E-Action Alerts: Make your voice heard today in the fight for Fair Food! Sign the online petitions at the links below... |
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Chipotle (sumofus.org) |
Publix (change.org) |
May 21, 2012
Chipotle List #3 now served...
This time, Chipotle answers its own disinformation in a new email exchange with a former Chiptole "Farm Team" member!
#3: "We have the same goal as the CIW—improved wages and conditions for the workers—but there are multiple ways to get there. In this case, for the workers' sake, it was more effective to use a more direct route."
Fact: Actually, Chipotle hasn't forged anything resembling a new path nor taken any more "direct route", it has simply -- by its own admission -- plugged into the CIW's Fair Food Program, only without any of the oversight or commitment.
An important ingredient in Chipotle's marketing image as the "Food with Integrity" leader is a sense that Chipotle is the smart fast-food company, the thinking man or woman's alternative to fast-food factories. The rebel, the iconoclast -- if there is a path less taken, that's where you'll find Chipotle, or so the company's carefully crafted image would have its customers believe.
And despite the contradiction of Chipotle's long incubation under the wing of the very epitome of conveyor belt consumerism -- McDonald's (the company Steve Ells once called "the very rich uncle every restaurant wishes it had behind it") -- Chipotle has done a good job of promoting this sense of the company's exceptionalism. Its award-winning, tear-jerking animated short starring Willie Nelson, "Back to the Start", is just the latest chapter in Chipotle's remarkable PR story of the little fast-food company fighting the system for you.
Now, in fairness, Chipotle has walked the walk when it comes to certain parts of its supply chain, like meat. There's no taking that away from them. But when it comes to the part of their supply chain that matters to farmworkers in Florida, for years Chipotle took the exact same path as its rich uncle McDonald's and every other member of the fast-food herd. And though today they do indeed diverge from their fast-food brethren in their Florida supply chain management, the difference is hardly to their credit, as they are doing less than the others to meet the highest ethical standards. Yet they somehow find a way to spin even their decision to do less in a positive way.
It is this double helix of disinformation that makes today's installment, No. 3, on the list of Chipotle's falsehoods, fibs, and fabrications so interesting. On the one hand, Chipotle's claim that it has found a more "direct route" -- a somehow more virtuous approach to a sustainable, fair tomato supply chain than its fast-food brethren, indeed than the farmworkers themselves -- is false because, to the extent it is doing anything, Chipotle has simply piggy-backed on the existing Fair Food Program framework. And you don't have to take our word for it. Here's Chipotle's own PR director Chris Arnold answering a concerned, long-time Chipotle customer about the company's refusal to partner with the CIW (more on this exchange later):
"... Recall that CIW's work began targeting growers in Florida, which is where the issues were. They switched gears and began targeting buyers so buyers could apply economic pressure on growers to make the growers change their practices. All of this is well reported in Barry Estabrook's book, Tomatoland, or, to some extent, at the link below. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_of_Immokalee_Workers That effort has worked, and now more than 90% of tomatoes grown in Florida are grown under CIW's program. This is an extraordinary accomplishment given how well entrenched practices are in the large scale ag sector, and how change averse the industry is. In short, CIW won. The industry has turned. Now, anyone who wants to can participate in their program, and we have chosen to do that working only with growers who have signed on to their program. In terms of having a contract with them directly, we simply don't believe that contracts are necessary to do the right thing..." |
"Now, anyone who wants to can partcipate in their program, and we have chosen to do that"... That hardly squares with the quote that started this post, about "multiple ways to get there" and Chipotle finding a "more effective", "more direct route." Chipotle, by its own admission, has brought nothing new to the table but is rather participating in the CIW's Fair Food Program (though even its half-hearted participation is less than stellar).
Which is where the double helix comes in. The fact is, Chipotle has diverged in one key way from its fast-food brethren: Chipotle has missed the exit for social responsibility and chosen to stay on the low road when McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, and Taco Bell all decided to break from the past and partner with the CIW in the Fair Food Program. Chris Arnold alludes to this in the final paragraph of the quote above where he says, "In terms of having a contract with them directly, we simply don't believe that contracts are necessary to do the right thing."
And that is the only real difference between Chipotle and the other fast-food companies at this point. Chipotle hasn't come up with any better, more effective path. Chipotle has effectively plugged into the CIW's Fair Food Program, with one glaring exception: Chipotle has refused to make a real commitment to that Program, and, as a result, has refused to provide the kind of access to its supply chain information that the other fast-food companies have provided to allow for oversight of their participation in the Program.
Yet Chipotle, in a remarkably bold move, has attempted to shoehorn this ethical failure into its larger narrative of ethical superiority, turning its refusal to partner with farmworkers into a somehow more virtuous approach to sustainability. The good news is, it doesn't seem to be working, especially among those people who pay closest attention to Chipotle's claims of "Food with Integrity", which brings us back to the exchange mentioned earlier.
Here's one customers' response to Chris Arnold's answer excerpted above. And it's not just any customer. The response comes from a key member of Chipotle's "Farm Team", a group of regular customers personally recruited by restaurant managers to help communicate Chipotle's message of "Food with Integrity" to other potential customers to help grow Chipotle's business. Here's his message:
"As a loyal Chipotle consumer and avid supporter of Chipotle's business practices, I am saddened to find myself forced to boycott your product until Chipotle reaches a positive resolution to the CIW's concerns. I have spoken this morning with Communications Director Mr. Chris Arnold, and left a message in the purchasing department. I sincerely appreciate Mr. Arnold taking the time to speak with me and explain Chipotle's position regarding the Fair Foods Agreement. In a letter this morning Mr. Arnold assures me that Chipotle is meeting the industry standard for Fair Pay and transparency in Florida, but does not see the necessity in signing the agreement. According to Mr. Arnold, it is possible to "do the right thing" without the necessity of a contract. While I agree with Chipotle's position, it unfortunately puts the organization on the opposite side of industry standards. If organizations such as McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Trader Joe's are willing to allow a third party to monitor and certify the process, certainly Chipotle would be willing? As an early adopter of Chipotle, I have always been heartened by your business practices and shared my positive impression of your organization. As a founding member of the Farm Team last year, I helped spread the message of Food With Integrity to my friends, family, and colleagues. I was shocked, embarrassed, and ashamed at a recent family gathering to find my assertions about the Integrity of your organization called into question over the current situation with the CIW. I have come to expect Chipotle to be on the forefront of ethical business practices. This morning I took the time to speak with both representatives at Chipotle and with the CIW. I am disappointed by what I learned. If indeed, Chipotle meets and exceeds the industry standards, and is willing to allow full transparency, what is the logic of refusing to sign a commitment to those practices? I am assured that the process of signing the Fair Foods Agreement is swift, and can be accomplished in a matter of hours. What's more, the CIW has committed to communicating the agreement through its many channels once signed. All that is necessary is a single phone call. I understand, that I am only a single consumer and that my refraining from purchasing your product may not impact the business. I urge you to make a decision based on what is Right and Best, not on the potential loss of income. I look forward to hearing from your office soon. Perhaps, with swift action, my daughter and I can have a Chipotle Burrito for dinner this evening." |
That's one thinking man who is thinking for himself. Here's to hoping that he and his daughter do get to eat that burrito together sooner, rather than later.
May 17, 2012
Natural Resources Defense Council Awards CIW the 2012 Growing Green Food Justice Award!
