CIW wins Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice! (yes, that Salem...)
5/6/09: The Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice Foundation has selected the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to receive its 17th annual human rights award "for its work to eliminate modern day slavery in the agricultural industry"! You can read about the announcement on the foundation's website, here.
Brian Watson, a columnist for the Salem News, traveled recently to Immokalee and has written a series of excellent opinion pieces on the situation of farmworkers in Immokalee and the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food. You can read his columns here:
The foundation's website describes their mission and the unique roots of their work:
"The Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice Foundation was established in 2001 to carry on the work of the Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary Committee. The Foundation, under the leadership of the Mayor of the City of Salem and the President of Salem State College, works in cooperation with local museums, the National Park Service, the business community, and the larger community to keep alive the lessons of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and to make known in our region the unheralded, heroic work of bringing justice to fruition in contemporary society.
Our mission is to recognize, honor, and perpetuate the commitment to social justice and human rights of an individual and/or organization whose work is proven to have alleviated discrimination and promoted tolerance of any kind." read more
In a separate article from the Salem News reporting the announcement of the 2009 award, Meg Twohey of the Salem Foundation explains the connection between Salem and Immokalee:
"Meg Twohey, a member of the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice Foundation, said the lives of Immokalee farmworkers and Salem residents do cross paths.
'Their tomatoes are delivered to our fast-food restaurants and to our table, so we are a part of a food chain that goes all the way back to their work and to the very difficult conditions they continue to have,' Twohey said. 'But certainly none of us would imagine it would involve slavery.'"
Here are the details for the May 8th award ceremony:
The Salem Award presentation and reception, set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Peabody Essex Museum, is free, though reservations are recommended because space is limited. Lucas Benitez, one of the coalition's founders, and Gerardo Reyes-Chavez will talk about their work and accept the award on behalf of the group.
A dinner with the award recipients will be held beforehand at the Hawthorne Hotel at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are $50.
Reservations for either event can be made by calling 978-745-2682 or visiting www.SalemAward.org.
The CIW is humbled by this tremendous honor and we look forward to working with the Salem foundation in the months ahead to continue the fight for fundamental human rights and social justice in the agricultural industry.
April 24. 2009
Campaign for Fair Food at the 2009 Food & Society Conference!...
This week, representatives of the CIW, the Student/Farmworker Alliance and Just Harvest USA traveled to San Jose, California -- the town where Cesar Chavez first started organizing in 1952 -- for the 2009 Food & Society conference, an annual gathering that seeks "to identify ways to improve our economy, environment, and society through Good Food Systems."
Over the course of the conference, they met with leading advocates for sustainable food and agriculture from across the country to discuss the importance of Fair Food in the movement for good food. In the picture above, Gerardo Reyes of the CIW helps lead a workshop on the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food. The campaign was a popular topic at the two-day conference, and the CIWApe delegation came back to Florida with a number of new allies, including the much-respected farm-to-school advocate Ann Cooper, (also known as "the renegade lunch lady") who became the newest endorser of the Alliance for Fair Food!
Coincidentally, on the last day of the conference, one member of the CIW delegation had an op-ed published in the Ft. Myers News-Press highlighting the urgency of farm labor reform and the elimination of modern-day slavery. Here's an excerpt from "Farmworker wages are still the issue" (4/24) :
"... As Gov. Crist concurred last month, the solution to the scourge of slavery in Florida's fields lies with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' Campaign for Fair Food. In the short term, it creates the first-ever market consequences for growers that use forced labor. In the long run, it raises the wage floor and creates a voice for farmworkers in the industry, addressing the poverty and powerlessness that give rise to slavery in the first place.
Members of the CIW have gone undercover in slavery operations, have investigated and helped win federal slavery prosecutions, and, in all too many cases, have been held against their will, beaten by their employers - or worse - and forced to work for little or no pay. That is why the CIW has come up with a clear-eyed, comprehensive program designed to eradicate slavery, roots and all.
If Florida growers are serious about cleaning up their image, they must, in the words of Crist, "participate in the campaign," so that we may at long last end Florida's harvest of shame." read more here
[The picture above is from a Flickr page posted by a Food & Society Conference participant. It is of a mural dedicated to Cesar Chavez and reads, "The first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating." Indeed.]
Stay tuned in the coming days for more exciting news from the world of sustainable food as the Campaign for Fair Food continues to break new ground!
April 7, 2009
Sustainable food leader Swanton Berry Farm weighs in on human rights crisis in Florida's fields!...
Also: Op/eds on Governor's intervention keep coming...
4/7/09: As is often the case, when the news is coming hot and heavy, some important stories can get put on the back burner. That was the case with a letter from the sustainable food/organic farm legend Swanton Berry Farm of California that arrived at the CIW just days before last month's meeting with Governor Crist.
Like thousands of letters and emails from across the country at the time, the Swanton Berry Farm letter specifically called on Gov. Crist to take a stand against slavery here in Florida. But its message was much broader than that and deserves to be heard now that the dust has settled in Tallahassee. Here's an excerpt:
"... Swanton Berry Farm’s philosophy has always been that producing the highest quality and best-tasting fruits and vegetables requires respecting the rights of the workers who grow them. Towards this end we have worked to ensure that workers have an active voice in the workplace and they are compensated fairly for their labor...
... At Swanton Berry Farm, we have discovered that these measures provide the basis for a socially responsible and economically sound business model. Since signing the union contract, the company has expanded its market substantially. While our labor costs may be higher than many other agricultural employers, we realize a return on this investment in the form of high quality produce and satisfied customers. Our experience provides evidence that commercial success need not come at the expense of those who perform the critical work of planting, maintaining, and harvesting our crops."
Like the midwestern family farmer he is, Jim Goodman closes his op/ed with some straight-shooting advice for Florida's tomato growers: "The growers must allow the increased wages to reach the workers; the growers are accountable for the working conditions in their fields. Abuse and slavery in Florida will end only when the growers recognize that public opinion is against their plantation mentality."
March 30, 2009
Reaction to Gov. Crist's stance on farm labor justice strongly positive!...
3/30/09: Governor Crist's support for the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food and admonishment of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE) for its opposition to the Campaign have received positive reviews across the board. Below is a letter to the editor in today's Naples Daily News by the Rev. Russell L. Meyer, Tampa, Executive director, Florida Council of Churches, that is typical of the support for the Governor Crist's groundbreaking stance:
Letter: Crist does the right thing
Gov. Charlie Crist is to be commended for meeting last Wednesday with representatives of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, hearing their stories and responding with appropriate compassion.
