'Boss' meets with marchers before concert

Bruce Springsteen arranges for some of the migrant workers to attend his concert at the Ice Palace.

Tuesday, March 7, 2000

THE SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

By Timothy O'Hara and Matthew Henry

Migrant farm workers who marched 230 miles in protest of low wages might not have met with the Florida farm owner representatives they sought, but some of them did get to talk to "The Boss."

Bruce Springsteen gave the 80-plus marchers 10 free tickets and invited them to meet with him before his concert at the Ice Palace in Tampa Monday night.

The group marched north from the fields of Immokalee to the office of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association in Orlando, only to be shut out at the door. Association officials have refused to talk with the workers about the pay raises that migrant workers are seeking from their employers.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers on Saturday protested outside the association's office for several hours.

Springsteen saw news reports of the protest and had a member of his management team contact Catholic Church representatives, said march coordinator Greg Asbed. They, in turn, called the migrant worker group with news of the tickets.

The association might not want to hear what the farm workers have to say, but Springsteen, who frequently writes songs about the plight of the blue-collar worker, apparently does.

"It's fantastic," Asbed said while en route to the concert. "He has always been someone who has cared about workers and written songs about them. It's great to have someone like him support us. He is a hero to many people."

The marchers said they intended to present Springsteen with the banner they carried with them on their march. It depicts the head of the Statue of Liberty in an abstract painting.

Neither Springsteen nor his management could be reached for comment before the concert. Since his "Born in the USA" tour of the mid-1980s, Springsteen has met with and lent his support to causes involving Vietnam veterans, blue-collar workers and poor people.

"He brings a lot of visibility and support to a lot of causes he believes in," said Christopher Phillips, editor of a fan magazine, Backstreets, from his Washington, D.C. office. "It's a great thing. He helps a cause in just about any way he can. I know he's inspired a lot of people to contribute and get involved."

At a concert Saturday in Orlando, Springsteen talked briefly about the struggle of the marching farm workers before he sang "Ghost of Tom Joad." The album of the same name is about the troubles of America's lowest economic classes, including migrant workers and homeless people.

The marching laborers, mostly immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala, earn about 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick. They want farm owners to pay them 75 cents a bucket.