Lucas Benitez, Greg Asbed of CIW accept award in ceremony at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts
From the NRDC press release announcing this year's winners of the Going Green Awards:
"... CIW is creating today’s blueprint for farmworker justice by spearheading historic fair food agreements with groundbreaking farm labor standards, fair farmworker wages and labor rights education through their Fair Food Program, which is now implemented on over 90 percent Florida's tomato farms. Today, ten multi-billion dollar national companies have signed on to CIW's Fair Food Program and CIW continues to forge critical alliances among tomato growers, workers, food retailers and the community. 'Social accountability in our food system starts by truly valuing those workers whose backbreaking labor puts food on our tables every day,' said CIW’s co-founders. 'At CIW, we fight to advance human rights in the fields, and we applaud NRDC for recognizing that a sustainable food system must include fair wages and working conditions for farmworkers.'” read more |
We will have more from last night's ceremony soon, including photos and the text of the CIW's remarks, but for now we have a video (above) produced by NRDC with a short profile of all of the 2012 Going Green Award winners, and a few links (below) for some context on the awards. Be sure to check back soon for a complete update!
- "Sowing Justice in the Florida Tomato Fields," Barry Estabrook, 5/16/12, onearth.org
- "Field Notes on Food Justice: Why Your Local Grocery Store Makes Farmworkers Poor," Greg Asbed, Lucas Benitez, 5/16/12, onearth.org
- "Growing Green Awards: Winners Produce Food that Nourishes People and the Planet," 5/16/12, Frances Beinecke, switchboard.nrdc.org
- "Coalition of Immokalee Workers gets award for work in realm of 'food justice'," 5/16/12, Ft. Myers News Press
The CIW is humbled to have been chosen for this tremendous honor and looks forward to working more closely with the NRDC in the future in building a food industry -- healthy, sustainable, and fair -- for the 21st century.
May 15, 2012
The mouse that squeaked: The Chipotle series continues...
Plus, take action with sumofus.org to call on Chipotle to stop stalling and join the Fair Food Program!
#5: "... we were instrumental in getting the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE) to make sure that this money actually went to the workers."
#4: "This deal in turn will allow other companies to participate in helping the workers where they were stonewalled before."
Fact: Nope, sorry, Chipotle doesn't get to claim credit for the most important farmworker victory in a generation, the culmination of 15 years of struggle. Chipotle's bizarre megalomania stops here.
If the Outrageous Credit Grab were an Olympic sport, Chipotle would be a three-time gold medalist.
Chipotle's first gold came in 2009, when the company issued a press release claiming sole credit for East Coast Growers' decision to become the first major tomato grower to agree to implement the Fair Food Program. The absurdity of that claim is well chronicled, some examples of which you can find here, here, and here.
Not one to rest on its laurels, the company has just doubled down on its delusions of farm labor leadership, inflating its original claim to now take credit for the CIW's historic 2010 agreement with the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange and the implementation of the Fair Food Program that followed.
Get that cheeky fast-food start-up two more ribbons and some shiny medals!
On a slightly more serious note, while it's difficult to justify dedicating even a single square inch of real estate on this website to debunking these two brazen claims -- the site itself, as an exhaustive archive of every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears that has gone into the CIW's 15-year struggle to break the growers' legendary resistance to change, is more than sufficient proof to the contrary -- we will share with you some numbers to consider from 2010, the year when the FTGE abandoned its resistance and agreed to participate in the Fair Food Program:
The 10 biggest fast food chains in the United States in 2010 (source): 1. * Subway - 23,336 U.S. Locations * Companies committed to purchase from growers willing to participate in the Fair Food Program |
Chipotle stores at end of 2010 (source): 1,084 |
So, at the time when Chipotle was supposedly working its magic "getting the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange to make sure that [the Fair Food Program] money actually went to the workers," the burrito king represented approximately 1/50th of the total buying power of just the participating fast-food companies. The measure of Chipotle's relative ability to influence the FTGE's decision only gets smaller when you throw in the foodservice companies that had also signed on to the Program by 2010 (Compass Group, Aramark, and Sodexo) and Whole Foods. Thus, far from being a significant player in the market power that lured the FTGE out of the bunker and to the negotiating table, Chipotle was in fact the smallest of all the retail food companies participating in the Fair Food Program at the time, by orders of magnitude.
It was, in fact, the mouse that squeaked.
And so it's hard to believe that anyone outside of the company's downtown Denver offices truly thinks Chipotle was "instrumental" in moving the FTGE. In fact, you might be hard pressed to find many souls inside Chipotle headquarters who do. But one thing is now clear: Chipotle's disregard for the truth and seemingly unrivaled capacity for self-promotion have touched a nerve, and people are calling the company to account in growing numbers.
Sumofus.org -- the same people who helped give tens of thousands of consumers a voice in the Trader Joe's campaign -- has put together an online petition calling on Chipotle to stop stalling and sign a Fair Food Agreement, and in just two days it already has over 50,000 60,000 signatures! Here's the text of the sumofus.org announcement:
"If you believe its marketing hype, you’d think Chipotle does everything it can to source its ingredients ethically. But you just have to unwrap the burrito a little bit to realize the way Chipotle purchases the tomatoes for its salsa undercuts the advances in working conditions Florida farmworkers have fought to win. Chipotle is refusing to sign the Fair Food Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a group of farmworkers who’ve successfully convinced major corporations like Burger King and Subway to participate in a program that helps ensure that tomato pickers are treated well and paid fairly for their work. And it actually gets worse. Chipotle is misleading its customers by trumpeting the work of the CIW on its website. In reality, Chipotle broke off talks with the CIW, opting instead to go it alone — no partnership, no verification, no commitment for the long term. By refusing to partner with the CIW, Chipotle is undercutting the life-changing work the CIW has done to protect farmworkers from the often-brutal conditions workers face at farms not participating in the Fair Food Program. Since organizing in the mid-90s, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has successfully pressured large corporations like Aramak, Compass Group, and Whole Foods to sign its Fair Food Agreement, guaranteeing a fair wage and worker protections to the men and women who pick tomatoes across Florida. And just this past February, SumOfUs.org members helped convince Trader Joe’s to sign the Fair Food Agreement! This weekend, CIW is ramping up the pressure on Chipotle by sponsoring a weekend of action where people all over the US will be pressuring Chipotle to sign the Fair Food Agreement. Let’s use our power as consumers — the people that, frankly, CEOs care most about — and demand that Chipotle sign on to the Fair Food Agreement. Join the movement for fair food by sending a message to Chipotle’s CEO, urging him to sign the Fair Food Agreement now." |
Chipotle's falsehoods, fibs, and fabrications are beginning to take their toll on the company's teflon reputation, and the longer they pursue this "go it alone" policy, the more dinged and dented their reputation will get. Let Chipotle know that their refusal to partner with the CIW has gone on long enough, sign the sumofus.org petition today!
This Mother's Day, stand with farmworker moms as they fight for their families...
Take action with change.org by telling Publix to sign a Fair Food Agreement today!
Take a moment to consider two videos. We'll begin with the 2012 Publix Mother's Day commercial (spoiler alert -- get your tissues ready):
Continue reading this post and take action with change.org >>
May 10, 2012
Evangelicals for Social Action publish must-read article on Campaign for Fair Food!
Prism Magazine: "Field hands, faith groups, and ordinary citizens are demanding justice from an industry that squeezes the lifeblood from its workers."
A great new, in-depth look at the situation of farmworkers and the Campaign for Fair Food is the cover story in this month's Prism Magazine, the publication of Evangelicals for Social Action. It is a must-read article that you can find here in pdf form. Here's an excerpt, describing the first of what would become many pray-ins at Publix, which took place just ahead last fall's bike tour to Publix headquarters in Lakeland:
May 8, 2012
Left behind...