According to the Daily News, Crist said, “I’m not a man driven by anger, much, but two things will: injustice and arrogance. I detect from the briefings I’ve had and the meeting I just had that there may be a bit of both at work here and that concerns me greatly. We want to be a continuing partner to try to help with their plight.”
Farmworkers are often the forgotten laborers in Florida’s economy; yet we all depend on them greatly for our daily food. There have been far too many reports of farmworker abuse and modern slavery, on top of the hard-edge labor/management issues that have prevented them from receiving the additional wage support that large tomato users, such as McDonald’s, Yum! Brands, Burger King and Whole Foods, are now paying into escrow accounts.
Sure and swift prosecution of those who enslave and brutalize farmworkers must be an unquestionable habit for our justice system. Crist can make certain that happens.
To prevent laborers from receiving the earnings that the food industry wishes to reward them is a form of economic abuse. Crist would do right to use the leverage of his office to see that the escrow funds are distributed to their intended recipients.
The degraded labor conditions that give rise to slavery must be addressed so that never again are farmworkers enslaved in our state’s fields. Crist can marshal state resources to ensure fair labor conditions in Florida fields.
Farmworkers and their supporters thank Gov. Crist for hearing their plight, and we look forward to his partnership in seeing that right is done by them.
Rev. Russell L. Meyer, Tampa, Executive director, Florida Council of Churches
Two of Holland's leading musicians drop by supermarket industry giant Ahold (headquartered in Amsterdam) to deliver the Alliance for Fair Food letter!
3/19/09: Dutch composer Louis Andriessen and Dutch-American violinist Monica Germino paid a surprise visit to the Amsterdam corporate headquarters of retail food giant Ahold last week. Ahold is the parent company of five major grocery chains in the US (including Stop and Shop and Giant) and six more in Europe. They dropped off a copy of the Alliance for Fair Food letter and a packet of background information on the Campaign for Fair Food. The letter reads, in part:
"It is vitally important that your company take an active role in advancing human rights and fair wages for farmworkers given that your company’s low-cost, high-volume tomato purchasing practices help to create conditions in the fields where poverty wages and other human rights abuses flourish." read more
The visit to Ahold was the first celebrity letter drop of the campaign, and a bold step forward on the European front! For a better idea of the "radically alternative musical aesthetic" with which both Mr. Andriessen and Ms. Germino are associated, take a moment to watch this short video.
March 12, 2009
CIW looks ahead to meeting with Governor Crist...
Photo report from Tallahassee theater, press conference online now!
3/12/09: As reported in this morning's Ft. Myers News-Press, "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced Wednesday he will talk with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers - a meeting the group has sought for two years."
"On the table: slavery and the labor conditions of Southwest Florida's tomato harvesters...
Slavery, coalition members say, is the extreme end of a broken labor system that begins with subpoverty wages. The group has pledges from the world's largest fast-food companies - McDonald's, Burger King, Subway and others - to pay harvesters a penny more per pound for the tomatoes they pick.
The extra money would make a huge difference in workers' lives, 31-year-old picker Rafael Gomez told The News-Press last week. He hadn't found work for eight days. 'If I'd made a few more dollars, I'd have been able to have some defense against hunger,' Gomez said." read more
Thanks go out to all those who emailed, faxed, and joined us in Tallahassee and so helped make this meeting possible!
Tallahassee photo report: The opportunity to share their views on farm labor conditions with Governor Crist has CIW members excited and planning eagerly for the upcoming meeting. To have secured the chance to meet with the governor is a step forward in and of itself, but the true extent of progress will measured by what happens after the meeting. In the words of the photo report from the visit to Tallahassee:
"With the March 25th meeting, a civil rights landmark will have been met -- farmworkers will, for the first time, have won the right to sit at the same table as the governor. And that is because workers from Immokalee have fought so hard and so long for their human rights that their humanity can no longer be denied or ignored.
The labor rights landmark, however, still lies ahead. Our arrival there depends upon the outcome of the meeting and the commitments made there. We are optimistic, however, that Governor Crist's break with tradition on the decision to grant our meeting is a harbinger of more change to come. Lord knows it's long overdue." read more
March 5, 2009
3/5/09: Food justice visit a wrap!
This is a system that builds walls, "separating rich from poor, trying to forget that we live in one world," author and activist Raj Patel, speaking at the CIW press conference following the delegation visit to Immokalee.
See all the details from this remarkable gathering of writers, sustainable food leaders, family farmers, community organizers and new media activists:
Click here to see a rapid-fire photo animation from the day-long event
Scroll down for all the press reports
Press reports from Food Justice delegation: Check out the great video (below) from the Naples Daily News coverage of the visit, more videos from NBC and Fox news, the NPR coverage, stories from the Daily News and Ft. Myers News-Press, and another excellent piece from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Sustainable food movement calls out Crist on slavery: Slow Food USA, author Raj Patel ("Stuffed and Starved"), Organic Consumers Association and more demand Crist take a stand against forced labor!
2/8/09: Here's a list of just some of the sustainable food organizations that have taken up the petition calling for action from Governor Charlie Crist on slavery:
At last September's Slow Food Nation conference, "Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser asked, "Does it matter whether an heirloom tomato is local and organic if it was harvested with slave labor?" Clearly, the answer from the sustainble food movement is a resounding "No"!
Stay tuned for more to come in the weeks ahead, as the Campaign for Fair Food ramps up for a trip to Tallahassee and a visit to the governor! In the meantime, if you haven't done so already...
Momentum is building: Religious allies join call on Crist for leadership in fight against slavery!...
2/1/09: From Presbyterian to Jewish, Methodist to Catholic, congregations from across Florida and around the country are collecting signatures on a new letter calling on Gov. Crist to "take a leadership role in ensuring that Florida’s farmworkers can live and work freely and with dignity."
"Our religious traditions share a commitment to the dignity and freedom of every human person, and we believe you do as well. The Ten Commandments teach us that faithfulness to God involves fairness to all peoples in our society, and that we are to be as concerned for the wellbeing of our neighbors as we are for our own selves and property. The continued existence of slavery in our day attacks the very soul of our society, calling every one of us to awareness and action."
