. After promising the Mexican and Guatemalan men work, Navarrete family members confiscated their IDs, tied, chained and beat them if they tried to leave. Although they advanced their victims "credit" for necessities, they didn't pay them for their work, all of which added up to slavery "plain and simple," according Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Molloy.

And here we thought SLAVERY ENDED IN 1865 but yet it still happens in modern day America.

The CIW along with many of their allies will be making stops throught the state of Florida and invite everyone to stop by, listen and learn how to stop this from happening....

http://ciw-online.org/

FARMWORKER FREEDOM MARCH

2010-02-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

Chicago area allies & others interested in becoming involved with the Farmworker Freedom March: We have allies from NYC coming into Chicago to join the caravan from IL to FL to stand & march in solidarity with the CIW - the narch will begin in Tampa with stops along the way until we reach Lakeland, FL home of Publix...the dates are April 16 - 18, 2010.

This is a major event therefore the more allies we have attending the better!!! Publix will work with the CIW, people power with the truth always prevails!

www.ciw-online.org

PUBLIX ACTION FARMWORKER FREEDOM MARCH

2010-01-28T05:19:00.000-08:00

Body: Save the Date - "Farmworker Freedom March," Tampa to Lakeland, Florida, April 16-18, 2010!

....and more from our friends down south.....

The CIW has announced a 3-day "Farmworker Freedom March" from Tampa to Publix headquarters in Lakeland, Florida, this April 16-18, 2010.

Start making plans today to be among the multitude of CIW allies and supporters from every corner of the state and the country who will march to demand, in the words of the CIW, "Freedom from forced labor; Freedom from abuse; Freedom from poverty and degradation."

Visit the CIW site (http://ciw-online.org) today for all the background and details, and contact us for more info on the march and the mobile museum.

PUBLIX ACTION

2010-01-25T14:36:00.000-08:00

Chicago allies...we are planning a strategy meeting for the purpose of going to Florida to help out the CIW folks..thinking of in 2 weeks we should meet somewhere easily arrived at by everyone concerned...maybe in the Pilsen Area? Ideas let me know, either here or at my email address: amronh@yahoo.com

...we need to attend this action.....show solidarity as always but the larger the group the better to show Publix that the CIW is serious .... Peace Out Norma

What's Ahead in 2010

2010-01-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

According to President Obama January is "National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month"

The proclamation basically states that the United States was created with everyone born as equal, this being an unaleniable right to each and everyone human being the right to freedom! Through the dark years into the light years when President Lincoln outlawed slavery ie human chattel, a war came about but in the end slavery was abolished...or so we thought. Today there is still 'modern day slavery" although hidden for the most part but yet it exists and a committment needs to be made to place a stop on on modern day slavery and human trafficking not only in the United States but worldwide.

... Fighting modern slavery and human trafficking is a shared responsibility. This month, President Obama says he urges all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking.
Additionally that we can and must end this ongoing criminal civil rights violation."

This is only the start of the month and it looks good so far...the CIW along with all allies countrywide, but especially in the Chicago Land area will be working together help in this effort.

For more exciting news and a full article please visit: www.ciw-online.org

Aramark

2009-12-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Yes I know it's that time of year - holiday time is here again, but lets not forget that the Campaign for Fair Food continues to toil year round!

Students and allies across the country continue to protest the fact that at numerous campus' Aramark refuses to discuss the topic of most interest ... where does the food which is consumed at these dining facilites really come from? Specifically the tomatoes? Various studies have shown that these tomatoes come from the Florida fields. Not only the fact that the tomatoes come from these fields but additionally the high price of dining at a campus facility make it a shame that the people who harvest these tomatoes earn so little on a daily basis, and yet corporations such as Aramark are making a profit. Yes - a profit from the back breaking labor of harvesting these crops to bring them to the table. These workers must often work 10 - 14 hours a days in order to earn an approximate wage of $50.00.

Everyone out there who attends a collge, university and/or all allies please do not forget to keep toiling after the holidays to bring the Campaign for Fair Food to the forefront of all Aramark offices on each and every campus nationwide...the CIW/SFA needs all our support year round!

www.ciw-0nline.org or www.sfalliance.org

FRIENDS

2009-12-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

Over this past weekend we learned that two of our own were engaged! Melody Gonzales & Luis Rivera.

Melody has worked & lived in Immokalee working closely with the CIW - translating at all the functions and/or rallies. She has been affiliated with the struggle for many years. Melody is now back in California and working with Fair Food Across Borders.

Hector lives in Chicago, he is a strong supporter and ally of the CIW, he along with other friends have formed the the musical group BUYA, which we hope will play at their upcoming nuptials!

Chicago Communities for Fair Food congratulate the couple and know that they will continue with the struggle because after all "La Lucha Sigue" .... Publix & Aramark people power will prevail...sooner or later !!!

www.ciw-online.org

Walk & Rally in Lakeland

2009-12-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

This past weekend's Walk & Rally in Lakeland, Florida @ Publix, one of the southeasts major grocery chains was a huge success, 500+ students, people of faith, and allies from across the country turned out for this 2.5 mile walk to show support and solidarity with the CIW/SFA.

