Before leaving Louisville for the three-day road trip to LA, CIW members gathered around the computer to review the web site update from the march and rally at Yum Brands headquarters the day before.

Then it was time to hit the road and head west. The first stop was in St. Louis, where the "Gateway to the West," St. Louis' famous arch, greeted us as we crossed the Mississippi.

In St. Louis, the Tour stopped for a lunch sponsored by the National Farm Workers Ministry and attended by allies from throughout the Midwest, including these two students from Washington University St. Louis who are launching a Boot The Bell campaign on their campus this semester. They left with an organizing packet from the Student/Farmworker Alliance and a powerful dose of energy to start their campaign off on the right foot.

And then back on the road again... for a long, long ride to Oaklahoma City. On cross-country trips like these, it can be a challenge to fill the hours. But the Tour riders put together an agenda of activities and reflections that have both built consciousness and community along the way. Here, Luis Fernando Gomez from DC helps keep a reflection on CIW history moving.

In fact, with such a great program of activities, the bus ride has become a highlight of the tour. The reflections on the road have provided an indispensable means to deepen our analysis around the issues involved in the tour -- where we stand as workers today in our economy, what are the forces that keep low-wage workers poor while corporations like Yum Brands and WalMart keep growing beyond all control, and what we can do to receive a fairer share of the value of our labor...

... yet, of course, three days on the road can try even the most dedicated of souls. This poor stuffed bunny is mute witness to the unavoidable ravages of a cross country voyage like ours on this unidentified Tour participant...

But finally, just in time to save the rabbit, we arrived in Oklahoma City, where we had time to catch about two hours of sleep in the gymnasium of St. Charles Catholic Church and gather again in the early morning to hit the road toward Albuquerque and Flagstaff.

But not before our hosts in Oklahoma -- including Marcus Evans of the Firefighters Union, here above -- presented us with this image of the Virgin of Guadalupe to protect and guide us on the rest of our way.

Next stop Albuquerque and an incredible reception that we will not soon forget!

 

Read Day 5's report.