The letter goes on to call on Gov. Crist to work with the CIW to eradicate slavery and abuses in Florida's fields and to call on the Florida tomato industry to participate in the CIW’s agreements with fast-food and supermarket companies.
January 28, 2009
Blogosphere echoes CIW demand for action on slavery!
"Governor Crist, even a single case of slavery in the twenty-first century is too many... The Governor should, rather than deny that slavery exists in Florida, join the many other public officials who have devoted their energy and talents to ending it, by meeting with those officials and the Coalition, and by pledging the power of his office to address the plague of modern-day slavery in Florida's fields." read more
Here's a look back at the highlights of a year that's going to be one hard act to follow! And then get back up and get ready to do it all again -- 2009 is waiting...
January 1, 2009
New Year message from a CIW member...
1/1/09: The headline says it all, so without further ado, here is a message from a CIW member to the readers of our website following a remarkably tumultous year in the Campaign for Fair Food (the excerpt below is in Spanish, click on the link to see the complete text and its translation):
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..." Click here to see the rest of the letter and its translation
December 29, 2008
Media round-up...
12/29/08: Between Governor Crist's continued silence on farmworker slavery and the holidays, a number of great stories on the Campaign for Fair Food slipped through the cracks. Here's a round-up of some of the stories we missed over a busy past couple of weeks:
"... Written in 1938, when U.S. farmworkers were mostly black and racism was more blatant, the Fair Labor Standards Act excluded field hands. Our current labor laws, with remnants of our old racism, still leave farm workers unprotected. They do not have the right to bargain collectively, they have no legal guarantee of overtime pay and they can be fired at the whim of the boss...." read more
"... McElroy says he was misrepresented, but the guy is a professional spokesman. You should know the power of your words, it's what you get paid for..." read more
12/24/08: ... And not even in this season of good will could Governor Crist find it in his heart to break his silence on the scourge of slavery in his state.
Worker to Judge: "Bosses should not beat up the people who work with them"... In the midst of a growing uproar over Tallahassee's controversial statements on slavery in Florida, Friday's sentencing in the Navarrete case (pictured here, from the left, are farm bosses Geovanni and Cesar Navarrete) provided a horrifying reminder of the raw brutality of forced labor and the enduring shame of an agricultural industry seemingly addicted to exploitation...
12/20/08: Four Immokalee family members were sentenced yesterday for "enslaving and brutalizing migrant workers" ("Family sentenced for slavery," Ft. Myers News-Press, 12/20/08). The case cast a terrifying new light on the recent debate over the significance of farm labor slavery in Florida, a debate that was sparked when the spokesperson for Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services -- speaking on behalf of Governor Charlie Crist -- appeared to downplay the importance of seven major slavery prosecutions out of Florida's fields in the past decade. The following is an extended excerpt from the News-Press report:
"One of the prosecutors, Susan French, called Cesar Navarrete the family’s 'young patriarch.' Geovanni Navarrete was 'the enforcer, the beater.'
'This defendant is the one who chained the worker’s feet to the pole,' French said of Geovanni, 'the one who beat them, slapped them … multiple victims, multiple acts of violence, multiple injuries to the victims.'
One of the victims, Mariano Lucas Diego, spoke of what he’d endured: beatings and nighttime imprisonment in a truck, where the family’s captives would have to urinate and defecate in the corners.
Diego described pounding on the truck until he and another victim made a hole through which they squeezed out, then found a ladder so the others could escape.
Diego spoke of several beatings.
'Bosses should not beat up the people who work with them,' he told Judge John E. Steele.
As Diego spoke, Geovanni Navarrete watched, shaking his head, a slight smile curling his upper lip." Read the rest of the article here
In an important new twist, the News-Press article also identified the farms that employed the Navarrete crew:
"The Navarretes took their crews to work on farms owned by some of the state’s major tomato producers: Immokalee-based Six L’s and Pacific Tomato Growers in Palmetto. Both tomato growers are part of the Socially Accountable Farm Employers (SAFE) program, designed to prevent labor abuses."
The News-Press ran a powerful editorial accompanying the report on the sentencing ("Little bit of slavery not acceptable," 12/20/08) that connected the violent Navarrete operation to the recent comments by Terence McElroy of the Department of Agriculture. The editorial recalled McElroy's words:
"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."
Then responded with the following:
"To tolerate or to excuse even one instance of slavery in our community is to turn a blind eye to a scourge that Americans rejected nearly 150 years ago..."
The editorial went on to unequivocally condemn Governor Crist's continuing silence on the human rights crisis in Florida's fields, and concluded with a call to action:
"... Crist has avoided commenting on this issue so far, and he has missed an opportunity to show leadership.
He should accept the invitation to go to Immokalee, to check out the fields, to meet with workers and growers, and to publicly condemn slavery in our state."
There is much, much more to come in this developing story. Stay tuned...
December 19, 2008
VERY LATEST: Incredibly, McElroy does it again...
12/19/08: Given an opportunity to explain his earlier, explosive comments downplaying the significance of modern-day slavery in Florida, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesperson Terence McElroy chose to dig himself -- and Governor Crist, whom he represents -- an even deeper hole. Here's what he wrote in an email to a reporter from the Ft. Myers News-Press when asked for his response to the groundswell of criticism of his earlier comments:
"... “To a question (about) whether this was a common or accepted practice, I said that it certainly was not — and, in fact, is quite a rarity when a case pops up." (emphasis added)
"quite a rarity... " Really? We invite Mr. McElroy to join us in a short thought experiment.
Imagine that, ten years ago, a violent slavery ring is uncovered within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Hundreds of state workers are discovered being systematically beaten, sexually assaulted, and forced to work at the point of a gun for no pay by a supervisor employed by the department. When the ringleaders are prosecuted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, what would you say, Mr. McElroy, to the press? How would you characterize the suffering of the victims?
The following year, another case is discovered in your department. And the following year another case is discovered. And the following year another case is discovered. And the following year another case is discovered. And the following year another case is discovered.
In the course of 10 years, a total of well over 1,000 workers in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have been liberated from bosses who regularly beat them, forced them to work, and stole their pay. More than a dozen bosses are behind bars. And by any honest estimate, the cases and workers discovered in servitude represent only the tip of the iceberg.
When yet another case is discovered in your department, would you stand before the press and say that this seventh case of slavery is "quite a rarity"?
It's hard to believe -- no, impossible to believe -- that you would.