Local allies in the Chicago land area headed south for the huge turnout to stand in solidarity and show support for the CIW.

The message to Publix has been that there is no fair market for slavery. Coverage in the newspapers and radio stations in the southeast has been excellent, Publix declared that they do not interfere in a labor dispute, this in fact is not a labor dispute, it is in fact trying to hold Publix accountable for all the advertising that they are family friendly, and help the community; Publix needs to slow down and learn what the actual intent is...stop purchasing from their tomatoes from the suppliers who have been successfully prosecuted in slavery cases.

If Publix continues to refuse to listen and/or work with the CIW, be warned, Publix, the CIW does not back down, this is only the start of the campaign, "People united will never be defeated" and allies from Chicago will continue to make the treke south to help out when needed!

To learn more log onto: www.ciw-online.org

FLORIDA GOV CRIST ANSWERS CIW VIA LETTER

2009-04-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you for contacting Governor Crist's office and sharing your
concerns about human trafficking or modern day slavery. Governor Crist
is eager to know how people feel about the many issues facing our state
and asked that I respond on his behalf.

Governor Crist supports Florida farm workers. On January 11, 2009 the
Governor declared Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In the proclamation,
Governor Crist compared human trafficking to modern day slavery and this
practice is in direct opposition to the fundamental principles of
liberty and human rights upon which our nation was founded.

On March 25, 2009 Governor Crist met with representatives of the
Coalition of Immokalee Workers. From that meeting, the Governor made
clear his opposition to slavery in any form, his support for the
Coalition's Campaign for Fair Food and his encouragement to the Florida
Tomato Grower's Exchange (and its members) to also participate in the
campaign.

Florida's laws to prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking are
essential to eliminating this crime and protecting individual freedom.
In addition, increased awareness of the issues surrounding human
trafficking is necessary so the people of Florida can assist in
addressing the issue. To that end, thank you for your efforts to involve
Floridians and leaders alike in this important work.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your concerns about this
important issue.

Sincerely,

Warren Davis
Office of Citizen Services

Attachments:
Human Trafficking Awareness Day Proclamation, January 11, 2009
Letter to Coalition of Immokalee Workers

CIW GETS QUESTIONS TO PRESIDENT @ TOWN HALL MEETING

2009-02-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

REPRINT FROM EMAIL RECEIVED: FROM CIW

And now for something completely different... On Tuesday, President Obama came to Ft. Myers for a town hall meeting on the economic crisis (Ft. Myers and the Southwest Florida area generally are at or near the top in both foreclosures and unemployment rates nationally).

You can find a photo from the event at the CIW website, http://www.ciw-online.org. Here's a brief report:

The town hall was, of course, standing room only, with people camping out two days in advance to secure tickets. Thanks, however, to the efforts of a determined ally, the CIW managed to get inside for the big event. But with a crowd this feverish, it was no surprise that, when it came to the question and answer period, the house went wild with waving hands and jumping people yearning to be heard. Alas, the CIW representatives were lost in the din and never got a chance to ask their question of President Obama.

But all was not lost. As President Obama worked the crowd following the event, our intrepid representatives made their way to the front, got his attention in the five-second window of conversation one is allowed in such settings, and managed to hand-off the question in written form to President Obama, who actually overrode an attempted Secret Service intercept to personally take the question and a CIW button. The President promised to check out the question and the website further later.

Let's hope he did. If so, here's what President Obama saw once he settled down in Air Force One and reached into his pocket for the folded note:

"Mr. President - I'd like to ask a question about human rights.

Last April, Senator Durbin and Senator Kennedy held a hearing in the Senate HELP Committee into the extreme poverty and shameful exploitation of our state's farmworkers, prompted by the latest of seven federal prosecutions for modern-day slavery in Florida's fields over the past decade in which workers were chained inside trucks, beaten, and forced to pick tomatoes for little or no pay.

Sir, Florida's farmworkers have known nothing but economic crisis for decades. What is your position on the epidemic of modern-day slavery in Florida's fields, and what can you do as president to help farmworkers win the fair wages and dignified working conditions they deserve? Would you consider visiting us Immokalee -- the town federal prosecutors call "ground zero for modern-day slavery" -- to learn more about the problem?"

Stay tuned for more from the Campaign for Fair Food, and don't forget to send your emails to Governor Crist - for all the latest on the campaign, go to http://www.ciw-online.org

Thanks - Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Coalition of Immokalee Workers
http://www.ciw-online.org

EMERGENCY EMAIL CAMPAIGN CIW & SFA ALLIES

2009-02-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

your quick email will mean a lot to us down here fighting this monster.

arriba l@s de abajo y bajo el pinche muro,
jm

--John-Michael Torres
Steering Committee, Student Farmworker Alliance
956-534-0267
Mission, TX

To Everyone Opposed to the Border Wall,

The Brownsville City Commission may make a border wall deal with the Department of Homeland Security tomorrow. This deal has immediate and long-term implications for border wall opposition nationwide. If the the City of Brownsville enters into a deal with DHS, all hope for a last minute halt to border wall construction from the Obama administration may be lost. In addition, a change in Brownsville's position could undermine all litigation related to the border wall, including El Paso's appeal to the Supreme Court. Brownsville's failure to fight something that is so clearly an injustice and an imposition by the federal goverment may eventually lead to increased militarization of our borders over the long haul.