Students at Lakeland's George Jenkins High (named after the founder of the Publix supermarket chain) experience the weight of a full tomato bucket during the visit of the Modern-Day Slavery Museum to the school last month.
Things can get a little hectic in the Campaign for Fair Food and, as a result, every now and then we look around and realize that we have allowed a number of great stories fall by the wayside while we try to keep up with all the day-to-day happenings. And so today, in order that those stories do not molder away forever under stacks of the very latest news at Campaign headquarters, we are debuting an update that will appear from time to time in these pages that we call "Left Behind".
May 6, 2012
#6 on the Chipotle list is ready for your review!
Our series continues... Plus, a special bonus: A long-overdue Chipotle media round up!
#6: "You may be interested to hear that Chipotle has supported the CIW."
Fact: Unless by "interested" Chipotle means "shocked," we, as the hypothetical supportee, would beg to differ.
This one is almost too easy, but the List must go on...
The online dictionary defines "support" as:
"a. To aid the cause, policy, or interests of; b. To argue in favor of; advocate;... ... to give approval to (a cause, principle, etc.), to subscribe to;" |
And here's how Chipotle CEO Steve Ells expressed his "support" for the CIW, during a November, 2009, presentation at the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School of Business:
“Of course I’m not in favor of slavery! But signing an agreement [with the CIW] does not actually change those conditions for farmworkers. I mean, they just don’t see the bigger picture,” he continued. “To change the fast-food paradigm is huge. We’re trying to do the right thing.” read more |
So, you can judge for yourself whether Mr. Ells' words can be construed as supportive, but as the purported recipients of Chipotle's "aid" and "approval", we think we have something of a say in this, and our verdict is unequivocal: No, Chipotle does not in fact support the CIW.
On the contrary, Chipotle's "we know better" approach is both absurd on its face (we are not talking about the protection of animal rights here, but of human rights, and there's simply no way that Steve Ells or anyone else at Chipotle can know better than Florida farmworkers themselves how to protect and advance farmworkers' rights) and threatens to undermine the extraordinary progress made to this point through the Campaign for Fair Food.
The Fair Food Program is founded upon the bedrock of the CIW's binding agreements with the retail food companies. Without those agreements, the Fair Food Program would have no teeth when workers' rights are violated and enforcement is called for. If other companies were to follow Chipotle's lead, the capacity of the Fair Food Program to enforce its promising new standards would be severely compromised.
Chipotle's half measures on human rights are not just ineffective, they are affirmatively harmful by undermining the work of those retailers, growers, workers and consumers who are invested in a genuine program to expand human rights in agriculture. And that's why Chipotle's unilateral claim to "support the CIW" is No. 6 on the Top Ten List of Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food.
Chipotle media round up... There have been a number of stories on Chipotle accumulating in the media while we have been paying attention to action on the Publix and Ahold fronts, and it's high time we collected a few of them for you. So here below for your edification is the Chipotle media round up:
- "Protesters rally against Chipotle's labor conditions," Washington Square News, 4/16/12
- "Farmworkers To Challenge Chipotle's "Chipocrisy," On Fair Labor Standards," Gothamist, 4/14/12
- "A Penny a Pound: Campaign for Fair Food," Huffington Post, 5/4/12
May 4, 2012
Kids say the darndest things... about Publix!
Some middle school ESOL students on the west coast of Florida share their thoughts on Fair Food with Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw...
The letters from middle school students to Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw below speak -- loudly and clearly -- for themselves. We have nothing to add to their perfect eloquence, except this: If we, as grown-ups, could hold on to just one thing from our childhood that would make this world a much, much better place, it would be the crystalline vision of justice children enjoy that we somehow learn to adulterate, so to speak, as we grow older.
And, now, without further ado, some advice from middle schoolers to Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw:
Mr. Ed Crenshaw, CEO Dear Publix: You should agree to the Fair Food Agreement. Workers that break their backs picking our fruits and vegetable should get more money. What can they do with this money? Well, migrants can buy food that is needed; afford clothes, electronics, and stuff like that. They could get enough money that maybe their children could ask for money for college so they could get a better future for themselves and become someone with a future. One reason you should agree to the Fair Food Agreement is so they can buy food for their family. I mean they get 50 cent a bucket and in you store it’s $3.55 a pound. The buckets weigh 32 pounds and they only get 50 cents!! That’s outrageous! It is like torture but for one cent more, they wouldn’t think it was torture. The second reason you should agree to the Fair Food Agreement is so migrant parents could afford more things for their children. Children need things; every kid wants something and migrant parents would feel bad because they know they can’t afford it. So this concludes this letter. many other store agree and thousand of people are supporting it I know I do so well the question is why don't you? |
May 3, 2012
New film on farm labor and reforms wrought by CIW's Fair Food Program in the works...
See how you can help wrap up production!
There have been several high profile studies of the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food of late, beginning with Barry Estabrook's "Tomatoland" and continuing, most recently, with the US premiere of the Canadian documentary "Payback" at the Tribeca Film Festival last week.
May 1, 2012
CIW bucket pyramid installation draws attention at popular Lakeland art festival...
including some unwanted attention from Publix's omnipresent surveillance team...
Here's an interesting story from last weekend...
At the suggestion of a member of the board of the Polk Arts Alliance -- who had joined us for the culminating march of the Fast for Fair Food -- the CIW submitted an application for Lakeland's wildly popular Platform Art Party, a festive downtown "showcase of the city's emerging talent in visual arts, film, fashion, sound and performance art."
Sounds great, right? A creative way to get the Fair Food message out to the community in Lakeland (Publix's hometown) and an opportunity to reach a whole new audience. What could possibly go wrong?...
April 30, 2012
Top Ten Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food
Our series continues...
#7: "We also allow third-party audits as well as open our supply chain to scrutiny."
Fact: No, the Fair Food Program does third-party audits, and Chipotle refuses to commit to abide by them.
This particular gem contains two little twists on the truth, both of which can be revealed with a question.
The first, which is merely irksome, concerns the meaning of the word "allow". If, as you are reading this post, the sun has come up and is shining, do you think it would be accurate to say that you "allowed" that to happen? Can you "allow" things that occur entirely outside of your control and do not -- in any way, shape, or form -- require your consent?
The Fair Food Program audits over 90% of all Florida tomato farms. It is possible (though by no means certain, which is a topic for another post) that Chipotle buys its tomatoes from farms among that 90%, and therefore it is possible that the farms where Chipotle buys its tomatoes are audited by the Fair Food Program. But that configuration of facts can hardly be described as Chipotle "allowing third-party audits" or "opening" its supply chain to scrutiny. Words have meanings, and those words give the strong impression that Chipotle has made some kind of decision that has resulted in the audits taking place. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The second twist is far more significant, and the question that reveals its particular deceit is this: What good does it do to "allow third-party audits" if you won't agree to abide by the findings of those audits?
Readers of this site will remember a recent article about the Fair Food Standards Council (FFSC), the third-party organization formed this season to monitor and enforce the new human rights standards established under the CIW's Fair Food Code of Conduct. If you haven't read it yet, it is worth taking a few moments to check out the story in the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
The FFSC is the embodiment of the Fair Food Program's commitment to real, measurable advances in farm labor wages and working conditions. As we wrote when the Herald Tribune article came out:
"That commitment -- combining regular field and farm office audits with a rigorous complaint investigation and resolution process, and backed by the CIW's on-the-farm, on-the-clock education around the code's new labor standards for tens of thousands of tomato harvesters across the state -- sets the Fair Food Program apart in the world of social responsibility, where corporate codes of conduct have proliferated but are rarely monitored and even more rarely enforced." |
But there is another commitment that sets the Fair Food Program apart from so many other self-styled social responsibility efforts, and that's the commitment made by the retail food corporations that have signed onto the Fair Food Program to abide by the findings of the FFSC, purchasing their Florida tomatoes only from growers found to be in compliance with the Fair Food Code of Conduct and cutting off purchases from those growers that are found to be in violation of the Code and refuse to correct those violations.