Given that very safe assumption, what we would like to know is: What, in your mind, is the difference between the human rights of the workers in your department and the rights of the workers who harvest our crops in the fields? Are the workers in the fields somehow less human? We'll leave that question open for reflection.
And one final thing: The slavery cases you refer to have in fact taken place on the farms of some of this state's most "legitimate growers," to use your words, including the former head of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association. Look it up.
President Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: "... Slavery persists when government leaders fail to take the necessary action to prevent it. Taking preventive action is a human rights obligation of local, state and national governments... I support the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and others in urging Governor Crist to take immediate steps to combat modern-day slavery in Florida agriculture." See President Robinson's full statement here
Larry Cox, Executive Director, Amnesty International USA: "There should be no mixed messages about slavery... This incident should serve as a wake-up call: if Florida is serious about eradicating slavery, its officials must be unequivocal in affirming that not a single instance of it will be tolerated..." See Mr. Cox's statement in its entirety here
Lynn Delaney, Executive Director, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights: "The statement reflects a disturbing disregard for the rights of victims of such abusive and inhumane practices. That federal agents are still finding slavery- rings to prosecute in Florida, over one hundred forty years since the 13th Amendment banned the practice, represents a failure to protect these victims’ most fundamental liberties for both the State of Florida and its agricultural industry." See Ms. Delaney's statement in its entirety here
Florida ACLU: "Instances of worker abuse that rise to the level of human slavery are shockingly prevalent in Florida... It should be no surprise that Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, claims that reports of slavery in Florida tomato fields are 'false and defamatory' and says 'unequivocally' that 'growers abhor and condemn slavery' -- despite the recent case in which there was evidence documenting that slave crew leaders' pay 'came from growers'... To diminish the problem of slavery hinders the hope for its end, in Florida and elsewhere. Thoughtful and decisive action by our public officials is needed to protect the thousands who are locked-up, hidden away, unremunerated, and exploited by a system that disregards the most basic of human rights..." See the full letter to Agricultural Commissioner Bronson here
The Rev. Noelle Damico, National Coordinator of the PC(USA) Campaign for Fair Food: "The implication that some modern-day slavery is tolerable is not only morally offensive it actually encourages those who are currently engaging in these horrific practices to continue. It further exhibits a gross disregard for the extreme suffering and incredible courage of farmworkers who labor in and struggle against these brutal circumstances..." See Rev. Damico's complete statement here
Coalition of Immokalee Workers: "... It is incumbent on Governor Crist to clarify -- now -- whether he shares Mr. McElroy's perspective that one case of modern-day slavery a year represents a manageable level of exploitation. We are sure that his answer will be of particular interest to those farm bosses currently holding workers against their will -- those bosses whose operations are active case files on law enforcement authorities' desks today.
But words alone are no longer enough. Any condemnation of the exploitation of our state's farmworkers from Tallahassee, if it is to be anything more than political damage control, must be coupled with action. Governor Crist can begin by demanding that the Florida Tomato Growers' Exchange end its efforts to nullify the agreements reached between the CIW and the leading fast-food buyers of Florida tomatoes to improve farmworker wages and working conditions." Read the CIW statement in its entirety by clicking here
December 13, 2008
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 of sustainable food and agriculture in "advising" the new president on how to address the inequities of our food industry. Here's an excerpt from our letter:
" ...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..."
Northeast Tour daily updates wrap-up with report from NYC!...
Check out all the reports from the road as a crew of workers from Immokalee and their allies traveled through the Northeast talking about the road ahead in the Campaign for Fair Food.
"Despite the harsh conditions of their labor, over the past few years a small group of migrant workers from southwest Florida have been making waves across the country in their battle for worker justice. They have waged one of the most successful labor campaigns in a generation...
"... 'We just want to be recognized as human beings, we want to be recognized as people who work hard and have the same rights as anyone else," farm worker Norberto Jimenez told In These Times in 2007. "It shouldn't matter if we're from another country or that we're just tomato pickers. We are human beings and we should be treated with dignity.'" Read the article in its entirety here
December 4, 2008
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) weighs in on Subway agreement!...
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), issued a statement praising the CIW and Subway for the recent agreement and challenging the remainder of the retail food industry to now follow suit. Here's an excerpt:
"As the largest purchaser of tomatoes in the fast-food industry, Subway's decision sends an unmistakable message to the rest of the retail food industry and to Florida growers: The industry can and must ensure human rights for farmworkers...
... Will the rest of the restaurant and grocery industry now step forward to become part of this momentous advance for human rights? The answer is not only up to the companies but to those of us who are conscious consumers as well." Read the letter in its entirety here
Oh, and, lest we give the impression that we've forgotten about the rest of the fast-food industry with the new focus on the supermarkets, here's a short video from October that's worth a second look about some unfinished business in Denver. Enjoy...
11/28/08: The CIW's Radio Conciencia (right) went mobile to headline the community gathering, taking advantage of the day off in the fields to have a little fun.
New editorial reminds us: "Thanksgiving is a holiday built around food... but rarely do we honor the hands that feed us."
11/24/08: A well-timed op/ed -- published as consumers across the country begin gearing-up for Thanksgiving -- takes a hard look at conditions in the fields where the fruits and vegetables for our holiday feasts are grown and picked. After touching on the exploitation of workers in Immokalee, the editorial concludes:
"... Immokalee is an extreme example, but it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you realize the high costs that some people are paying so that we can have cheap food. Most of us do not take the time to wonder why our food costs so little. Instead, we notice how expensive organic or locally grown produce is in comparison.
For agriculture to be sustainable, it must provide a living for those who work our land. Let's honor the hands that feed us by restoring the dignity of fair wages to farmers and farmworkers."
Students in Carbondale, IL, make front page news in the school paper with a Halloween day
protest outside a local Subway restaurant
11/10/08:Campaign for Fair Food allies keep their eyes on the prize!... Not everything came to a halt over the past couple of weeks as we picked our new president (though it is sure enough hard to think of anything else when we are living days of history that will be told and retold for generations to come...).
Like the students in Carbondale, IL, shown keeping the heat on Subway with a Halloween day protest above, allies across the country did their part to let Subway and Chipotle know that there will be no peace until justice is done in the fields of Florida where their tomatoes are picked.
Endorsements: Five new endorsements came in, including one in Subway's very own backyard -- the Yale Committee on Racial Equality! Joining the students from New Haven, CT, were the United Workers Association (UWA, check out their incredible organizing by clicking here) from Baltimore, MD, the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, FL, the Interfaith Food & Farms Partnership, of Portland, OR, and the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.