The deal itself is a bad one. The commissioners are touting the fact that DHS will build "temporary fencing" on Brownsville property, but the contract stipulates that before such temporary fencing comes down, Brownsville will have to pay the entire cost of constructing a new wall, this time a permanent concrete border wall built into the flood-control levee. These levee-border walls have cost neighboring Hidalgo County $10-12 million per mile. Since these walls become an inextricable part of the flood-control levee system, they will never be removed, even if we are one day successful in implementing a saner border policy. However U.S. immigration and border security policy changes over the coming decades, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be living with walls because of the levee-border wall design.

No Border Wall urges everyone, regardless of where you live, to make your voices heard and let Brownsville City Commissioners know that you too are a stakeholder. If you live in the Rio Grande Valley, please make a concerted effort to attend the City Commission Public Hearing this Thursday night, February 12 at 5:30 pm at the City Commissioners' Court on the 2nd floor of the City Hall/Federal Building on the corner of 10th and Elizabeth Streets in Brownsville. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early if possible to sign up for a public comment.

If you live elsewhere or are unable to attend the public hearing, please copy and paste the following email addresses and send an email to the Brownsville mayor and city commissioners, letting them know that it's not only the future of Brownsville that's at stake, but the future of our borderlands and our nation as a whole. You might tell them of your community's experience dealing with DHS and border wall construction or of your group's ongoing efforts to stop wall construction.

The commissioners' emails are:
atkinson@cob.us; carlos@cob.us; leoneltgarza@cob.us; ricardo@cob.us; camarillo@cob.us; charlie@cob.us; aptroiani@cob.us; mayorahumada@cob.us

Their names are:
Charlie Atkinson, Carlos Cisneros, Leonel Garza, Ricardo Longoria, Edward Camarillo, Anthony Troiani, and Mayor Pat Ahumada Phone and fax contact information is available at http://www.cob.us/government/commission.asp

Below are some links to related stories.

Thank you for your immediate action on this matter,

Stefanie Herweck
No Border Wall

Sheriff Joe Arpaio being a RACIST

2009-02-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

Note this is a reprint from google news:

Approximately 200 convicted illegal immigrants handcuffed together are moved into a separate area of Tent City, by orders of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, for incarceration until their sentences are served and they are deported to their home countries Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, in Phoenix. The self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff in America" has announced plans to keep illegal immigrants separate from the rest of the inmate population at tents in Phoenix that house prisoners.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

©2009 Google - Map data ©2009 Tele Atlas - Terms of UseAriz. sheriff puts illegal-alien inmates in tents
By TERRY TANG – 23 hours ago

PHOENIX (AP) — The self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff in America" has announced plans to keep illegal immigrants separate from the rest of the inmate population at tents in Phoenix that house prisoners.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio accompanied about 200 inmates — along with members of the media — from an area jail to Tent City on Wednesday.

"This is a population of criminals more adept perhaps at escape," Arpaio said in a news release. "But this is a fence they won't want to scale because they risk receiving quite a shock, literally," he said, referring to the electric fence that surrounds the area.

Arpaio said housing the illegal immigrants separately would save money, although he did not explain how other than to say it's cheaper to house inmates in tents than at traditional jails.

He said his office has received $1.6 million funding from the state that will go toward tackling illegal immigration.

"I expect more arrests," Arpaio said. "I expect to put more tents up."

Arpaio said the move will be more convenient for consulate officials visiting foreign inmates and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents charged with deporting the inmates after they have served sentences in county jails.

Aside from their residency status, he said the inmates will be treated just like everyone else housed in the tents.

A spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to comment.

Arpaio's announcement has appalled some officials in the area.

Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox said she thinks Arpaio could potentially be violating the immigrants' rights by keeping them separated, and that she'd like to talk to the Justice Department and have staff there issue an opinion.

"Any time you treat people differently for no reason, you stand to violate rights," she said. "We treat people equally in America. I think it's wrong."

She said the move is a publicity stunt and that Arpaio has done nothing to show the supervisors how it would save money.

Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the ACLU of Arizona, said although Wednesday's move wasn't unconstitutional, it was degrading and unnecessary to shepherd prisoners in front of media.

"You're sort of giving the message that it's OK to treat these inmates differently. It's OK to treat them like circus animals," Soler Meetze said. "He didn't have to make a spectacle. He could've moved them on buses."

She said her organization would look for any constitutional concerns in the future treatment of the segregated inmates.

The Tent City is part of a tough atmosphere that made Arpaio nationally famous. His jails also feature chain gangs and pink underwear for male inmates. Arpaio was recently featured in a Fox Reality Channel show called "Smile ... You're Under Arrest!

Associated Press Writer Amanda Lee Myers contributed to this report.

Tell Florida Governor Crist to take a stand against slavery!