Without that commitment, the Fair Food Program would have no teeth. It would be just another set of hopeful standards on paper, without market consequences to make them real.
And that commitment is the critical distinction between Chipotle and the ten retail food giants that have signed a Fair Food agreement, the distinction that Chipotle's deceptive claim to "allow third-party audits" blurs, but can't erase.
Here it is, plain and simple: When a grower is found to be out of compliance, and is no longer a Participating Grower, retailers that have signed a Fair Food agreement are required to shift their purchases away from the non-compliant grower to the growers in good standing. Chipotle, on the other hand, is not required to do anything at all. Because Chipotle refuses to commit to the Fair Food Program, Chipotle is under no obligation to cut off purchases from the offending grower.
So, yes, it might be true that Chipotle's tomato suppliers are being audited today by the Fair Food Standards Council, although Chipotle's refusal to allow an audit of its purchasing records certainly doesn't engender much confidence even in that claim.
But it is definitely true that Chipotle is under no obligation whatsoever to suspend purchases from growers found to be in violation of the Fair Food Code of Conduct.
So we ask again: What good does it do to "allow third-party audits" if you won't agree to abide by the findings of those audits?
April 26, 2012
In case you thought we had forgotten about Publix...
Massive march in Sarasota, pray-in in St. Pete keep
the pressure on Florida's hold-out grocer...
While the 2012 Northeast Tour took the fight for Fair Food to Stop & Shop, Giant, and Chipotle, back home in Florida the Publix front in the Campaign for Fair Food has been 
anything but quiet.
With a huge pray-in at a St. Petersburg Publix store (right) and a massive march on a Publix in Sarasota (above) -- not to mention a continuing barrage of letters to Publix from disillusioned customers -- Fair Food activists in Florida have kept the heat on Florida's largest grocer.
So, check out the photo reports from the St. Pete pray-in and the Sarasota march, but first, take a moment to read the letters below from former Publix customers for a sense of the kind of feedback executives in Lakeland are getting every day from a growing number of disenchanted shoppers.
The first comes to us from David Moynahan of Crawfordville, Florida, who wrote to let us know that he is, "gradually handing the attached letter to management in all the Publix stores in Tallahassee, as well as giving copies to friends and encouraging them to write their own or participate in whatever ways they can." Here's what Publix managers across the Tallahassee area are reading these days:
April 24, 2012
New article profiles Fair Food Standards Council, Sarasota-based watchdog organization tasked with monitoring compliance with Fair Food Code of Conduct...
Former New York State Supreme Court Judge Laura Safer Espinoza (above), Executive Director of the new third-party monitor, tells Sarasota Herald Tribune, "it's an honor and a privilege to be part of a moment in history when buyers and growers and workers come together to rectify an historic injustice."
The CIW's Fair Food Program (FFP) -- a unique collaboration among farmworkers, growers, and retail food corporations that represents the culmination of nearly two decades of farmworker and consumer organizing to improve working conditions for Florida's tomato pickers -- went into effect on over 90% of Florida's tomato farms for the first time this season. To oversee the ground-breaking social responsibility program, the Fair Food Standards Council (FFSC) was born, its mission "to monitor the development of a sustainable Florida tomato industry that advances both the human rights of farmworkers and the long-term interests of growers through implementation of the Fair Food Program."
This past weekend, the FFSC and its Executive Director, Judge Laura Safer Espinoza, were profiled in a great new article by the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Here's an excerpt:
"SARASOTA - Laura Safer Espinoza never envisioned a retirement in which a 40-hour work week is a luxury, not to mention a 75-mile commute to the office. On the other hand, the former New York Supreme Court justice never anticipated an opportunity like building the unprecedented Fair Food Standards Council from scratch, either. 'I feel it's an honor and a privilege to be part of a moment in history when buyers and growers and workers come together to rectify an historic injustice,' says Espinoza. 'How many times can someone say that in their lifetime?' At 58, Espinoza is in charge of monitoring Florida's $620 million tomato industry for compliance with a landmark labor agreement in 2010. The deal, known as the Fair Food Program, guarantees farmworkers an extra penny per pound of tomatoes they harvest, as well as more humane working conditions." read more |
The FFSC is the embodiment of the Fair Food Program's commitment to monitoring and enforcement of the new human rights standards established under the Fair Food Code of Conduct. That commitment -- combining regular field and farm office audits with a rigorous complaint investigation and resolution process, and backed by the CIW's on-the-farm, on-the-clock education around the code's new labor standards for tens of thousands of tomato harvesters across the state -- sets the Fair Food Program apart in the world of social responsibility, where corporate codes of conduct have proliferated but are rarely monitored and even more rarely enforced.
The implementation of the Fair Food Progrm is still a work in progress -- the 2011-2012 season, which is coming to a close here in just a couple of weeks, marks its pilot season -- and there is [still] a long road ahead before the changes underway can be considered stable and complete. The Fair Food Program is a very new way of doing business in an indsutry that has resisted change for decades, and there is much to be done before all the bad actors and old habits are weeded out and new, more modern practices are firmly rooted. But the FFSC and the CIW's worker-to-worker education program give the Fair Food Program the best chance to succeed where so many other codes of conduct and social responsibilty programs have failed.
So, check out the Herald Tribune article today for a closer look at the exciting new organization (including comments from some of the growers and retail corporations supporting the Fair Food Program), and then come back again soon for a report from this past weekend's big Publix protest!
April 22, 2012
Rev. Michael Livingston, National Council of Churches: Ahold's Standards of Engagement a table that "has only two legs. It cannot stand."
Fourth and final update from the NE Tour takes us to Giant headquarters in Landover, MD for a spirited protest, reunion with Fast for Fair Food friends!
The NE Tour crew saved the best for last, as the final action of the Tour -- which took CIW members and allies to stops in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC to press supermarket giant Ahold and fast-food burrito king Chipotle to join the CIW's growing Fair Food Program -- combined a protest outside the Landover, MD, headquarters of the Giant supermarket chain (one of Ahold's two principal chains in the US) with a mini-reunion of fasters from last month's Fast for Fair Food, including the Rev. Michael Livingston (above, left), Director of the National Council of Church's Poverty Initiative...
April 18, 2012
Top Ten Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food
Our series continues... this time with a guest contributor!
#8: "We feel we do not need to sign a contract to do the right thing. We do the right thing because that is the kind of company we are..."
Fact: When it comes to human rights, the process of determining the "right thing" to do must include the humans whose rights are in question.