Media: Even the international media got in on the act this past week, with a powerful new editorial from the Netherlands entitled, "US: Fair Prices for Tomato Pickers" (11/3/08). Here's the conclusion to a well-written reflection on the growing call for "sustainable" food:
"No one knows what the future holds, but as our economic system hovers over the proverbial "rock bottom," it seems like a good time to revisit our policies, both national and personal, when it comes to the money we spend. What is the value of a tomato, and why? What (from fertilizers and pesticides to labor to transport) went into it, and does its price reflect those inputs? Or has a market driven by speculation and subsidies installed a false cap on that price, creating a decidedly unsustainable system that benefits CEOs over citizens, puts the squeeze on smaller businesses and leaves the laborers to pick up the slack?" read more here
CIW goes coast to coast to speak on sustainable food: CIW leaders speak at Bioneers Conference in California, World Hunger Year gathering in New York City, with Naomi Klein, Alice Waters, Raj Patel, and others!...
Meanwhile, Lucas Benitez of the CIW spoke at the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, CA, described as a "forum where you can see tomorrow today: a future environment of hope." Come back soon for video from that event.
100+ students and youth hold fourth annual "Encuentro" in Immokalee; launch whirlwind of action for Fair Food!...
Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) Days of Action set!
9/28/08: More than one hundred students and young people representing more than 20 states, 30 campuses and 40 organizations converged for an unforgettable and spirited weekend of consciousness-building and strategizing last weekend in Immokalee. Participants spent four days strengthening the SFA network by building relationships, connecting with members of the CIW, and making plans for several exciting actions and events for the months ahead in the Campaign for Fair Food.
2008 "Chipocrisy Tour" ready to roll!... CIW members and allies prepare to head west, call on Chipotle to live out the true meaning of its marketing slogan, "Food with Integrity"!
9/23/08: In the grand tradition of CIW "mini-tours" since 2001 (be sure to scroll to the end of this update for more on that tradition), the CIW is announcing the 2008 "Chipocrisy Tour," set to begin at the end of this month in Austin, Texas, and wrap up at Chipotle Mexican Grill's corporate headquarters in Denver, Colorado in early October.
The 2008 Tour will make its way through some of the most active and committed Fair Food communities in the country today. Beginning in Austin, the Tour crew will join with members of Fair Food Austin to celebrate the Whole Foods agreement with the community that helped make that ground-breaking accord possible. The Tour will then wind its way north through towns like Lawrence, KS, home of the incomparable Lawrence Fair Food, to Denver, where the fine folks of Denver Fair Food will lead the way. From Denver, the Tour heads to St. Louis, MO, Louisville, KY, and Ashville, NC, where fast-food giant Subway, too, will get a little of the Crew's love with local actions and community meetings. Finally, the crew will head home again to Immokalee, wrapping up nearly two weeks of of intensive education and action around the true meaning of the term "sustainable agriculture."
Chipotle has staked its claim as the sustainable agriculture leader in the fast-food industry. Its marketing slogan -- "Food with Integrity" -- is unambiguous.
Yet the company's definition of "sustainable" is apparently unconcerned with the egregious exploitation of farm labor in Florida's tomato fields. And you don't have to take our word for it. Here's the company's vision of sustainable agriculture as defined by none other than Chipotle's founder and CEO, Steve Ells:
“We decided long ago that we didn't want Chipotle's success to be tied to the exploitation of animals, farmers, or the environment.”
Should farmworkers be included in that definition? We think so, and in the language of this election season, that's a debate we're happy to have. So let the debate begin next week, with the 2008 Chipocrisy Tour, and may the best vision of sustainable agriculture win!
Check back soon for more tour details and for all the updates from the road starting next week.
In the meantime, for a sense of the history of CIW mini-tours and of what awaits our allies along the path of this coming tour, you can click on the following links:
CIW speaks at Slow Food Nation 2008 gathering in San Francisco; Chipotle put on notice...
A delegation from the CIW (including Lucas Benitez and Melody Gonzalez, of the Student/Farmworker Alliance, shown speaking here as part of the the SFN "soap box" speakers series) traveled to San Francisco over Labor Day weekend to participate in a massive gathering of "Slow Food" activists from across the country and across the globe.
"While protection of the environment, family farmers, and farm animals is laudable, the omission of humane treatment for farmworkers within the company's supply chain is appalling..." The Adrian Dominican Sisters, a religious order with a long track record of socially responsible investment, recently sent Chipotle, the reluctant sustainable food giant, a pointed letter -- read it here: Responsible Investors' Letter to Chipotle
Whole Foods, CIW agree to "work in partnership to help improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers"!...
Gerardo Reyes of the CIW:“With this agreement, the Campaign for Fair Food has again broken new ground. This is not only our first agreement in the supermarket industry but, in working with Whole Foods Market, we have the opportunity to really raise the bar to establish and ensure modern day labor standards and conditions in Florida.”
Whole Foods Market Signs Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to Support “Penny-per-Pound” Tomato Program in Florida
Company Also Exploring Program to Help Guarantee Ethical Sourcing and Production in the U.S.
AUSTIN, TX (September 9, 2008) – Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the Florida-based farm worker organization spearheading the growing Campaign for Fair Food, announced today that the two will work in partnership to help improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers.
According to an agreement signed this week, Whole Foods Market will support the CIW’s “penny-per-pound” approach for tomatoes purchased from Florida, with the goal of passing these additional funds on to the harvesters.
“With this agreement, the Campaign for Fair Food has again broken new ground,” said Gerardo Reyes of the CIW. “This is not only our first agreement in the supermarket industry but, in working with Whole Foods Market, we have the opportunity to really raise the bar to establish and ensure modern day labor standards and conditions in Florida.”
“We commend the CIW for their advocacy on behalf of these workers,” said Karen Christensen, Global Produce Coordinator for Whole Foods Market. “After carefully evaluating the situation in Florida, we felt that an agreement of this nature was in line with our core values and was in the best interest of the workers.”
Additionally, Whole Foods Market is exploring the creation of a domestic purchasing program to help guarantee transparent, ethical and responsible sourcing and production, using the company’s existing Whole Trade Guarantee program as a model. Whole Trade Guarantee, a third-party verified program, ensures that producers and laborers in developing countries get an equitable price for their goods in a safe and healthy working environment. The goal is to purchase Florida tomatoes from growers that will implement a similar program. “We are especially excited about working with the CIW to develop this domestic ‘Whole Trade-type’ program,” said Christensen.