2009-01-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

ACTION ALERT!... Tell Florida Governor Crist to take a stand against slavery!
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is calling on Florida Governor Charlie Crist to commit the full power of his office to address the plague of modern-day slavery in Florida's fields. Add your voice to this call and send an email or fax to the governor today!
Background: Just this past December, federal prosecutors from the Department of Justice wrapped up yet another farm labor slavery case in Florida, a case the Chief Assistant US Attorney called one of Southwest Florida's biggest, ugliest slavery cases ever. This became the seventh such slavery case in ten years, which have involved a total of well over 1,000 workers.

Yet, when a reporter called Governor Crist's office for a comment on this most recent case, the governor declined to comment and instead passed the call off to the spokesperson for Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Terrence McElroy, who -- not once, but twice -- gave the impression that one slavery case per year is somehow no cause for alarm.

For decades, the silence of Florida's governors in the face of the brutal exploitation of the state's farmworkers has allowed that exploitation -- up to and including modern-day slavery -- to persist.

Join farmworkers and consumers from across Florida and the US in telling Governor Crist that now is the time to break the silence and to ensure that this latest slavery case be the last slavery case ever in Florida's fields.

The letter not only calls on Governor Crist to publicly condemn the continuing existence of modern-day slavery, but also to demand that the Florida Tomato Growers' Exchange end its efforts to nullify the agreements reached between the CIW and leading fast-food and supermarket purchasers of Florida tomatoes to improve farmworker wages and working conditions, the conditions that provide the fertile soil in which modern-day slavery takes root.

We will be collecting signatures, both here in Immokalee and across the country, during the month of February. If there is no response, we plan to deliver the signatures with a creative action in Tallahassee in the month of March. Stay tuned for more details on the petition in the weeks ahead, and in the meantime you can help us gather more signatures among your friends and co-workers, at your school or place of worship!

In December of last year, federal prosecutors from the Department of Justice wrapped up yet another farm labor slavery case in Florida, a case the Chief Assistant US Attorney called one of Southwest Florida's biggest and ugliest slavery cases ever, according to the Ft. Myers News-Press. I am writing today to demand that you use every resource at your command to ensure that it be the last slavery case ever in Florida's fields.

This latest case in which, according to court documents, workers were chained to poles, locked inside trucks, beaten, and robbed of their pay was the seventh such case in just over a decade. Indeed, so shameful is Florida's record of farm labor abuse that another federal prosecutor was prompted to call the state ground zero for modern-day slavery in the pages of the New Yorker magazine. Yet, when a reporter called your office for a comment on the most recent case, you declined to comment and instead passed the call off to the spokesperson for Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Terrence McElroy, who gave the impression that one slavery case per year is somehow no cause for alarm. Given an opportunity to clarify his statement, Mr. McElroy only underscored his disregard for the victims of this most brutal of human rights violations, terming seven slavery cases in ten years, involving well over 1,000 workers, a rarity. His comments rightly set off a groundswell of outraged reactions by human rights, religious, consumer, and labor organizations and leaders across the country.

Governor Crist, even a single case of slavery in the twenty-first century is too many. As the leader of the state and the single most powerful voice for the protection of every Floridian's fundamental human rights, you must repudiate the words of your spokesperson, and do so with no further delay.

But you must do more than that. The key to ending farm labor slavery is to eliminate the degrading and inhumane working conditions faced by all Florida farmworkers on a daily basis, as these conditions are what allow slavery to flourish. The everyday exploitation of Florida's farmworkers includes:

-Sub-poverty wages - Tomato pickers make, on average, only $10,000/year;
-No raise in nearly 30 years - Pickers are paid virtually the same per-bucket piece rate (roughly 45 cents per 32 lb. bucket) today as they were in 1980. At today's rate, workers have to pick nearly 2.5 TONS of tomatoes just to earn minimum wage for a typical 10-hr day;
-Denial of fundamental labor rights - Farmworkers in Florida have no right to overtime pay, even when working 60-70 hour weeks, and no right to organize or bargain collectively.

You must do everything in your power to ensure an end to those conditions and help lay the groundwork for a future of dignified wages and humane working conditions for farmworkers. Specifically, I join my voice to that of thousands of other concerned consumers of Florida produce to call upon you to:

1. Publicly condemn the existence of modern-day slavery in Florida;

2. Commit the full power of your office to immediately and comprehensively address the plague of abuse and modern-day slavery in Florida's fields by:

a) meeting with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and federal officials who prosecute slavery, and

b) demanding that the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange renounce its opposition to implementing the agreements that socially responsible fast food and supermarket companies have signed to insure better pay and working conditions for tomato pickers, so as to eliminate the conditions that give rise to slavery.

Thank you.

Take action & help tell Governor Crist to END MODERN DAY SLAVERY...this is still going on not only in the growing fields of Florida, but throughout the State of Florida along with other states...whether it be field workers or other types of jobs this modern day slavery is consistenly happening here in the United States, where Slavery was abolished by President Lincoln. You might not think it happens but it goes on right under your very face...right in front of your eyes and you are not aware of it, or at times prefer not to see it.