Today is reader participation day at the Top Ten List of Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food headquarters, and so, for Entry #8, we are turning to Mr. Robert McGoey of Denver Fair Food! Take it away, Robert:
"Perhaps Chipotle could make this sort of argument regarding its record on environmental issues, but that's not the case for workers' rights, where its track record is nowhere near the same. For the record, human rights abuses have been occurring in their tomato supply chain since they began as a company, and at no point did they feel that they needed to sign a contract to do anything about it. Further, on a practical level, workers themselves need to be involved in the doing of the "right thing" simply because they are the ones on the ground who can tell you when the right thing is not being done, and who have to be the ones to define what the "right thing" is. Only barely under the surface of this statement is an ugly condescension, a mentality that says, "We don't need to include you when we go about making your life better. We know what's best for you." I also want to quote Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser regarding Chipotle's refusal to work with the CIW: 'Claiming you support farm-worker rights but refusing to work with CIW is like someone in the ’60s saying they support civil rights but they won’t work with Martin Luther King, Jr. or the NAACP'.” |
Thanks, Robert. We are including here below a passage from this weekend's report from the 2012 Northeast Tour NYC Chipotle protests, words that echo your reflection on the fundamental hole at the heart of Chipotle's logic:
Because without farmworkers, there is no food, with or without integrity. |
Oh, and, one more thing...
It seems that consistency is not a value that Chipotle holds dear. While the company clearly expects the world to trust it to do the right thing voluntarily, CEO Steve Ells doesn't seem to think others in the industry should be allowed to benefit from that same approach. As it turns out, Chipotle is quite vociferous in its insistence that voluntary compliance with the FDA's guidelines on antibiotics use in animals is not sufficient due to producers' entrenched practices and interests. From a press release on the company's website:
Chipotle Mexican Grill Responds to FDA's Voluntary Plan to Reduce Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals "There are gaps in the program, particularly that it continues to allow antibiotic use for prevention of disease." DENVER, Apr 16, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) applauds the Food and Drug Administration's attention to the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming, but urges the agency and the industrial animal agriculture sector to do more. While Chipotle sees FDA's voluntary plan as a good first step, the company believes more intervention is needed to stop the abuse of antibiotics in farming... ... "We started serving meat from animals raised in a humane way and without the use of antibiotics because we believe animals should be raised in ways that emphasize good care rather than chemicals," Ells said. "These voluntary guidelines seem unlikely to cause producers to change the practices that necessitate dependence on drugs in the first place. It's an important first step, but stronger action will be needed to bring about meaningful change in an industry where their practices are so well entrenched." read more |
Mr. Ells adds, about the producers, "While FDA has a good track record using guidance to drive change, we hope they will monitor progress closely as producers could have stopped using antibiotics on their own at any time, but few have chosen to do so."
Hmmm... that's pretty solid logic. To paraphrase Mr. Ells, we can't depend on voluntary compliance with higher standards because food industry companies could have met those higher standards at any time in the past, but few have chosen to do so.
And that is exactly why, in the Fair Food Program, we insist on having binding contracts with our partners, because you just can't count on companies to do the right thing on their own when they haven't in the past!
Up next: The fourth and final update from the 2012 Northeast Tour, and #7 in the Top Ten List of Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food!
April 17, 2012
NE Tour rolls into Philly, NYC, bringing the fight to Giant, Stop & Shop, and Chipotle!
See the big weekend updates here and here...
Two huge days of action means four exciting protests, two big photo reports, and a bunch of media links. So, grab a seat and settle in for a double shot of Campaign for Fair Food news!
| Philly Photo Update | New York Photo Update |
And for just a taste of the weekend's action before you head over to the reports, have a look at the letter delivered by representatives of ten U Penn student organizations to the manager of the Chipotle restaurant on their campus (cue the theme song to this seminal battle in the Campaign for Fair Food... ok, well, there was no theme song, but you get the idea):
April 13, 2012
2012 Northeast Tour holds first major action outside Stop & Shop headquarters
in Quincy, Massachusetts!
Leonel Perez of the CIW (left) meets a representative of Ahold (Stop & Shop and Giant's Dutch parent company) outside Ahold's headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts, during yesterday's action, which took place despite a particularly heavy April shower.
CIW, allies get Ahold's attention with spirited protest, theater, and face to face message...
The CIW's 2012 Northeast Tour kicked off yesterday with a rally under the rain outside Stop & Shop and Giant's corporate offices in Quincy, MA. CIW members were joined by a broad swath of allies, including community members and students, and faith and labor representatives from over a dozen groups across New England, including City Life/Vida Urbana, Centro Presente, Interfaith Worker Justice, Emerson College, Brown University, Northeastern University, SEIU, United Church of Christ, Dorshei Tzedek, Occupy Boston, Occupy Quincy, and the Arlington Street Church.
April 12, 2012
Top Ten Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food
Our series continues...
#9: "However, the CIW wants us to sign a contract that would let the CIW control Chipotle's decisions regarding food in the future."
Fact: No, we don't.
Our only concern is the human rights of the workers who pick Chipotle's Florida tomatoes. To ensure that Chipotle uses its purchasing power to advance and protect those rights, we want Chipotle to sign a Fair Food Agreement. Here are a few of the many reasons why signing a Fair Food Agreement cannot be described as letting "the CIW control Chipotle's decisions regarding food in the future":
- Fair Food Agreements don't deal with all food purchases, they deal only with tomatoes;
- Fair Food Agreements don't even deal with all tomato purchases, they only deal with Florida tomatoes;
- The only requirement about purchasing contained in the Fair Food Agreements is that companies that sign must purchase their Florida tomatoes only from growers who are participating in the Fair Food Program, which today is over 90% of all Florida tomato growers. This allows for a pretty broad selection of growers among whom to choose. (Of course, this requirement means that, if a participating grower is found in violation of the Fair Food Code of Conduct and refuses to correct the violation or violations, that grower is suspended from the Program and participating buyers would have to stop purchasing his or her tomatoes. That is what gives the Fair Food Program teeth, keeping it from being just another code of conduct that companies are free to ignore at their convenience, and that may be what is giving Chipotle pause.)
- But if, in the unlikely event there are no Florida tomato growers able or willing to meet the Fair Food standards, participating buyers are permitted to purchase tomatoes from any and all growers until there are.
So, in summary, the agreements only cover Florida tomatoes, not "food". And as long as there are any Florida tomato growers complying with the Fair Food Code of Conduct (which you can find here), Chipotle is free to choose among them. And if there aren't any growers complying with the Fair Food Code of Conduct, Chipotle is free to choose among all Florida tomato growers. The only real restriction on Chipotle's choice of Florida tomato growers is if one of its current suppliers -- all of whom, according to Chipotle, are participating growers -- were to violate the Fair Food standards and refuse to correct the violations. In that case, the Fair Food Agreement would require that Chipotle shift its purchases away from that supplier. And that is the point of the Program: Market benefits for those growers who meet higher standards and market consequences for those who don't.
One final thought: Just in case you're thinking that the Fair Food standards might be unrealistic or overly ambitious, it is helpful to remember that ten other food industry leaders -- among them, four of Chipotle's colleagues in the fast food industry -- find it perfectly reasonable, and feasible, to purchase only from farms participating in the Fair Food Program. Yet it's Chipotle -- the ethical food leader, the company that invented the marketing slogan "Food with Integrity" -- that is shrinking from that same commitment.
Come back soon for #8, and for reports from 2012 Northeast Tour!
April 11, 2012
Top Ten Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food...
They forgot to mention shameless, truth-bending, and maddeningly self-aggrandizing...
Latest Chipotle take on company's role in Fair Food Movement so delusional its deconstruction requires a serial post to do it justice...
Over the years, we have seen more than our share of bizarre, self-serving, and outrageously false defenses put out there by our friends in the corporate food world in response to the Campaign for Fair Food, but the latest product from the Chipotle public relations department truly takes the cake.
It seems that the stories they told the world back in 2009 -- when Chipotle claimed credit for East Coast Tomato Packers' decision to become the first major tomato grower to participate in the Fair Food Program -- have now been spun so long and so hard that they have become the stuff of legend. And as with all good tall tales, their heroic exploits ask us to suspend our disbelief. Today, Paul Bunyan-like, Chipotle CEO Steve Ells stands 50 feet tall, and he and his giant blue ox have single-handedly overcome the resistance of the Florida tomato growers and ended farm labor exploitation once and for all.