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September 3, 2008
Guilty! On eve of trial, farm bosses plead guilty to enslaving Immokalee workers in tomato harvest...
UPDATE #2: Read the Ft. Myers News-Press editorial on the slavery conviction, "Purge U.S. of shame of slavery"! Here's an excerpt:
"The successful prosecution of five Immokalee residents on slavery charges is satisfying, but the brutal details of their treatment of farm workers show how warped the agricultural labor system is...
This is among six slavery cases the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has helped prosecute, freeing more than 1,000 people. Coalition member Gerardo Reyes asked Tuesday, "How many more workers have to be held against their will before the food industry steps up to the plate and demands that this never - ever - occur again in the produce that ends up on America's tables?"
"... I applaud U.S. Attorney Doug Molloy and his staff for successfully prosecuting this case. I also want to congratulate the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) for their on-going efforts to protect some of the most exploited workers in our country...
... As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee I intend to introduce legislation in the very near future which will end a loophole in current law which enables growers to avoid taking responsibility for what happens on their fields when workers are being enslaved.”
September 3, 2008: Yesterday, at federal court in Ft. Myers, FL, farm bosses from Immokalee pleaded guilty to "numerous charges of enslaving Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants, brutalizing them and forcing them to work in farm fields." ("Five to plead guilty on charges of enslaving immigrant laborers," Ft. Myers News Press, 9/2/08).
"The 17-count indictment in the case -- one of the largest slavery prosecutions Southwest Florida has ever seen -- was released in January. It alleges that for two years, Cesar Navarrete and Geovanni Navarrete beat agricultural laborers, chained them up, locked them in boxes and trucks on the family property while keeping them in ever-increasing debt.
Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Molloy has called it "slavery, plain and simple."
Many will remember this latest slavery case -- one of the most extreme stories of exploitation to emerge from fields renowned for their brutality -- as the prosecution that began when workers escaped from a locked u-haul truck and made their way to an Immokalee police cruiser to denounce their employers... on the same day that a delegation comprised of representatives from the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, an industry-friendly "third-party" monitoring group by the name of Intertek, and Burger King were visiting Immokalee to declare Florida's fields free of slavery.
Here's an excerpt from our own coverage of that story when it broke:
"November 20th was a momentous day in Immokalee.
On November 20th, according to court documents filed last week, three tomato pickers made their way to the Collier County Sheriff’s office after having escaped two days earlier through the ventilation hatch of a box truck where they had been held against their will by their employer. The three men told police of an Immokalee-based tomato harvesting slavery ring in which workers “were beaten and forced to work exclusively for the Navarrete family,” according to an article entitled, “Family accused of enslaving workers at Immokalee camp” in the Naples Daily News (12/7/07).
And so, on November 20th, while well-paid executives assured the world that all is well in the Florida’s fields, workers in Immokalee were recounting to Sheriff’s deputies how they had to break out of a locked U-Haul truck to escape from their employers."
The explosion of this case on the scene then helped put the lie to that effort to whitewash farm labor abuse. Its conclusion in guilty pleas yesterday should likewise leave the leaders of the Florida tomato industry with no more room for denial of the urgent need for reform.
We'll close with the words of the CIW's Gerardo Reyes, from a statement issued to the News-Press about the convictions:
"The facts that have been reported in this case are beyond outrageous -- workers being beaten, tied to posts, and chained and locked into trucks to prevent them from leaving their boss. How many more workers have to be held against their will before the food industry steps up to the plate and demands that this never -- ever -- occur again in the produce that ends up on America's tables?"
"What's most frustrating is that there is a solution. As US Senator Bernie Sanders said when he visited Immokale, 'Slavery is the extreme. The norm is a disaster.'If we can improve the norm -- guarantee fair wages and humane conditions for all Florida farmworkers -- then we can eliminate the extreme. And there are now several retail food industry leaders who have agreed to do their part to promote social responsibility in Florida agriculture. Yet the leaders of Florida's tomato industry -- who are holding their annual meeting this week at the Ritz Carlton in Naples -- continue to stand in the way of progress. The FTGE needs to start working with Yum Brands, McDonald's, Burger King, and the other major tomato buyers who want to put an end to exploitation in Florida's fields."
Check back in the days ahead for much more breaking news as the season approaches and the Campaign for Fair Food shifts into high gear.
August 13, 2008
RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights joins with Anti-Slavery International in joint statement remembering the slave trade and its abolition, demanding an end to modern-day slavery in Florida's fields!...
Joint statement urges "FloridaTomato Growers Exchange to stop opposing human rights agreements" between CIW and fast-food industry leaders;
August 25, 2008: The following is the text of a joint press release issued Friday, August 22, by the the RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights and London-based Anti-Slavery International:
For Immediate Release:
RFK Center and Anti-Slavery International Celebrate International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
Advocates Urge Florida Tomato Growers Exchange to Stop Opposing Human Rights Agreements between Farmworkers and Burger King, McDonald's, and YUM! Brands' to Fight Modern Day Slavery
(Washington, DC) The International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade & its Abolition on August 23rd is a day to reflect on the tragedy of the transatlantic slave trade and the reality of modern day slavery. Anti-Slavery International and The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights celebrate the success of the human rights defenders who brought down the transatlantic slave trade and the efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and their supporters in the Campaign for Fair Food along with socially responsible corporations to address modern day slavery.
They are also calling upon the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE) to take a stand against forced labor in Florida's fields by ending their obstructive practices against agreements made between farmworkers and major produce buyers to support human rights in their supply chains. The FTGE is a cooperative of Florida tomato growers which account for the overwhelming majority of Florida's tomato production. The CIW has reached deals with Taco Bell owner Yum! Brands, Inc., McDonald's, and Burger King, in March 2005, April 2007 and May 2008, respectively, whereby those corporations agreed to pay tomato pickers 1 penny more per pound of tomatoes picked and to work with farmworkers on systems to ensure slavery does not occur on the farms of their suppliers. The FTGE has taken steps in recent months to stymie the implementation of these initiatives.