Many have already been prosecuted in modern day slavery cases, but it must stop totally and for good...for the health and well being of those being held as modern day slaves...after all this is the country of that was created on the principles of freedom ... modern day slavery does not equal freedom for those being held against their will. Governor Crist must step in & put a stop to this!

Support Workers' Rights and the Student-Labor Solidarity!

2009-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

Note: reprint from CIW & USAS

United Students Against Sweatshops is a diverse network of student organizers concerned with the rights and well being of workers everywhere. There are several cornerstones to our work. The sweat-free campus campaign supports strategic international campaigns to respect garment workers’ rights. USAS plays a key role in the success of these global campaigns. And while USAS made its name fighting sweatshops, we are committed to fighting labor exploitation of all kinds, and so USAS now coordinates a successful national campus living wage campaign! Campus affiliates are organizing with workers and unions for living wages, the right to organize, and affordable health care. USAS also coordinates anti-oppression organizing and campaigns to support farmworkers. Finally, our summer internship program places students abroad with worker rights organizations. We have contacts on over 300 campuses around the country, and thousands of active students leading efforts on campuses for social justice.

RACISM

2009-01-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

THE FACE OF RACISM IN YOUR FACE

Source: cosmos.bcst.yahoo.co...http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=11407477&ch=4226713&src=news
What would you do if confronted with racism?
What would you do? As the President Elect ran on the platform of 'change', I would definitely think it is time for CHANGE, everyone that came to this country at one point in time, their ancestors did NOT speak English, this country was created by peoples of all races & from all nations, all of the people that came here to make this country America did not speak English.

As a matter of fact this country was, the southwest was owned and populated by Latins, ie, Mexican People, ie, the Mexican Government owned a vast majority of the southwest, so therefore the primary language spoken at that time was Spanish.

People that work in a customer service or any type of job should not behave in this manner, it is unprofessional and unethical! What these minimum wage employees fail to realize is that the the people, ie consumers coming in to purchase or require a service are spending monies, thereby making it possible for them to work there...do you see where I am going with this?

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=11407477&ch=4226713&src=news

REPRINT FROM CIW - BREAKING NEWS FOR 2009

2009-01-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

NEW YEARS DAY MESSAGE FROM A CIW MEMBER
(translation below)

Carta de Año Nuevo…

En esta temporada del Año Nuevo en la que el país celebra con familia y amigos y todos expresan sus deseos para el futuro, los trabajadores de Immokalee queremos tomar esta oportunidad para compartir los nuestros también.

Hoy mientras el país celebra, en Immokalee seguimos viviendo una vida inimaginable -- amontonados, con sueldos estancados por 30 años, falta de respeto en el trabajo, violencia, robo de sueldos y en los casos mas extremos esclavitud. El pasado 19 de Dic. 2008, el caso mas reciente se cerro en la corte federal, en el cual trabajadores eran golpeados y encadenados durante las noches dentro de un camión para que no se fueran a escapar. Esclavizados, la comida que producian se distribuia por restaurantes y supermarcados en todo el pais. Y no cabe duda de que en este momento, en alguna labor en este estado de la Florida, hay otros companeros forzados a trabajar que producieron la comida que hoy forma parte de la celebración de fin de año de las familias de esta nación.

Hoy nos preguntamos cuantos casos mas de esclavitud y otros abusos deben ocurrir para que nuestra humanidad sea tomada en cuenta? Le pregunto a la industria agrícola, a sus compradores y también al Gobernador de la Florida – Cuantos abusos mas?...

Con estas preguntas en mi mente quiero expresar los deseos de mi comunidad:

Deseamos el fin de la esclavitud y otros abusos en la agricultura.

Deseamos respeto, un sueldo justo, y un trato digno.

Deseamos que mas compradores de tomate se unan a los acuerdos que ya hemos logrado y que el FTGE deje pasar el centavo a los trabajadores.

Deseamos que el Gobernador tome la responsabilidad que le corresponde en todo esto. No esperamos el cambio solo porque se trata de nuestros deseos, sino porque nuestros deseos se tratan de Derechos Humanos universales y existe una obligación moral que todos tenemos en esto.

Deseos para la familia, nuestros aliados, y el FTGE:

A nuestras Familias: Nunca pierdan la fe ni la esperanza, nunca olviden que nuestra promesa de construir un futuro mejor sigue viva. No nos olviden que nosotros nunca lo hacemos.

A nuestros aliados y al mundo: Les deseamos mucha felicidad y esperamos que sigamos con nuestra campaña para transformar la manera en la que la comida se produce en este país. Les animamos a seguir adelante porque esta lucha es justa, y lo que buscamos no solo es necesario sino posible.

Al FTGE: Nosotros sabemos que un dia celebraremo juntos, en la misma mesa, brindando por una nueva industria agricola, una industria mejor y mas humana.

Prospero Año Nuevo a todos, les desea la Coalicion de Trabajadores de Immokalee.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Letter on the New Year:

In this season of the New Year in which, across the country, families and friends gather to celebrate and share their hopes for the future, we, the Immokalee workers, wanted to take this opportunity to share our hopes and wishes too.