OK, so maybe Ells (above, right) isn't 50 feet tall, and there is no blue ox, but none of that has kept Chipotle from telling its story of social responsibility, vision, and valor. A story made all the more amazing by the fact that Chipotle is smaller, by far, than all those food companies that have actually signed Fair Food Agreements, with revenues about 1/10th those of McDonald's, 1/8th those of Subway, 1/4th those of Trader Joe's. Indeed, the only thing epic about the past two years has been Chipotle's failure to deliver on its claim to be able to do better for farmworkers in its supply chain than the CIW's Fair Food Program can.
But enough about reality. Let's get back to Chipotle's PR world. The company's latest communication, sent to us by a consumer who wrote to Chipotle to inquire as to why the company has refused to sign a Fair Food Agreement, is so full of misinformation that we can't debunk it in just one post. Instead, over the next couple of weeks, interspersed with coverage of the 2012 Northeast Tour, we are going to bring you, countdown style, the "Top Ten List of Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food".
Today, we begin with Chipotle's response in its entirety, followed by #10 in the Top Ten list. We hope you enjoy the ride:
"Anne, Thanks for writing to us. I'm sorry for some of the confusion surrounding the CIW Fair Food Agreement. Food With Integrity is at the heart of who we are. We apply this philosophy to everything we do and to all aspects of our business. We've built our business on doing what we believe is right. We have a decade-long track record of working to improve the nation's food supply by choosing like-minded suppliers who share our belief in raising animals and growing vegetables in ways that demonstrate respect for people, animals and the environment. When we can't find such arrangements, we use our purchasing power to influence change among those who are willing to work with us. You may be interested to hear that Chipotle has supported the CIW. We definitely do not support abuse of tomato pickers and we only purchase our tomatoes from growers who have signed on with the CIW. We support their goal of making life better for the workers in Immokalee county Florida. We agreed to their request to pay a penny a pound to the tomato pickers, and we were instrumental in getting the Florida Tomato Grower's Exchange (FTGE) to make sure that this money actually went to the workers. Before Chipotle got involved, the CIW had not been able to get this money to the workers, because the FTGE would not allow it. In fact, in 2009, we successfully negotiated a pact with East Coast Farms, one of Florida's largest and most reputable tomato growers, in order to pay a penny a pound more for the tomatoes we buy. This additional money has been paid directly to the workers who pick our tomatoes. Here are some links on the subject, including one from NPR, from when this first happened: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112804917&ft=1&f=1006 http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2009/09/chipotle-tomatoes-labor-friendly-companies This progress with East Coast Farms came after months of working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Their campaign to improve wages and working conditions for farm workers who pick tomatoes in Florida prompted an organized effort by the Florida tomato industry to block fulfillment of similar agreements between the CIW and other large tomato buyers. By working directly with the grower instead, we found an alternative that allows us to have an immediate and positive impact on the lives of people who pick tomatoes for us. This deal in turn will allow other companies to participate in helping the workers where they were stonewalled before. We have the same goal as the CIW—improved wages and conditions for the workers—but there are multiple ways to get there. In this case, for the worker's sake, it was more effective to use a more direct route. As I mentioned, we are paying the extra penny per pound as we promised. We also allow third-party audits as well as open our supply chain to scrutiny. We are also purchasing our tomatoes from growers who have signed on with the CIW. However, the CIW wants us to sign a contract that would let the CIW control Chipotle's decisions regarding food in the future. We feel we do not need to sign a contract to do the right thing. We do the right thing because that is the kind of company we are and we want to retain the freedom to make those types of decisions based on the workers' rights, while still having the ability to take in consideration what we feel is best for the land, the animals and the farmers. We will continue in our quest to provide Food With Integrity, always looking for suppliers who share our belief in producing food in ways that demonstrates respect for workers, animals, and the environment. We will also continue to use our purchasing power to push for change when we cannot find suitable alternatives. While we know we are not perfect we hope that this will help for now as we continue to provide Food With Integrity and do the right thing in the future." |
And now, drum roll please... Number 10 in the the Top Ten List of Falsehoods, Fibs, and Fabrications in Chipotle's Answer to a Customer's Email about the Campaign for Fair Food:
#10. "We agreed to their request to pay a penny a pound to the tomato pickers.. As I mentioned, we are paying the extra penny per pound as we promised."
Fact: We start you off with something of a two-fer. First, Chipotle didn't agree to do anything, they just started doing something on their own that they thought was the same as the companies in the Fair Food Program were doing. But, worse yet, because they tried to go it alone, they were paying the wrong amount (and, conveniently, much less than the other companies in the Program). Yes, while telling the public they were paying the same Fair Food Premium as the companies that had signed Fair Food Agreements, Chipotle was in fact paying less. Oops!
Check back soon for #9...
March 25, 2012
The more things change?...
November, 1996 |
March, 2012 |
No, actually. The more things change, the more the old guard fights to keep things the same. But it isn't 1996 anymore...
The two bloody shirts pictured above trace the trajectory of the CIW's two-decade old fight for fundamental human rights in Florida's fields, a fight to eliminate the constant undercurrent of violence which has haunted the fields for far too long.
March 16, 2012
Support for Fast, Campaign, wide, deep...
Nearly 1,000 Fair Food activists flocked to Lakeland last Saturday to show their support for the 61 workers and allies who fasted for six-days to demand that Publix do its part to support the CIW's
Fair Food Program. Click here to see a remarkable photo slide show by Forest Woodward, a photographer who spent the entire week with the fasters as part of a documentary film crew.
A week later, support still coming in...
The impact of last week's Fast for Fair Food will not be fully known for some time to come, but the unprecedented dimensions of support for the fasters and their cause became clear even before the Fast began and only continued to grow after the Fast came to an end last Saturday.
The breadth of support -- from faith and student allies to small farmers, environmental activists, and more -- has been extraordinary. We've collected here below a few of the very latest messages of support that made their way into CIW headquarters.
March 14, 2012
In wake of Fast, Florida clergy take Publix to task...
Op/Eds in Florida papers challenge Publix to take a stand for farm labor rights!
Florida clergy are taking to the newspapers in the state's largest cities to denounce Publix's cold indifference to workers' and consumers' calls to support the CIW's Fair Food Program, or what one writer calls "the rot at the center of what would otherwise be a stellar company."
Just days after workers broke their six-day fast outside Publix headquarters in Lakeland, op/eds written by Florida clergy have appeared in the Jacksonville Florida Times Union and the Orlando Sentinel calling on Publix to stop fighting the Fair Food Program and to start talking to the CIW about how Florida's richest corporation can help improve the lives of Florida's poorest workers, whose historically undervalued labor has helped fuel Publix's growth for decades.
March 12, 2012
And, now, at last, the one you've
been waiting for...
The fifth and final video from
the Fast for Fair Food!
There is much more to come as we wrap up our reports from the Fast for Fair Food, including statements of support from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the National Family Farm Coalition, more incredible photos, and all the news and opinion from around the country. Check back soon for all the latest updates.
March 10, 2012
Workers, allies break six-day fast with a little help from nearly 1,000 friends!
A faster from Immokalee holds a piece of bread moments before 61 workers and allies broke their six-day fast outside Publix headquarters in Lakeland, Florida, yesterday. The fasters received their bread from Mrs. Ethel Kennedy, widow of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (who himself joined Cesar Chavez to break his fast 44 years ago to the day), and her daughter Kerry Kennedy. The fasters waited until all 61 of their number had received the bread before breaking their fast as one.