"Over two hundred years after the U.S. Congress banned the slave trade, farmworkers in Florida's fields still bear the pain and indignity of modern day slavery and human rights abuses to pick the tomatoes which top the salads and sandwiches Americans eat everyday," said Aidan McQuade, Director of Anti-Slavery International. "The Florida Tomato Grower's Exchange has the opportunity to partner with its customers to implement these human rights based agreements, but it is refusing to do so."
In the past decade, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has conducted dozens of investigations into slavery in the U.S. agricultural industry, resulting in eight prosecutions involving over one thousand workers in Florida, which DOJ officials have called "ground-zero for modern day slavery." These include workers who were locked in trailers, tied up and chained, drugged, and threatened with physical harm to their families if they attempted to leave. Criminal prosecutions for slavery occur only in the most extreme cases while many workers are exploited in subtler ways that go unpunished. These workers, whose rights to organize and collectively bargain are not protected by federal law, and whose wages are pushed below poverty level by the downward pressure on prices exerted by the volume purchasing power of major purchasing companies, have become victims of slavery and other gross human rights abuses.
"The FTGE members are standing in the way of workers realizing their human rights and the express will of consumers and socially responsible corporations working to promote fair food," said Monika Kalra Varma, Director of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights. "Today, as the world celebrates the end of the gross abuses of the slave trade, we are calling upon the FTGE to end their obstructive practices, support workers' rights and join us in standing against modern day slavery."
Anti-Slavery International (www.antislavery.org)
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial (www.rfkmemorial.org)
_________________________________________________________________________________
The statement is the latest expression of outrage over the FTGE's obstructionist tactics in the face of a growing call for fair wages and humane working conditions in Florida's fields. Unfortunately, it will come as little surprise to anyone who has been following this campaign over the years if this appeal by two leading human rights organizations falls on deaf ears inside the offices of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange. Not even a Senate hearing into slavery and sweatshop conditions in Florida's fields managed to move the FTGE off its unconscionable opposition to the CIW's agreements with fast-food industry leaders.
Florida's most conservative growers take comfort in the fact that they don't sell their tomatoes to the public and believe, therefore, that they can thumb their noses at their critics as long as their clients -- this country's multibillion-dollar retail food industry leaders like Subway and WalMart -- are happy.
But retail food industry leaders do sell to the public, and do have to answer to the growing public outcry over the failure of the food industry to address the longstanding exploitation of this country's farmworkers.
Even if the FTGE isn't paying attention, the public is. With the Slow Food Nation gathering set to start next week in San Francisco -- where thousands of this country's most dedicated food activists will come together to learn, among other things, about the reality of labor exploitation in this country's fields -- now is the time for retail food industry leaders to step up and take a stand against slavery and sweatshop conditions where their tomatoes are picked.
August 13, 2008
SUSTAINABLE FOOD MOVEMENT EMBRACES CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR FOOD!...Food justice pioneer Frances Moore Lappe and many more endorse the Alliance for Fair Food; CIW to address upcoming Slow Food Nation gathering!
New endorsements are flooding into the Alliance for Fair Food, the network of human rights, religious, student, labor, sustainable food, environmental and grassroots organizations who work in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
And in the coming week (August 28-31), the CIW will plunge headlong into the Sustainable Food movement with a keynote panel at the massive Slow Food Nation gathering in San Francisco. The panel, part of the "Food for Thought Speaker Series," is entitled "A New, Fair Food System," and will feature Lucas Benitez from the CIW. Long-time CIW friend Eric Schlosser will be moderating the panel.
What will the CIW's message be?
Well... Chipotle is a company that prides itself on its efforts to "revolutionize the way America grows and gathers its food." Yet for more than two years, the CIW has sought to work with Chipotle -- the self-proclaimed leader in "food with integrity" -- to improve the unconscionable wages and working conditions of Florida farmworkers. And for more than two years, Chipotle has sought to distance itself at every turn from the human rights crisis in Florida's fields, seemingly content to hide in the shadows of larger companies as the Campaign for Fair Food focused on McDonald's and then Burger King.
You can be sure that part of our message will be to introduce thousands of food activists from around the country to the ugly reality of farmworker exploitation that Chipotle would prefer that its customers, and its friends in the world of sustainable agriculture, simply ignore. In fact, why wait until next week? Here's some reading you can start now:
"This past Friday, members of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) joined local Denver residents for a rousing action at Chipotle headquarters in the Mile-High City, demanding that Chipotle live up to its own much-lauded "Food With Integrity" mantra and meet with the CIW.
Following the successful conclusion of the Burger King campaign, this action served as (yet another) wake-up call to Chipotle that it can no longer skirt responsibility and that our campaign in solidarity with farmworkers will only escalate until it comes to the table. This message was made explicit by this letter, delivered by a delegation of representatives from several national and local organizations."
Check out the excellent photo report on the SFA site from the exciting action and while you're there, you can look into plans for the SFA's upcoming2008 Encuentro, the annual gathering of student and youth Fair Food activists from around the country for a weekend of planning and analysis in Immokalee!
Additional Resources:You can tell Chipotle that it's time to help improve farm labor conditions, too, with this Manager's letter, perfect for delivery to your local Chipotle restaurant.
And for more context on the history of the relationship between the Campaign for Fair Food and Chipotle, you can read a great article from The Nation ("Want Some Basic Human Dignity with that Burrito?," 7/29/08) and take a minute to read this Scholars' letter to Steve Ells, penned by 36 legal, labor, and social science scholars questioning Chipotle's commitment to human rights.
Stay tuned in the weeks ahead, as the pressure continues to build for the fast-food industry's "sustainable food leader."
July 29, 2008
PRESSURE MOUNTS ON CHIPOTLE!...Media scrutiny grows as students plan major August protest at Chipotle headquarters.
July 29, 2008: For more than two years, the CIW has sought to work with Chipotle -- the self-proclaimed leader in "food with integrity" -- to improve the unconscionable wages and working conditions of Florida farmworkers. And for more than two years, Chipotle has sought to distance itself at every turn from the human rights crisis in Florida's fields, seemingly content to hide in the shadows of larger companies as the Campaign for Fair Food focused on McDonald's and then Burger King. However in the aftermath of the CIW's recent agreement with world's second largest burger chain, Chipotle finds itself increasingly isolated as public outcry intensifies.
The Nation joined the growing refrain today with a hard-hitting article entitled, "Chipotle Hypocrisy." It begins:
"In recent years, Taco Bell and Burger King have foolishly resisted efforts by activists to marginally raise the piece rate they pay tomato pickers only to eventually buckle under the pressure of well-deserved bad press. Chipotle Mexican Grill seems to have learned nothing from their lessons.
Although Chipotle, the expanding Colorado-based restaurant chain formerly owned by McDonald's, touts its fair treatment of animals and its locally-sourced organic avocados, its colorful, interactive website neglects any mention of the fair treatment of farm workers. While CEO Steve Ells boasts about his 'Food With Integrity' brand, he has ignored countless letters and petitions from all over the country, asking for an extra penny per pound for his tomato pickers." Read the article here
Meanwhile, the Naples Daily News reports that, "hundreds of members from United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) will be in Denver during the group's three-day conference and they plan to visit Chipotle's corporate headquarters on Aug. 8 to demand that the restaurant chain work with the Coalition to ensure fairer wages and a comprehensive code of conduct." The protest is the first of several upcoming actions in the fast-food chain's backyard and a hint of things to come as students prepare to return to their campuses nationwide. Read the full article: "CIW brings its tomato demands to Chipotle, Subway and Whole Foods," (7/25).
More clearly than ever, Chipotle stands at a crossroads. The company faces a choice between its continued defense of an abhorrent status quo, on the one hand, or meaningful partnership for sustainable change in Florida's fields, on the other. Given the company´s self-proclaimed commitment to "food with integrity," the choice should be obvious, yet Chipotle continues to stall. While Chipotle hesitates, the patience of farmworkers and consumers alike grows wearier with each passing day.
Resources:You can tell Chipotle that it's time to help improve farm labor conditions, too, with this Manager's letter, perfect for delivery to your local Chipotle restaurant.
And for more context on the history of the relationship between the Campaign for Fair Food and Chipotle, take a minute to read this Scholars' letter to Steve Ells, penned by 36 legal, labor, and social science scholars questioning Chipotle's commitment to human rights.
Fasten your seatbelts... looks like things might start to get bumpy for the fast-food industry's "sustainable food leader."
July 17, 2008
WHAT'S BEHIND YOUR BURRITO?... Sustainable food world starting to take
CIW wins Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice! (yes, that Salem...)
Campaign for Fair Food at the 2009 Food & Society Conference!...
Coincidentally, on the last day of the conference, one member of the CIW delegation had an op-ed published in the Ft. Myers News-Press highlighting the urgency of farm labor reform and the elimination of modern-day slavery. Here's an excerpt from "
Meanwhile, back at the Campaign for Fair Food...
CIW looks ahead to meeting with Governor Crist... 
3/5/09: Food justice visit a wrap!
Blogosphere echoes CIW demand for action on slavery! 
New Year message from a CIW member...
'Twas the Night before Christmas...
Worker to Judge: "Bosses should not beat up the people who work with them"... 
VERY LATEST: 
Larry Cox, Executive Director, Amnesty International USA: "There should be no mixed messages about slavery... This incident should serve as a wake-up call: if Florida is serious about eradicating slavery, its officials must be unequivocal in affirming that not a single instance of it will be tolerated..." 
Lynn Delaney, Executive Director, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights: "The statement reflects a disturbing disregard for the rights of victims of such abusive and inhumane practices. That federal agents are still finding slavery- rings to prosecute in Florida, over one hundred forty years since the 13th Amendment banned the practice, represents a failure to protect these victims’ most fundamental liberties for both the State of Florida and its agricultural industry." 
Florida ACLU: "Instances of worker abuse that rise to the level of human slavery are shockingly prevalent in Florida... It should be no surprise that Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, claims that reports of slavery in Florida tomato fields are 'false and defamatory' and says 'unequivocally' that 'growers abhor and condemn slavery' -- despite the recent case in which there was evidence documenting that slave crew leaders' pay 'came from growers'... To diminish the problem of slavery hinders the hope for its end, in Florida and elsewhere. Thoughtful and decisive action by our public officials is needed to protect the thousands who are locked-up, hidden away, unremunerated, and exploited by a system that disregards the most basic of human rights..." 
The Rev. Noelle Damico, National Coordinator of the PC(USA) Campaign for Fair Food: "The implication that some modern-day slavery is tolerable is not only morally offensive it actually encourages those who are currently engaging in these horrific practices to continue. It further exhibits a gross disregard for the extreme suffering and incredible courage of farmworkers who labor in and struggle against these brutal circumstances..." 
Coalition of Immokalee Workers: "... It is incumbent on Governor Crist to clarify -- now -- whether he shares Mr. McElroy's perspective that one case of modern-day slavery a year represents a manageable level of exploitation. We are sure that his answer will be of particular interest to those farm bosses currently holding workers against their will -- those bosses whose operations are active case files on law enforcement authorities' desks today.
Northeast Tour 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) weighs in on Subway agreement!...
New editorial reminds us: "Thanksgiving is a holiday built around food... but rarely do we honor the hands that feed us."
CIW goes coast to coast to speak on sustainable food: 
100+ students and youth hold fourth annual "Encuentro" in Immokalee; launch whirlwind of action for Fair Food!...
2008 "Chipocrisy Tour" ready to roll!... CIW members and allies prepare to head west, call on Chipotle to live out the true meaning of its marketing slogan, "Food with Integrity"! 
Chipotle has staked its claim as the sustainable agriculture leader in the fast-food industry. Its marketing slogan -- 
In the meantime, for a sense of the history of CIW mini-tours and of what awaits our allies along the path of this coming tour, you can click on the following links:
News Round-Up!... 
Guilty! On eve of trial, farm bosses plead guilty to enslaving Immokalee workers in tomato harvest...
RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights joins with Anti-Slavery International in joint statement remembering the slave trade and its abolition, demanding an end to modern-day slavery in Florida's fields!...
SUSTAINABLE FOOD MOVEMENT EMBRACES CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR FOOD!...
Well... Chipotle is a company that prides itself on its efforts to "revolutionize the way America grows and gathers its food." Yet for more than two years, the CIW has sought to work with Chipotle -- the self-proclaimed leader in "food with integrity" -- to improve the unconscionable wages and working conditions of Florida farmworkers. And for more than two years, Chipotle has sought to distance itself at every turn from the human rights crisis in Florida's fields, seemingly content to hide in the shadows of larger companies as the Campaign for Fair Food focused on McDonald's and then Burger King. 
PRESSURE MOUNTS ON CHIPOTLE!...