Today, while the rest of the country celebrates, we in Immokalee continue to live an unimaginable life -- overcrowded, with wages that have been stagnant for thirty years, no respect on the job, violence, wage theft, and, in the most extreme cases, slavery. This past December 19th, 2008, the most recent slavery case was closed in federal court, in which workers were beaten and chained inside trucks at night so that they couldn't escape. Enslaved, the food they produced was distributed by restaurants and supermarkets throughout the country. And there can be no doubt that at this very moment, in some field in this state of Florida, there are compañeros being forced to work against their will who produced the food consumed today in New Years celebrations by families across this nation.

Today we ask, how many more slavery cases must occur before our humanity is taken into account? I ask the agricultural industry, their buyers, and the governor -- how many more abuses?...

With these questions in my mind, I want to express the following hopes of my community:

We hope for an end to slavery and other abuses in agriculture.

We hope for respect, a fair wage, and to be treated with dignity.

We hope that more buyers join the agreements we have established and that the FTGE allows the workers to receive the penny per pound.

We hope that the governor takes responsibilty and the appropriate action in all of this. We are not hoping for these changes soley because they are our hopes, but because these are questions of universal Human Rights and we all have a moral obligation in this.

Wishes for our families, our allies, and the FTGE:

To our families: Never lose hope or faith, and never forget that our promise to build a better future remains alive. Do not forget us, as we will never forget you.

To our allies: We wish you much happiness, and that we continue, together, in our campaign to transform how food is produced in this country. We urge you to continue the struggle because what we seek is not only just, but is possible.

To the FTGE: We know that one day we will celebrate together, at the same table, toasting to a new agricultural industry, a better, more humane, agricultural industry.

Happy New Year to all, from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers

DIRECT TO YOU FROM THE SFA....REFLECTIONS ON 2008

2008-12-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

We write today with a special year-end update as the past month has brought a flurry of activity in the Campaign for Fair Food: From the Subway agreement to the Northeast Tour, from a shocking (and revealing) statement on modern-day slavery by a rep of the FL Department of Agriculture to oodles of media coverage (much of it touching on the crucial role that students, consumers, and other farmworker allies have played in the success of the campaign).

As we reflect on the trials, tribulations, and monumental victories of 2008 (which you can relive here - http://sfalliance.org/news.html), we look forward to a new year and a new phase in the struggle.

Now that the fast-food industry has spoken, we turn our attention to the large supermarket chains and the leading food service corporations such as Aramark and Sodexo that are on many of our campuses.

For now, keep reading and check out the links below for all the latest developments!

"Specter of Slavery Persists in Fields," but apparently that's not such a big deal...
In a recent article published in the Ft. Myers News-Press, Terence McElroy, a spokesperson from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, had this to say about the rash of modern-day slavery in Florida's fields over the past decade:

"Of course, I say any instance is too many, and any legitimate grower certainly does not engage in that activity (slavery) but you're talking about maybe a case a year."

You can read the article - and the CIW's response - at http://ciw-online.org. As you might imagine, we don't share Mr. McElroy's sense that one case a year of modern-day slavery is somehow insignificant. What do you think? Is one case of slavery per year not so bad? As a consumer, you have a say in this too...

Subway agrees to work with the CIW
The December 2nd agreement between the CIW and Subway -- the largest fast-food purchaser of Florida tomatoes -- means that the four largest fast-food companies in the world have now agreed to improve wages and conditions in their tomato supply chains!

A Ft. Myers News-Press article on the agreement ("Subway to pay more for tomatoes", http://www.news-press.com/article/20081203/BUSINESS/812030388/1075) made these important observations...

"...Sherri Daye Scott, who edits QSR, a North Carolina-based food-service industry magazine, noted consumers spoke first - by supporting the coalition's petition drives, protests and boycotts.
'Until the college students and then the consumers got involved, it was not that big a deal,' Scott said.

Will fair food become an industry watchword?
'It could,' Scott said. 'I haven't heard any rumblings yet beyond the tomato pickers yet, but it could gain traction..."

...As the paper's editorial board called on the growers to end their resistance to change in Florida's fields:
"Pass extra pay to tomato workers," http://www.news-press.com/article/20081203/OPINION/81203031/1075

A must-read article from the Institute for Southern Studies also weighs in:

"When the CIW began its nationwide consumer boycott against Taco Bell, workers left the fields to carry their protest and demands across the country. Campus groups and dozens of faith groups endorsed the boycott, with students taking a strong role as ambassadors of the cause. "Boot the Bell" campaigns by students, through the Student/Farmworker Alliance, blocked or forced Taco Bell from more than 20 campuses, and boycott campaigns were held at more than 300 universities and high schools... What began as a small group of indigent, abused and ignored farm workers spawned a national movement for food justice..."
You can check out all the great coverage from the Subway victory by clicking here.

Northeast Tour comes to a close
Immediately following the Subway victory, the Northeast Tour continued, bringing a contingent from Immokalee all the way up the East Coast and back again for dozens of presentations and discussions with allies as well as visits to some of our new friends in the supermarket and and food service industries to drop off the Alliance for Fair Food letter, which you can read here: http://allianceforfairfood.org/2008affletter.html. Check out this link (http://www.ciw-online.org/2008_NE.html) for the exciting photo reports from the tour, and check back in the next day or two for the final report from NYC!

(Reminder: We're still seeking a full-time staffer/national co-coordinator to work with SFA as well as a Spring intern - check out http://sfalliance.org for the applications and more info.)

Thanks,
SFA

--Student/Farmworker AllianceP.O. Box 603Immokalee, FL 34143
web | www.sfalliance.orgphone| 239.657.8311fax | 239. 657.5055

DISTRIBUTE WIDELY & STAND DOWN

2008-12-03T12:44:00.001-08:00

STAND DOWN ON PROTESTS AGAINST SUBWAY

Subway, the third largest fast-food chain in the world and the biggest fast-food buyer of Florida tomatoes, reached an agreement yesterday morning (12/2) with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to help improve wages and working conditions for the workers who pick their tomatoes!

Visit http://sfalliance.org today for links to coverage of this exciting development, the joint CIW/Subway press release, and to a listing of public events taking place over the next 10 days as representatives of the CIW and Student/Farmworker Alliance make their way to the following cities:

Washington, DC
Baltimore
Philadelphia
Boston
Providence
New Haven
New York

BREAKING NEWS SUBWAY SIGNS AGREEMENT

2008-12-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Yet Another Victory!

Date: Dec 2, 2008 1:52 PM

Subject:
Victory! Subway signs with Coalition of Immokalee Workers!
Body:
Wow The CIW has done it again! ANOTHER VICTORY AGAINST A MAJOR CORPORATION!

Subway restaurants have signed an official agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve farmworker conditions in the fields and raise a 30-year stagnant wage.

(Chipotle restaurants, on the other hand, continue to refuse to take responsibility for sweatshop conditions in their supply chain)

Stay tuned to the website for more info and to see what's up next....

CLOSE THE SOA

2008-11-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, and we are at the SOA in an attempt to make more people aware that this is a location which needs to be shut down.

The vigil and peaceful march, etc...end today, Sunday, but yet the SOA remains standing...let's shut it down soon!

The CIW / SFA are in attendance showing solidarity along with everyone else that has been there the entire weekend. More news after this weekend ... peace out.

PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA

2008-11-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

As y'all are aware from my postings, the CIW SUBGUEY 2008 NORTHEAST TOUR is about to begin, and I just wanted to make certain that everyone out there is aware & if able and I urge you to please stop by one of the locations in your area, speak up for those less fortunate than yourselves not only at this time of year, the holiday season, but during the entire year, these farmworkers need a CHANGE as President Elect Obama promised, there is a future for change well in my humble opinion we should make that change real soon for these farmworkers, give them the dignity, respect and a penny more per pound for the tomatoes harvested....along with changing laws to make it possible for them to organize ie unionize to obtain a living wage!

President Elect Obama we humbly ask you to take a few hours out of your busy schedule and visit Immokalee, Florida, sit down & chat with Mr. Lucas Benitez, Mr. Gerardo Reyes and others that work in the coalition to help these farmworkers, take a quick tour of the fields, the coalition has been awarded various prestigious awards Mr. Obama (President Elect, for Human Rights, Anti-Slavery, so please we ask humbly to take the time to visit....Governor Bush stopped & visited, but he could only do so much, yet you as soon to be President have much more power to help us make the CHANGES happen that these workers need.

CIW'S CONTINUING EFFORTS FOR FAIR FOOD

2008-11-23T06:48:00.000-08:00

Northeast Subway Tour set to begin two weeks from today!...

High school students in Lawndale, CA -- members of their school's MEChA chapter -- protest outside of a local Subway restaurant this past Sunday, November 9th. Protests like this one are planned in communities along the route of the upcoming Northeast Tour.
Click here for more pics from the exciting action!

11/18/08: Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and their allies will leave Immokalee this coming December 2nd and head north along I-95 on a path to Milford, CT -- home of Subway's corporate headquarters -- for a 10-day swing through the Northeast aimed at bringing public attention to the exploitation of farmworkers in the fields where Subway's tomatoes are picked.

In cities from Washington, DC, to Boston, MA, the Tour delegation will be meeting with local student, faith, labor, and community groups and organizing actions at local Subway restaurants. Here's a list of the cities and dates:

2008 Northeast Tour
December 2 - 10

December 2 - Miami, FL
December 3 - Raleigh-Durham, NC
December 4 - Washington, D.C. // Baltimore, MD
December 5 - Philadelphia
December 6 - Boston // Providence, RI
December 7 & 8 - New Haven & Milford, CT
December 9 & 10 - New York City

For more information about specific events, or to help organize an event in your community, contact info@allianceforfairfood.org.

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Sustainable food blog Grist.org asks CIW for "elevator pitch" to President-elect Obama on farmworker justice!... CIW joins Eric Schlosser, Michael Pollan, Anna Lappé, and more leaders in sustainable food and agriculture in "advising" the new president on how to address the inequities of our food industry.

11/12/08: Don't miss the exciting and inspiring series "Going Up!" on Grist.org for some of the best ideas on what might be next in our country's efforts to humanize and modernize our food industry. Grist asked the CIW for a contribution to the series, which you can read here below:

"Dear President Obama:

We know you’re a busy man, so we’ll get right to the point: Come to Immokalee.

Your victory has allowed us to dream again. Our dream is for a US food industry founded on respect for human rights, not exploitation of human beings.

That’s why it’s so important for you to come to Immokalee, the town that, in many ways, has come to symbolize the struggle of millions of our nation’s farmworkers to survive in the face of grinding poverty, degrading working conditions, and constant human rights violations – the town that one federal prosecutor called “ground zero for modern-day slavery.” Indeed, the most recent Department of Justice prosecution for slavery helped free workers who were forced to pick tomatoes against their will, chained and locked inside u-haul trucks, and beaten by farm labor bosses – right here in Immokalee.

We know you’ve got a lot on your plate. The economic crisis, two wars, climate change… the brutal and unending exploitation of farmworkers, no matter how terrible, just doesn’t rise to the level of the innumerable crises you’ve inherited. We understand that.

But we ask you: Where else could so little of your time have such a great impact? With one brief visit you would bring more attention to the disgraceful treatment of our country’s farmworkers than all the Harvest of Shame exposés, slavery prosecutions, Congressional hearings, and US Presidents since Lincoln combined. With our Campaign for Fair Food, we could turn that attention into action and end generations of farm labor abuse once and for all.

All we need is the right champion, someone who truly cares about the working poor, someone who represents hope to Americans who have been marginalized for far too long, someone like you. And we can do it with just a couple hours of your time." See all the contributions by clicking here

Now, do we think such a thing might ever come to pass? Probably not, but as we say, a community can dream...

And it's not totally without precedent. Governor Jeb Bush came down to Immokalee and met with CIW leaders during his campaign, following the month-long hunger strike by six of our members in 1998, and one of his first acts as Governor-elect was to help expand on wage gains we had won earlier that year.

Much, much more remains to be done, of course -- as evidenced by the six slavery operations brought to justice since Governor Bush took office (the latest of which came on Governor Crist's watch, of course...) -- but who better to help us do it than President Obama? Food for thought...

2008-11-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Click on the video above for the youtube version, or click here for a cleaner, quicktime streaming video

10/28/08: Check out the new video above with exclusive footage from the recently completed tour, and click on the following links for:

All the daily updates from the road

The CIW response to Chipotle's 11th hour announcement on the campaign

And a hard-hitting human rights white paper from the Alliance for Fair Food entitled "Challenging the Chipocrisy"!

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Hello follks...sorry I had not been able to post lately, been real busy, but I'm back & ready to keep y'all updated on the CIW/SFA .... so please take the time to watch the video posted and or click on our link: http://www.ciw-online.org/

CHIPOCRISY TOUR @ CHIPOTLE HEADQUARTER'S DOOR STEP

2008-10-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

"Chipocrisy Tour" camps at Chipotle's doorstep in Denver!... Click here to see the pictures and report from Days 5 and 6 of the Tour -- as the Tour crew holds a 30-hour vigil outside Chipotle's corporate headquarers -- as well as all the reports from Denver, Austin, and Wichita...

Here's a taste of the update from the 30-hour vigil:

"The delegation spoke with Mr. Spong (Chipotle's VP for Loss Prevention) for a few minutes before inviting him to take a look at some of the more than 85,000 signatures from consumers across the country to the CIW's National Petition to End Sweatshops and Slavery in the Fields (including over 4,000 signatures from members of the farmworker community in Immokalee - shown stretched across the length of Chipotle's headquarters in the photo, above right).

Mr. Spong's response to the petitions? To tell encampment members that Chipotle executives had "made a decision" about how best to address the abuses faced by farmworkers in its tomato supply chain - demonstrating once again that the company still doesn't get it.

Chipotle, as it has shown time and again over the past several years, can't possibly know what's best for workers in Florida's fields. The company doesn't have a clue about the conditions workers face there every day, and they never will as long as they rely on the farm owners for information (or try to investigate conditions themselves, as farm supervisors are well practiced at the art of intimidation). Until they finally decide to work in true partnership with the people who know the reality of those abuses best -- the workers themselves -- Chipotle's efforts to end labor abuses where their tomatoes are picked will remain, at best, a public relations answer to a human rights crisis."

Note this is a re-print from the www.ciw-online.org, please visit the site for more exciting detailed reports of this struggle.

CHIPOCRISY TOUR 1ST STOP IN TEXAS

2008-10-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

10/2/08: The 2008 "Chipocrisy Tour" is on the road and rolling into Austin, Texas, today, ready for its first big action and a celebration tonight of the agreement with Whole Foods!

The excitement in the communites hosting the Tour along the route is high, as seen in the organizing and original art -- like the great poster above from the Wichita, Kansas, allies -- coming out of cities from Denver and Boulder, Colorado, to St. Louis, Missouri, and Ashville, North Carolina.

And dont forget to check back for more exciting news from the road...check out / log onto: http://ciw-online.org/