Kerry Kennedy to fasters, paraphrasing Robert F. Kennedy: "One day you will tell your children and grandchildren, 'I did this. I was there at the point of difficulty and danger.'"
The six-day Fast for Fair Food ended yesterday outside Publix headquarters in Lakeland, Florida, with a tremendous outpouring of support for the workers and their allies who braved hunger, a scorching sun, rain, and the mute disdain of Florida's largest corporation so that their brothers and sisters in the fields could work and live with a modicum of dignity. From beginning to end, it was a beautiful day.
First the facts of the day, from the Orlando Sentinel ("Ethel Kennedy joins workers seeking wage hike") :
Protesters walked for three miles to cap a nearly weeklong fast with a ceremony that included such guests as Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy, and Latin singer Jose Jose. Farmworkers have been fasting for nearly a week in an effort to pressure the company to participate in a program that would pay growers a penny more per pound of tomatoes..." read more |
And for some of the color of the day, from the Lakeland Ledger ("Kennedys help workers end fast at Publix headquarters"):
Kerry Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, broke large loaves of bread and handed pieces to the 61 people who participated in the hunger strike... ... Kerry Kennedy, her mother and brother, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., joined hundreds of people in a three-mile rally from the Publix store on Harden Boulevard to the chain's headquarters near Airport Road. Kerry Kennedy called on the Jenkins family, leaders of the Lakeland-based chain, to begin negotiations over the agreement. 'Your family can help bring justice to the farm workers,' Kerry Kennedy said... ... The group lined a fence in front of the headquarters with colorful messages and white carnations asking the supermarket to consider the agreement. The group listened to music and various supporters, including Mexican performing artist Jose Jose during the ceremony to end the fast... ... Nely Rodriguez, 46, of Immokalee, fasted since Monday. She said she would like to see Publix executives speak with the coalition because of its large presence in Florida. Rodriguez has lived in the United States for 8 years and has worked as a laborer for much of that time. She said many workers often spend little time with their families because of the long hours they work in the fields. 'It sticks with you for life,' she said in Spanish. 'If there was more money for workers, moms would have a better life.'" read more |
And, finally, for some of the business of the day. The fasters awoke on Day Six to an article in the Ft. Myers News-Press ("Publix protesters set to end six-day fast"), that, after more than a year of a public relations disinformation campaign, finally put Publix's claims about the CIW's Fair Food Program under scrutiny and found them to not just inaccurate, but contrary to the facts.
The coverage from yesterday's march and closing ceremony only drove the stake deeper into the heart of Publix's disingenuous public defense of its unwillingness to support fair wages and working conditions for the workers who pick its tomatoes. From the Associated Press, by way of the Miami Herald ("RFK widow joins Fla. farmworkers on day 6 of fast"):
Laura Safer Espinoza, a former New York State judge and director of the Fair Food Standards Council, said none of the corporate buyers participating in the program pay a farmworker directly. "It's folded into the price and eventually passed down to the grower, who then pays the workers," she said. "The fact of the matter is they are not willing to voluntarily pay that penny as other corporate buyers have done to rectify this historic injustice to the people who put the food on our tables." read more |
It was an unforgettable end to an unforgettable week. Here below is a quick media round-up from Day Six, and check out the Fast for Fair Food website for more pictures and a complete report from the historic six-day fast soon:
- Miami Herald, "RFK widow joins Fla. farmworkers on day 6 of fast," 3/10/12
- Orlando Sentinel, "Ethel Kennedy joins workers seeking wage hike," 3/10/12
- Lakeland Ledger, "Kennedys help workers end fast at Publix headquarters," 3/10/12
- AlterNet "Fast for Fair Food: Farmworkers Fast "So Our Children Won't Have to," 3/10/12
- Bay News 9 Tomato workers bring out some big names in march against publix," 3/10/12
February 10, 2012
Pivoting to Publix...
 |
Workers from Immokalee arrive in Friday's early morning light at the parking lot of a North Naples Publix located at the intersection of Immokalee Road and Hwy 41 -- directly across the street from Trader Joe's first-ever Florida store -- following a 35-mile bike trip from Immokalee. The action was shifted to Publix after Trader Joe's and the CIW signed a Fair Food Agreement late yesterday. With Trader Joe’s decision, the only store on this corner selling tomatoes that were bought the old way, no questions asked, will be Publix. Workers and Fair Food allies will gather outside of Publix again this Sunday (corner of Vanderbilt and 41, @ 2pm) to call on Florida's grocery giant to follow the lead of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in backing the CIW's groundbreaking Fair Food Program.
You can listen to a great story on the bike protest by clicking here. |
Following agreement with Trader Joe's, pressure mounts on Publix as Fast for Fair Food approaches...
As reaction continues to pour in from across the country to yesterday's news of the CIW's agreement with Trader Joe's, the Campaign for Fair Food turns to Publix, demanding -- with renewed urgency -- that Florida's largest grocer do its part to improve wages and working conditions in the fields where its tomatoes are picked.
We'll get back to Publix in a moment, but first just a word on the overwhelming response to the Trader Joe's agreement. And that word would be... Wow!
Twitter, Facebook, blogs and mainstream media all lit up like never before in the history of the Campaign for Fair Food, with well-wishers offering heartfelt congratulations -- to both the CIW and Trader Joe's -- and Fair Food activists letting Publix and the rest of the supermarket industry know that the time for standing in the way of progress is over...
Welcome aboard...
Trader Joe's and CIW sign
Fair Food agreement!
Here's the Press Release on this breaking news (also, please be sure to scroll down to see the important notice about the cancellation of this weekend's planned protests following the release):
For Immediate Release Contact: Trader Joe’s and The Coalition of Immokalee Workers Monrovia, CA/Immokalee, FL -- Trader Joe’s and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) announced today that they have signed an agreement that formalizes the ways in which Trader Joe’s will work with the CIW and Florida tomato growers to support the CIW’s Fair Food Program. The Fair Food Program is a groundbreaking approach to social responsibility in the US produce industry that combines the Fair Food Code of Conduct – a set of labor standards developed in a unique collaboration among farmworkers, tomato growers, and the food industry leaders who purchase Florida tomatoes – with a small price premium to help improve harvesters’ wages. The goal of the Fair Food Program is to promote the development of a sustainable Florida tomato industry that advances both the human rights of farmworkers and the long-term interests of Florida tomato growers. “We are truly happy today to welcome Trader Joe’s aboard the Fair Food Program,” said Gerardo Reyes of the CIW. “Trader Joe’s is cherished by its customers for a number of reasons, but high on that list is the company’s commitment to ethical purchasing practices. With this agreement, Trader Joe’s reaffirms that commitment and sends a strong -- and timely -- message of support to the Florida growers who are choosing to do the right thing, investing in improved labor standards, despite the challenges of a difficult marketplace and tough economic times.” About Trader Joe’s: With the opening of the Naples, Florida location, Trader Joe’s operates 367 neighborhood grocery stores across the nation. More information at www.traderjoes.com. About the CIW: The CIW (www.ciw-online.org) is a community-based farmworker organization headquartered in Immokalee, Florida, with over 4,000 members. The CIW seeks modern working conditions for farmworkers and promotes their fair treatment in accordance with national and international labor standards. Among its accomplishments, the CIW has aided in the prosecution by the Department of Justice of six slavery operations and the liberation of well over 1,000 workers. The CIW’s Campaign for Fair Food has won unprecedented support for fundamental farm labor reforms from retail food industry leaders, with the goal of enlisting the market power of those companies to demand more humane labor standards from their Florida tomato suppliers. |
Important Notice: The CIW thanks the tens of thousands of Fair Food activists around the country who helped make this tremendous step forward possible, especially those who had planned actions in over 40 cities this coming weekend. Naturally, in light of today's great news, the CIW is calling off the actions planned for the new Trader Joe's store in Naples. Similarly, we ask that all other actions planned for this weekend be cancelled, and that organizers and consumers who were planning to attend instead take a moment to congratulate Trader Joe's for having joined the Fair Food Program.
Onward to Publix, and the rest of the supermarket industry...
PBS newsweekly "Religion and Ethics" to cover Fair Food movement, prayer campaign this weekend!
(and that's putting it nicely)...
This weekend, the PBS weekly news program "Religion and Ethics" will be airing an in-depth look at the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food and the role of faith in the growing movement for fundamental human rights in the fields. Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area. You can also see the 9-minute piece in the embeded video above, or watch it at the PBS website, where they have collected a number of useful links for background to the story. It is a very strong piece...
February 1, 2012
On faith, mountains, and moving Publix...
Q & A with Rev. Kennedy McGowan, Interfaith Action on exciting new prayer campaign to bring Publix
into the Fair Food fold...
Two weeks ago, we announced that Interfaith Action, the network of people of faith and religious institutions that partners with the CIW in the Campaign for Fair Food, had launched a pivotal new initiative designed to rally the power of prayer to move Publix from "isolation and hesitation... into communication and cooperation with the CIW."
Today we have more on the Faith Moves Mountains campaign, in the form of an interview with the Reverend Kennedy McGowan of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, Florida, and Elena Stein of Interfaith Action. Together they explain everything from why a prayer campaign now to why they chose Martin Luther King Day to announce the new initiative...
September 8, 2011
Turned away... but not turned back!
(Photo by Calvin Knight, Lakeland Ledger. See his excellent photo gallery from the final day of the tour here.)
Above:
Leaders of the 200-mile Pilgrimage to Publix ride the streets of Lakeland on the final leg to Publix corporate headquarters Tuesday. Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw refused to meet with the workers and rejected an invitation to visit Immokalee to learn first-hand about farmworker poverty and the Fair Food Program. Workers and their allies were disappointed, but not dissuaded from their quest to win the support of Florida's largest grocer for more humane labor standards in the fields.
Photo report from final day now online!
By now you probably know the outcome of the 11-day, 200-mile bike tour from Immokalee to Publix corporate headquarters in Lakeland. If not, it's summed up here.
But while we now know the outcome of the tour, the consequences of the tour are still very much to be determined.
Publix's shocking display of indifference to the plight of farmworkers in its home state -- and to the concerns of Publix customers who support the Campaign for Fair Food -- left the workers and their allies who gathered in Lakeland for Tuesday's final leg of the bike tour deeply frustrated. Their frustration is shared by many more consumers around Florida and across the country who have written in the past two days to express their renewed commitment to the Campaign in the face of what one emailer called "such an insulting response."
The bike tour, and Publix's callous response to the workers' simple invitation to dialogue, served to reveal a side of the company that many of its customers, until now, really didn't want to believe was true: Publix not as a kind neighbor, a company uniquely tuned to its community's needs, but Publix as a cold, arrogant corporation, a company driven only by profit, indifferent to the suffering of its neighbors, deaf to its customers' heartfelt concerns.
A revelation like that is hard to forget, and it fuels the kind of frustration that leads to expansion of the campaign - with new ardor among those already committed to the fight, and new allies brought into the fold by the unmistakable injustice of the moment -- not retreat.
The history of this campaign is still to be written. Perhaps Publix's imperious reaction to the bikers will convince consumers that the company will not be moved. Or, perhaps it will move ever more Publix customers to demand that their neighborhood grocer live up to the words of its founder, George Jenkins, when he said, "Never let making a profit stand in the way of doing the right thing."
Click here to see the final photo update from the Pilgrimage to Publix. And stay tuned this season to see just which way things break in this ever evolving campaign.
March 15, 2011
"It is a sword that heals"...
Do the Right Thing Tour media page now complete, see the full story of the unforgettable tour in videos, photos, and first-hand reports!
"It is a sword that heals." We came across those words midway through the Do the Right Thing Tour, during our stop in Atlanta.
On our second day in the city, we received a tour of Atlanta's many Civil Rights movement landmarks -- churches, schools, and other places involved in the city's rich and inspirational history of struggle against legalized segregation. The tour took us to Morehouse College (Dr. Martin Luther King's alma mater), where Mr. Charles Black (our tour guide and himself a distinguished veteran of many battles for civil rights in Atlanta), read aloud Dr. King's words from a statue erected in his honor on the campus. The quote reads:
"Non-violence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals." |
This quote -- and the tour of which it was a part -- had a powerful impact on the crew from Immokalee. It filled us with renewed energy and enthusiasm after a week on the road, cast our struggle with Publix in a penetrating new light, and provided a stark new outline for our reports from the road the rest of the way.
Following our stay in Atlanta -- and from the new perspective provided by standing, however briefly, on the shoulders of the great heroes of this country's Civil Rights movement -- we came to understand our own movement in a more profound way. This new insight was captured in the words of Lucas Benitez from the stage during the final rally in Tampa:
"It is not a question of whether we will win, but when. And when we do win, we will not only help free workers from oppressive conditions in the fields, but we will also free Publix from the impossible burden of supporting and justifying that oppression." read more |
We have finally put the finishing touches on the media page from the tour, and by going there you can see the full story of the unforgettable tour in videos, photos, and first-hand reports. So, visit the Do the Right Thing Media Page today! And to get you started that way, here is a collection of some of the incredible and inspiring videos from the tour:
NY Times editorial celebrates CIW agreement with FTGE, Campaign for Fair Food!
An editorial published in Saturday's New York Times begins:
"Fair trade is finally coming to the tomato fields of Florida, where farmworkers have won a remarkable victory in a 15-year struggle for better pay and working conditions. Last month, they struck a deal with growers to raise workers? pay and to create an industry code of conduct, a health and safety program and a system to resolve worker complaints..." read more |
The editorial goes on to give a brief primer on the history of the campaign, reminds the reader that the supermarket industry has yet to do its part to support the Fair Food movement, and concludes, "The Immokalee victory won?t impose fairness overnight, but after generations of exploitation, part of the farm industry is pointing in the right direction."You know something big is happening when events in Immokalee make it into the pages of, first, the Wall Street Journal and, now, the "Old Gray Lady".
Don't miss the great editorial!
November 16, 2010
"A WATERSHED MOMENT..."
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From left to right, Julia Perkins and Lucas Benitez of the CIW, Reggie Brown of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, and Gerardo Reyes of the CIW share a laugh during the press conference announcing the CIW/FTGE agreement to implement the principles of Fair Food on nearly 90% of Florida's tomato fields. Photo by David Albers, Naples Daily News. See the rest of his great gallery from the press conference here. |
NEW!... Read statements of support for the CIW/FTGE agreement from Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.!
Media round-up on yesterday's big news!...
Yesterday, at a press conference in Immokalee, the CIW and the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange signed an agreement to extend the CIW's Fair Food principles ? including a strict code of conduct, a cooperative complaint resolution system, a participatory health and safety program, and a worker-to-worker education process ? to over 90% of the Florida tomato industry. You can see the press release from yesterday's event here. Today, the media has weighed in on the news, and here is a quick round up:
