Denver Fair Food

Tell 'em: Colorado wants Human Rights not Traitor Joe's!

2012-02-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

Tell Traitor Joe's: You're NOT welcome in Colorado unless you respect the human rights of farmworkers!

Sign the online petition here: Trader Joe's: sign the Fair Food Agreement

The trendy natural grocer Trader Joe's has a reputation for being ethical and progressive. But behind the veneer is an ultra-secretive corporation owned by one of the richest people in the world that routinely ignores the social impact of its purchasing practices in order to maximize its profits.

The true face of Traitor Joe's is revealed by the corporation's refusal to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve the wages and working conditions of farmworkers who harvest the tomatoes it buys. Instead of signing an Fair Food Agreement, which companies from Whole Foods to McDonald's have done, Traitor Joe's has spread misinformation and paraded public relations ploys which are unverifiable and have no way to be enforced.

According to recent press accounts, Trader Joe's plans to open stores in Colorado as early as April. We need to send a strong signal to Trader Joe's that Coloradans demand that it sign an Fair Food Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, and it will face protest and public pressure until it does.

Tell Traitor Joe's: Sign the Fair Food Agreement now!
Follow the link above to the SumOfUs.org online petition to send an email to Trader Joe's CEO.

Protests Continue at Quiznos

2012-01-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

While this blog hasn't been active lately, the same cannot be said of the Campaign for Fair Food across the nation. Trader Joe's and Publix are confronted by the demand for farmworker justice from new sources on nearly a daily basis. And Denver-based Quiznos continues to face protest such as this one in Texas' Rio Grande Valley. The committed group of Fair Foodistas in La Valle has held plenty of Quiznos protests before - a number of which this blog has covered. But this one had a special twist...Friends of Denver Fair Food may think that this banner looks familiar. That's because it traveled from Denver with one member of Denver Fair Food who had the pleasure of spending the weekend connecting, strategizing and learning with folks from the Valley and other parts of Texas. As a joint protest of Texas and Denver, it was one step in strengthening the bonds of solidarity across the country as we renew the call that Quiznos uphold fair wages and human rights for farmworkers.

The Denver representative got to witness the show of support from the passersby such as this peace sign flashed from a passing school bus...

..and got to experience the sounds of traditional Son Jarocho music which kept protest's spirits high.

At the end of the action, we (with Amy, a new member of the Student/Farmworker Alliance national Steering committee, as our spokesperson) shared our message of the dignity and justice for farmworkers with the store's employees and asked them to pass the message along to Quiznos Headquarters.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Rio Grande Valley trip.

Are Chipotle And Trader Joe's Really Selling Food With "Integrity?"

2011-11-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's been more than a little while since we updated the Denver Fair Food blog. A lot has been happening in the Campaign for Fair Food no doubt. DFF organized one of the powerful ongoing vigils outside the for-profit immigrant detention center in Aurora. We attended the Fair Food Summit in Immokalee, Florida. And nationally, the CIW and their allies have ramped up their pressure on the "cheap-chic" organic grocer Trader Joe's. Similar to Denver's own Chipotle Mexican Grill, Trader Joe has a reputation as a extremely ethical company and yet, again like Chipotle, refuses to participate in the only effort to date to systematically improve the wages and working conditions of Florida's tomato pickers - the CIW's Fair Food Program.

Below is a commentary by one filmmaker who discovered, after traveling to Immokalee, what we in Denver have known for a long time - that Chipotle (and Trader Joe's) are not serving anything resembling "integrity."

Are Chipotle And Trader Joe's Really Selling Food With "Integrity?"
by Mirra Fine

Yesterday, on our way towards Immokalee, Florida to visit with Immigrant Farm laborers, we decided to stop into a Chipotle. We pride ourselves on not eating fast food, and have only stopped at 1-2 along the way (always either Subway or Chipotle, and always vegetarian). But there is something about Chipotle that makes me feel like I'm not eating at a fast food joint. Their decorum of metallic, aztec-ish mosaics on the walls; smell of cilantro rice; and clean metal tables is familiar and comforting so far from home. Their motto is "Food with Integrity" (it's right there when you pull up the website), and they pride themselves on working with small farmers (when they can) and providing good, local, farm-supporting food. And it tastes good. So, we pulled off of interstate 41 without any guilt and stopped in for a quick bite.

I got what I usually get: veggie bowl with lots of rice, topped with a little bit of black beans, cheese, lettuce and their mild salsa chocked full of red tomatoes, onions and herbs. And I usually swing for some guac on the side. Maybe it was the oppressive heat outside that made my shirt stick to my back, or my premonition of a long day of filming ahead, or it could have been because deep down, somehow I knew that this would be my last veggie bowl at Chipotle for a long time...but I cleaned my plate.

And then we drove to Immokalee, Florida -- the state's largest farm worker community. In Immokalee the per capita income is only $9,700/year, half the people in town live below the federal poverty line, and the area has seen many cases of "modern day slavery" (meaning farmers holding people against their will, forcing them to work, beating or killing them if they tried to escape, and knowing that they can have this control over them because the workers don't have any means to save themselves). As Barry Estabrook wrote in his book, Tomatoland: "Any American who has eaten a winter tomato, either purchased at a supermarket or on top of a fast food salad, has eaten a fruit picked by the hand of a slave. That is not an assumption, it is a fact (Douglas Molloy, US Attorney for Florida's Middle District)." "Immokalee," as Estabrook continues. "Is the town that tomatoes built."

We drove in around 3pm and went to the small, nondescript Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) office building that had been painted the strange off-yellowish color that many buildings in Florida sport. It was like a scene from a Mexican folk movie: a man sitting outside on a fold up chair listening to Mariachi music blaring through the windows while stray chickens roam the streets outside and do their best to stay out of the path of little Mexican or Guatemalan boys racking up their own point system by kicking a ball back and forth. We were there to meet up with our film subject for the day: Lupe, an immigrant from Guatemala who, like the other farm workers, lives in this town during tomato season, and then moves north to find other work in the fields. Lupe's husband has been in Northern Florida since May (the last time she saw him). So for now, she lives with her 8 year old son and another family in a (barely 2 bedroom) labor camp trailer. The trailers are small, poorly made boxes with a tiny shared kitchen (a stove, fridge and sink) -- too small for more than 3 people to be in at one time. The little bedrooms house two mattresses and multiple people who pile in at night. One room was for a mother and her 4 daughters. Lupe, whose daughter lives in Guatemala and whom she hasn't seen in 11 years, sleeps in a room only with her son. The labor camps are dotted throughout the little town of 15,000, and to live in them, the rent is steep: up to $400/week for a trailer. A ridiculous amount for farm workers who make (on a good day) $50.

And the good days are for only a couple months out of the year, and even then there is little consistency. Workers line up every morning at 4am in the parking lot of a local "Fiesta" grocery store waiting for buses to pull in looking for labor. Men and women will wait all day if need be. Many go home empty handed, hoping that the next day will be luckier. On rainy days, there will be no work for anyone. Crew leaders (those who round up the laborers and bring them to the farmers) have been known to hold back paychecks, sexually harass the women or limit their access to work. When we asked Lupe why they do this, she answered "because they can."

And that's all before getting to the farm. Once you're there, it doesn't get easier. We weren't permitted on the farms to see the actual work, but Lupe told us how laborers will spend all day in the fields picking tomatoes in the hot, hot heat. Before CIW came along, workers often had no access to water and no breaks. In some ways, things have improved slightly, however each bucket of tomatoes a worker fills (roughly 32-35 lbs) still gets them around only $0.45-$0.50. And they are picking green tomatoes -- as in, tomatoes that are not ripe. If you live in Florida and ever find yourself behind a tomato truck, you probably wouldn't know it as the fruit is completely unrecognizable. The tomatoes are picked green so that they can be gassed with chemicals to turn red and then shipped to other areas of the country. Ever notice how a fresh tomato tastes totally different from those bought in the winter? That's why. Or at least that's one reason.

But back to the workers. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is doing their best to make conditions better, by "training local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate, uncover, and prosecute existing slavery operations, in addition to working to eliminate the root causes of the problem: farm workers' structural powerlessness and grinding poverty." (Grist) Beyond helping them to know their rights, CIW also created the Campaign for Fair Food asking the major tomato purchasers in this country (fast food chains, grocery stores) to pay a penny more per pound for tomatoes, and asking farmers to put that penny towards the workers. So a 32lb bucket of tomatoes harvested by a worker would result in $0.80, instead of the current $0.45-$0.50. That would mean a huge increase in wage for that worker.

The Campaign doesn't stop there, CIW also asks the major food purchasers to work with agricultural suppliers that adhere to the CIW first ever Code of Conduct, which looks out for worker rights, and creates market incentives for those suppliers willing to respect their worker's human rights, even if those rights are not guaranteed by the law. And lastly, they ask for 100% transparency for their tomato purchases in Florida. In November 2010, 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 Florida's tomato fields.

Taco Bell has agreed to join the plight for farm workers, as have 9 other major corporations including McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, and Whole Foods. But guess who wont: Chipotle and Trader Joe's.

Yep, the two corporations whom you would assume would be at the forefront of workers rights issues, are distancing themselves. Trader Joe's is a leading retailer of organically certified products -- one of the primary reasons for its reputation as a progressive grocer. And that Chipotle -- the company who promotes the integrity of their food and practices more than anyone -- wont partner with CIW in adopting the Fair Food Principles is especially baffling. The company's whole image is around Food with Integrity and their focus on ensuring the products they use "are grown, made and shipped without exploiting people". From Chipotle's website: "We can talk about all of the procedures and protocols we follow and how important they are - but it all really comes back to the people behind every ingredient we purchase, burrito we make, and customer we serve."

These workers are the people behind their ingredients. Instead Both Trader Joe's and Chipotle have decided to do it their "own way" in an approach that forgoes transparency and farmworker participation. Both have written statements about their uninterest in partnering with CIW. Trader Joe's says that they do not sign agreements that allow third party organizations to dictate what is right for their customers. And though they say they would buy from producers who have agreed to the Fair Food agreements, CIW says that doesn't seem to be entirely true.

So what the hell is going on? These actions seem very at odds with the Trader Joe's and Chipotle image. They both claim to be doing it their own way, but as Eric Schlosser was quoted as saying: "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."

When researching information for this blog post, I found that in 2009 and 2010, tons of articles were written about just this. But nothing has changed. CIW went to protest Trader Joe's in California a couple days ago, and the issue still seems to be going strong. What's it going to take? Maybe if the two chains came down to Immokalee and saw what its like to be on the other end of the tomato, they'd change their minds. It has definitely done a number on me.

To tell Trader Joe's to change their policy toward farm workers, please sign this petition.

For more articles like this as well as videos and recipes, visit www.theperennialplate.com.

Denver Fair Food Poker Night! (and Beanie Tournament!)

2011-07-25T14:01:00.001-07:00

Sunday, August 7th, 5:00pm
at 6th Avenue United Church of Christ
3250 E. 6th Avenue (6th & Adams) [map]

$10 buy-in
Opportunities to buy in throughout the night!
Winner wins cash prize!

This will be a fun, laid-back environment to learn if you've never played poker.

SPECIAL: Beanie Tournament at 7:00pm! $10 to play, winner wins cash!
Beanie is a fun and fast-paced card game which is easy to pick up. Come learn if you've never played!

Food and refreshments will be available!

Proceeds will go to Denver Fair Food, a community network working in solidarity with farmworkers to fight for fair wages and human rights in the fields - DenverFairFood.blogspot.com

Ohio Fair Food to Kroger: We will not be moved...

2011-06-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

... by half-measures and corporate double-talk!

This past Thursday, Kroger executives and shareholders gathered in Cincinnati, Ohio, for what was supposed to be a light-hearted, festive affair celebrating the company's economic success, marked by 30 consecutive quarters of sales growth. But the party was crashed (figuratively, mind you) by an exciting new Fair Food committee, Ohio Fair Food, whose members were determined to remind Kroger and its shareholders that those exciting profits come, in part, at the cost of unconscionable farmworker poverty and exploitation in Florida's tomato fields.

Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the country and the parent company of Colorado's leading grocery King Sooper's.

Check out the Coalition of Immokalee Workers website for a photo report from this great action (it's the June 26, 2011 post)!

NC protesters: "Quiznos has no biznos paying less for our tomatoes!"

2011-06-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

A couple week ago the Coalition of Immokalee Workers website reported on a protest in North Carolina outside a Quiznos restaurant. We wanted to share the story of this fun and creative demonstration as well.

Students took to the streets in Winston Salem, North Carolina -- with the venerable Student Action with Farmworkers -- in a colorful and creative protest last week outside a local Quiznos. Here's a first-hand photo report, straight from our long-time allies at SAF:

Friday June 3, 2011, in Winston Salem, North Carolina, thirty students gathered together to demand that Quiznos pay one more penny per pound of tomatoes picked by Immokalee farmworkers. These students joined together from the East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest to participate in Student Action with Farmworkers’ Into the Fields (ITF) summer internship and the Sowing Seeds for Change fellowship. Although they just met on the previous Wednesday, this diverse group of farmworker students and conscious Southeastern allies came together to promote justice and change.

This vocal group lined up along a sidewalk directly outside the Quiznos shopping center and chanted shame slogans in both English and Spanish. Not only were these passionate individuals, but creative as well, coming up with slogans such as “Quiznos has no buiznos, paying less for our tomatoes.” In addition to the large group that was waving signs and marching on the sidewalk, several students dispersed fliers advertising the “Penny more per Pound” campaign and history. Many interesting conversations arose from sympathetic observers, including one man who remembered picking up tomatoes from Florida farms and being shocked by the conditions that the farmworkers faced on a daily basis.

A delegation of students delivered an official letter outlining their demands of Quiznos to the store manager. The store manager was receptive to the group and said that he was concerned and supportive of the Penny more per Pound cause. Consequently, the manager agreed to sign the letter and send it to Corporate.

The satellite group of students that had spoken with the manager, and others that were dispersing pamphlets, all reunited with the larger marching group for the final moments of the action.

Great work, everyone! Summertime is clearly time for action in North Carolina.

Vigilia de Solidaridad/Solidarity Vigil: herencias de esclavitud y resistencia/legacies of slavery and resistance

2011-06-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 4th, 6:00pm
GEO Dentention Center
gather at the corner of 30th & Peoria

Join us outside the immigration detention center in Aurora in solidarity with all who are imprisoned, exploited or enslaved!

There will be a participatory performance exploring slavery as the common historic root of farmworker exploitation, mass incarceration of people of color and attacks on immigrants rights today.

We will also celebrate our legacies of resistance and ongoing strguggle for freedom.

SPARKLERS AND WATERMELON PROVIDED!

WE INVITE YOU TO BRING NOISE-MAKERS PANS, WHISTLES,DRUMS, SHAKERS & YOUR VOICE!

OPEN MIC: DETAINEES' FRIENDS & FAMILY & PEOPLE FORMERLY DETAINED

Hosted by Denver Fair Food

------
Acompáñanos, afuera del centro de detención en Aurora, en solidaridad con tod@s los que son encarcelados, explotados y en esclavitud.

Tendremos una obra participativa explorando esclavitud como un raíz histórico común de la explotación de trabajadores de campo, encarcelación masiva de personas de color y ataques a los derechos de inmigrantes hoy.

Celebraremos nuestras herencias de resistencia y lucha seguida para liberación.

Tendremos sandia y bengalas para tod@s.

Trae tus tambores/pitos/cosas de hacer ruido!

Microfono abierto para familia y amig@s de detenidos y gente que fueron detenida antes.

Patrocinado por Denver Fair Food

Actions around the country!

2011-06-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Denver Fair Food blog hasn't been especially active lately, but that doesn't mean nothing has been happening in the Campaign fo Fair Food. To the contrary, in the last several months there have been actions around the country targeting Publix, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's and more. See the Coalition of Immokalee Workers website - http://www.ciw-online.org/ - for all the latest news.

We'd especially like to highlight our friends in Kansas and Texas.

If you look closely at the picture here, you'll see in the lower left quadrant a copy of the CIW's Quiznos Manager Letter... hung up, behind the counter of a Quiznos in McAllen, TX... by the manager... for his customers and crew to read and learn about conditions in the fields where Quiznos buys its tomatoes!

During Farmworker Awareness Week last a couple months ago, members of the Student/Farmworker Alliance, Just Harvest USA and the RGV Fair Food Committee came together for a double weekend of actions that included rallies outside of Quiznos locations throughout McAllen, TX and a 7-mile bike ride, reporting:

"Managers were very supportive overall. One even pinned up our manager letter, signed by dozens of community members, inside their restaurant's wall for all their customers to see!"

This follows our report two weeks early that a franchise owner in Quiznos' corporate hometown, "surprised everyone by saying that not only did he fully support the idea of farmworkers receiving fair wages and working conditions but he actually spoke with Quiznos Headquarters and encouraged them to sign an agreement with the CIW."

Sounds like spreading protests by Fair Food communities across the country isn't Quiznos' only problem - they might just have a growing internal revolt on their hands, too...

More recently, in the middle of this great country, representatives from "the Fair Food Kingdom in the City of Lawrence from the Land of Kansas" (aka, our good friends at Lawrence Fair Food) playfully reminded a local Dillon store (one of the many chains owned by grocery giant Kroger which also owns King Soopers) of its responsibility to do its part in improving wages and working conditions in Florida's tomato fields.

Check out the great video:

There will no doubt be more action in the Campaign for Fair Food coming including right here in Denver...

Message to Quiznos from a Florida tomato

2011-05-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

During the Spring Blitz for Farmworker Justice, we were joined by a number of Florida tomatoes, one of which gave an inspiring speech inside the first-ever Quiznos restaurant. Sadly we had technical difficulties with the video of the speech, but without further ado we'd like to share the transcript . . .

Quiznos: I am a tomato from Immokalee, Florida and I have a message for you. I have traveled a great distance to deliver this message. Many of my dear friends spoiled next to me along the way so I do not have the same patience that these kind people of Denver have been showing you.

Your complicity in the exploitation and abuse of the humble soul who so gently plucked me from the vine that nurtured me is nothing short of shameful.

We tomatoes are enraged that our succulence is an object of profit for you at the expense of our companeras' and companeros' human rights. We know the true cost you pay for us when you leverage your large purchasing power, and we can see through your carefully calculated public relations.

One penny more and a place at the table, that is all they are asking of you. Just one penny. Think of all the pennies that my family has made for you.

A place at the table is all they want. We have been complimentary served at many of your corporate meetings, so we know its a fact there are plenty of open seats for farmworkers at those tables.

Make no mistake about it. Tomatoes everywhere proudly and decisively stand with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the principles of Fair Food.

In fact, we tomatoes have a beautiful legacy of fighting for what is right. We were harvested in Palmares and have crippled tyrants with food poisoning. Freedom fighters held captive in cold prison cells have been given strength due to our vital source of Vitamin C. It was us who provided the antioxidant Lycopene to heroic organizers like Dolores Huerta, Ella Baker, Emma Tenayuca, and, not so far away from here, Flaming Milka Sablich.

I will be on my way shortly because we have been busy the last few months, keeping rebellious bellies full from Eygpt to Wisconsin.

But before for I part, I want to leave you with some words being spoken out of Immokalee: “It is not a question of whether we will win, but when.” And we promise you that on the day victory arrives you will be able to taste its sweetness in every single tomato slice put on a Quizno sub.

Chipocrisy at graduation

2011-05-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Chipotle Mexican Grill founder and CEO Steve Ells gave the commencement speech at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He repeated his well-worn mantra of "food with integrity" but, unfortunately for him, not everyone was swallowing it.

Many students (and community members) were outraged at Ells' selection as the keynote speaker for graduation. While Ells claims to be "revolutionizing the way America grows, gathers, serves and eats its food," he still refuses to work with farmworkers - that is the very people who grow and gather our food! - to further the progress they are making in revolutionizing labor relations within the agricultural industry. This inconsistency between Chipotle's words and actions when it comes to the rights of farmworkers has been going on for so long that we have a name for it: Chipocrisy.

Outside the stadium where graduation occured, we shared the truth about Steve Ells' Chipocrisy, distributing hundreds of fliers.

During his speech, we shared our own message with Ells: STOP BEING A CHIPOCRITE! SIGN ON WITH THE C.I.W. ...

ISN'T THAT FOOD WITH INTEGRITY? Mr. Ells did not respond.

Police forced us to take down our banners claiming we were violating a CU regulation which they were unable or unwilling to cite.

Afterwards, several reporters including from KGNU and the Daily Camera interviewed us.

After the ceremony, we continued to get the word out . . .

. . . were joined by a few long-time allies/new graduates like our friend Jessica from MEChA de Boulder . . .

. . . and spoke with hundreds of curious consumers. While Steve Ells may be a judge on NBC reality shows and the commencement speaker at his alma mater, we can stand firm knowing the truth is on our side.

Students to protest Steve Ells at CU graduation

2011-05-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

The choice of Chipotle founder and CEO Steve Ells as this year's keynote speaker for the University of Colorado commencement ceremony has made many students (not to mention community members!) outraged. They're outraged by Chipotle's Chiprocisy - claiming to serve "food with integrity" while refusing to join in agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to establish substantive, enforceable human rights standards for the farmworkers who pick tomatoes bought by the company.

Join students and other allies at CU's graduation to educate the public and let Ells know that "food with integrity" must include respect for the women and men who harvest Chipotle's tomatoes.

Friday, May 6, 8:00am
at Folsom Field in Boulder

Also, check out this article from the CU campus paper:
CU-Boulder students to protest Chipotle CEO Steve Ells at graduation

BACKGROUND:
Since 2006, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has sought to establish a Fair Food agreement with Chipotle Mexican Grill to address farmworker exploitation in Florida's tomato fields.

Chipotle has consistently rejected this opportunity and has opted instead for a go-it-alone approach that eschews transparency, third-party oversight, and meaningful worker participation. Under this plan, Chipotle will review its own code of conduct, oversee its own payments under its penny-per-pound plan, and verify its own compliance with the changes it is proposing. That's just not credible.

Chipotle's entrenched opposition to the Campaign for Fair Food is particularly puzzling given the company's highly publicized commitment to "Food With Integrity" and self-proclaimed leadership role in "revolutionizing the way America grows, gathers, serves and eats its food." On its website, Chipotle maintains:

"We can talk about all of the procedures and protocols we follow and how important they are but it all really comes back to the people behind every ingredient we purchase, burrito we make, and customer we serve....

No matter how big or small the farms we work with, it's important that every worker is treated with dignity and respect. As a result, we have several policies in
place designed to ensure that the products we use at Chipotle are grown, made,
and shipped without exploiting people."

For Florida farmworkers, however, the hype doesn't match reality. Chipotle may have created a veneer of concern, but by refusing to partner with the CIW, the minimal steps the company has taken fall far short of the substantive, enforceable standards that the situation requires, consumers expect, and others within the industry have embraced.

"Food With Integrity" is either a holistic vision that respects the men and women who harvest Chipotle's tomatoes, or it's just another marketing ploy designed to cash in on a fad. It cannot be both.

Spring Blitz actions 2 & 3: photo report!

2011-04-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Spring Blitiz for Farmworker Justice was a series of three actions calling on Quiznos to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to help ensure fair wages and human rights for the workers who harvest Quiznos' tomatoes. Without further ado, we'd like to share some photos the second and third actions:

Action 2: Return of the Tomatoes!

Our second action witnessed the return of an outraged group of Florida tomatoes who want to see justice for the workers who pick them.

Particularly exciting was the participation of a ton of youngsters like these to cherry tomatoes...
And this young person who hung out on the picket line with Mama Tomato...

Or this kiddo who contemplated what it would be like to have to fill and haul a tomato bucket which weighs more then him when full!

The rally ended with a one of the tomatoes giving a powerful speech inside the Quiznos restaurant, declaring to Quiznos: "Your complicity in the exploitation and abuse of the humble soul who so gently plucked me from the vine that nurtured me is nothing short of shameful." Full transcript and video are forthcoming!

Action 3: Cesar Chavez Day Protest

This protest, taking place on the birthday of the late farmworker organizer Cesar Chavez, was the debut of some beautiful new protest art. As musician, artist, actor, film maker and long time activist in the farmworker movement of the '60s and '70s Luis Valdez said, "one of the most importants weapons - instruments - in any cause, in any movement, in any strike is the picket sign."

Some of the new art riffed off of Quiznos' marketing slogan pointing to the distasteful reality that has made possible Quiznos' toasty subs.
While unfortunately the remembrance of Cesar Chavez has too often fallen into uncritical hero worship of a single individual, the amazing movement - in which Chavez was instrumental - was only possible do to the collective actions of thousands of farmworkers, students, people of faith, consumers and other allies.

The best tribute to the past struggles for farmworker justice, in our humble opinion, is to participate in the current struggles for farmworker justice. We'd like to think that our Spring Blitz for Farmworker Justice has added to that collective history.

Article gives a shout out to Denver Fair Food!

2011-03-31T10:07:00.001-07:00

This recent Examiner article from Denver, as part of National Farmworker Awareness Week, takes a look at the ongoing plight faced by the nation's farm laborers as well as references our upcoming protest outside of Quiznos Corporate Headquarters (happening today!). It's worth checking out: Farmworker protests at Quiznos headquarters See you on the Picket line!

First Spring Blitz Action: Tomatoes Attack!

2011-03-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

The first action of Spring Blitz for Farmworker Justice was a swift affair. A small cadre of tomatoes from Florida's fields - outraged at the abusive conditions conditions which they've seen the workers who pick them laborering under for decades - descended on Quiznos on Denver's busy 16th Street Mall in order to tell the Denver-based sub franchise that it must start supporting the pinciples of Fair Food established by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

The CIW's Fair Food principles are beginning to improve the wages and working conditions of tomato pickers throughout Florida. But for this new - and still fragile - era of human rights and dignity for Florida's farmworkers to thrive and grow, more companies like Quiznos need to place their substantial purchasing power behind the new higher standards.

This was the message that the Immokalee tomatoes shared with this Quiznos franchise owner. The franchise owner surprised everyone by saying that not only did he fully support the idea of farmworkers receiving fair wages and working conditions but he actually spoke with Quiznos Headquarters and encouraged them to sign an agreement with the CIW. Unfortunately, Quiznos has not taken his advise, and until it does, protests will have to continue.

And more and more consumers will be awakened to the reality that Quiznos has refused to do its part to end the exploitation of those whose labor provides the tomatoes which top its sandwhiches. Within 15 minutes, the tomatoes outside this store had passed out well over 100 fliers to curious customers and passers by. When will Quiznos finally start listening to its customers, franchisees and . . . tomatoes?

Join us for the next Spring Blitz actions:

Sunday, March 27, 12:00noon
Quiznos at 1275 Grant St. (13th & Grant)[map]
Picket at 1st ever Quiznos

Thursday, March 31, 12:00noon
Quiznos Headquarters, 1001 17th St. (17th & Curtis)[map]
Cesar Chavez Day Protest and Rally! honor the continuing struggle for farmworker justice!

Quick Updates: Denver at the "Do the Right Thing" March, César Chávez Day March and more

2011-03-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

In Denver, we may be gearing up for the Spring Blitz for Farmowker Justice, but we wanted to give a quick update about recent happenings and upcoming events.

Pictured here are the Denver Fair Foodistas who traveled to Tampa, Florida to participate in the CIW's "Do the Right Thing" March. Also pictured are our friends from Kansas and Illinois (many of whom we first met at the No Coast Encuentro in Denver last fall) who did the 64-hour-round-trip drive with us.

In the background are the props from the popular treatro which was the powerful culmination of an incredible weekend of action which included plantones throughout the cities of St. Petersburg and Tampa and three different marches which ended with what one Denver protester is quoted as calling "the biggest picket line I've ever seen in my life!"

Marching as partners with workers from Immokalee in this inspiring movement, we were confirmed in the fact, as the CIW's Lucas Benitez said, "it's not a question of whether we will win, but when . . ."

You can see all the amazing reports from the entire "Do the Right Thing" Tour, including photos, video and press, by going to this site: "Do the Right Thing" Tour

Back here in Denver, everyone should mark their calendars for the 10th Annual César Chávez Day March:

Satuardy, March 26
Mass at 8:45am at St. Anthony of Padua, 3401 W. Ohio Ave.
March at 10:00am
Celebration and Food at 11:00am at Denver Indian Center, 4407 Morrison Rd.

Also Denver's Labor Council For Latin American Advancement will be hosting their annual César Chávez Dinner-Dance on Saturday, March 26, 6:00pm at the VFW Hall, 4747 W. Colfax. There will be food, live music, dancing and more. Contact bmckenna@denver.co.lclaa.org for details.

Denver Fair Food will no doubt be honoring the late labor leader who fought so hard for the rights of farmworkers. But we'll also be honoring the ongoing struggle for farmworker jutice by participating in the Spring Blitz for Farmworker Justice which includes an action on César Chávez' birthday - March 31.

Contact DenverFairFood@gmail.com if you would like to invite us to speak with your class, congregation, union, community group or school about the ongoing struggle for farmworker rights and how they can get involved!

Finally, folks who follow this blog may also be interested in the upcoming Conference on Religion, Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery sponsored by the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology.

SPRING BLITZ For FARMWORKER JUSTICE!

2011-02-27T16:08:00.000-08:00

"Justice too long delayed is justice denied." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

3 weeks of protest against Quiznos and for farmworkers' human rights!

Friday, March 18, 12:00noon
Quiznos at 216 16th St. (one block W. of Broadway)[map]
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! Dress like a tomato!

Sunday, March 27, 12:00noon
Quiznos at 1275 Grant St. (13th & Grant)[map]
Picket at 1st ever Quiznos

Thursday, March 31, 12:00noon
Quiznos Headquarters, 1001 17th St. (17th & Curtis)[map]
Cesar Chavez Day Protest and Rally! honor the continuing struggle for farmworker justice!

A new era of human rights, fair wages and dignity - for which farmworkers have been fighting for so long - is taking hold in Florida's tomato fields. Yet, despite Quiznos' promises to the contrary, the Denver-based fast food chain still refuses to adopt the principles which would allow these changes to spread and thrive. The workers who pick tomatoes which end up on Quiznos' subs can no longer tolerate the delay of justice. And neither can we!

Join us, in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, to push for an end to the farmworker exploitation which has subsidized Quiznos' profits for too long.

contact DenverFairFood@gmail.com for more info.

BACKGROUND:
Florida's farmworkers have long faced brutal conditions. They earn sub-poverty wages, have no right to form unions or to over-time pay, lack traditional employment benefits such as health, sick leave or pensions, and have not received a significant raise in nearly 30 years. At the current rate of .50 cents per 32lb bucket, a Florida tomato picker must harvest over TWO TONS just to earn the equivalent of minimum wage for a typical 10 hour. In the most extreme situations workers are held in modern-day slavery and forced to work against their will.

However, there is a new hope on the horizon, thanks to the hard-fought campaigns of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a community-base organization of Haitian, Latino and Mayan farmworkers in Florida. Today, nine leading food corporations (including Subway, McDonald's and Burger King) and over 90% of the Florida tomato industry have joined to support the CIW's Fair Food principles, including a penny-per-pound piece rate wage increase, a strict code of conduct, a cooperative complaint resolution system, a participatory health and safety program, and a worker-to-worker education process.

However, Quiznos - which continues to profit from the exploitation of farmworkers - has yet to do its part. While there have been discussions with the CIW, those talks continue to drag on because Quiznos won't agree to the same Fair Food principles that the entire Florida tomato industry has already adopted. Visit ciw-online.org or DenverFairFood.blogspot.com for more info.
--------------------------
Empuje de Primera por la Justicia de los Trabajadores Agricolas!
Manifestaciones contra Quiznos y por los derechos humanos de campesinos

Domingo, 27 de Marzo, 12:00 pm
Quiznos en el 1275 Grant St.
(en la esquina de las calles 13 y Grant)

Jueves, 31 de Marzo, 12:00 pm
La Oficina Central de Quiznos, 1001 17th St.
(en la esquina de las calles 17 y Curtis)
Protesta del Dia de Cesar Chavez. Apoya la lucha de los trabajadores agricolas!

Una nueva época de derechos humanos, sueldos justos, y dignidad, esta tomando la industria de jitomates en el estado de Florida por nuevos y mejores cambios. Pero Quiznos, una empresa que consede aqui en Denver, sigue rechazando los principos que dejarian que estos cambios se realizen para todos. Los trabajadores que cosechan los jitomates que usa Quiznos ya no pueden esperar la justicia, y nosotros tampoco!

ORIGEN:
Los trabajadores que cosechan jitomates en Florida han enfrentado condiciones brutales por mucho tiempo: ganan sueldos bajo la línea de pobreza, no tienen el derecho de formar sindicatos o a obtener pago por horas extras trabajadas. También se les prohíbe ciertos beneficios de trabajo fundamentales como seguro de salud, días de ausencia por enfermedad o pensiones, y no han recibido un aumento de sueldo significante en casi 30 anos. Hoy en día a los trabajadores se les paga .50 centavos por cubeta de 32 libras, esto quiere decir que un trabajador necesita cosechar más de DOS TONELADAS Y MEDIAS de jitomates solo para así ganar un sueldo mínimo equivalente a un día de trabajo de 10 horas. En los casos más extremos son detenidos dentro de una esclavitud moderna y forzados a trabajar en contra de su voluntad.

En estos días hay una nueva esperanza, gracias a los grandes esfuerzos y campañas de La Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee (CIW) - una organización principalmente de trabajadores latinos, haitianos y mayas. Hoy en día 9 de las corporaciones mayores de comida rápida (incluyendo a Subway, McDonald’s y Burger King) y más que 90 % de la industria de jitomates de la Florida han decidido apoyar los principios de la comida justa. Estos incluyen pagar un centavo más por cada libra de jitomates que es cosechado, un estricto código de conducta, un sistema de resolución de quejas, un programa de salud y seguridad, y un proceso de educación de trabajador a trabajador.

Sin embargo Quiznos - quien continua beneficiándose de la explotación de los trabajadores que cosechan jitomates — todavía necesita hacer su parte. Mientras las discusiones con el CIW y Quiznos si han sucedido, no hay avance porque Quiznos no se decide a apoyar los principios que la industria de jitomates en Florida ya ha adaptado. Visita el ciw-online.org DenverFairFood.blogspot.com para más información.

"Quiz-No!": Quiznos protests spring up around the country!

2011-02-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

Protests against Quiznos are springing up around the country! In addition to the many actions that have been happening in Denver and the recent one in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, there have been protests in San Francisco, in the West, and New York to the East.

Pictured here in the Bay Area Fair Food crew crashing an open house at which Quiznos was trying to recruit new franchisees. Instead of just getting a slick sales pinch, potential Quiznos store owners were awakened to the reality of exploitation occurring in the fields from which Quiznos sources tomatoes and Quiznos' refusal to adopt the CIW's Fair Food principles which are establishing an era of justice in those fields.

Go to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers website for a quick photoreport of all the actions (including our most recent in Denver!):
"Quiz-NO!" Photo Report

And prepare yourself for the SPRING BLITZ For FARMWORKER JUSTICE coming up in March right here in Denver!

Special Report from the Rio Grande Valley (and exclusive Quiznos Coupon offer!)

2011-02-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, our compañer@s in Texas' Rio Grande Valley had a powerful protest outside a Quiznos franchise in their neck of the woods. We're so inspired by their example that we're turning over this post to their beautiful words and actions. As outrage at Quiznos spreads across the country, we hope that those in Quiznos Corporate Headquarters in downtown Denver pay attention.

After you check out their fun photo report, be sure to take advantage of the exclusive Quiznos Coupon offered below. Redeem it today!

Texas - Sunday afternoon was no ordinary day. The Quiznos Picket in the Rio Grande Valley had the passing cars honking, our creative juices flowing, and Quiznos Franchise owners at attention. The Valley wind yesterday added to the excitement, as if chanting along with us, Hey, hey, ho, ho, Quiz Knows Better and has got to go! Nature is on our side!

A group of worker’s rights supporters started the afternoon by laying down the 411 for Quizno’s employees…

of our enthusiastic intention of raising consumer awareness of Quiznos participation in farmworker exploitation!

Thirty minutes into our mission, Quiznos franchise owners approached our public piece of turf to huff and puff about our presence hurting their business, since we were, as he put it, “portraying Quiznos as being unfair.” This is true. We’ve been waiting on Quiznos for a good minute now to come to the table with the CIW and agree to the same Fair Food Code of Conduct that the entire Florida tomato industry has already adopted! - a code which improves pay, establishes enforceable standards for worker rights and solidifies farmworkers' voice in the decisions which impact their lives. We made it pretty clear that our time waiting won’t be spent with our arms crossed.

He wasn’t too pleased. So we handed him a coupon, which makes everyone happy, and encouraged him to redeem today!

“Hey, Mister! Have you redeemed your Quiznos coupon, yet? When Quiznos decides to pay one cent more per pound of tomatoes, we include a cooperative complaint resolution system, a participatory health and safety program, and a worker-to-worker education process! REDEEM TODAY! We’ll also leave you and your business alone!”

Standing strong with campesinos desde el Valle! Our coupons have yet to expire so be sure to print and redeem yours today!!

"Quit breaking our hearts, Quiznos!" Photo report and Spring Blitz announcement

2011-02-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we held a sweet little Valentine-themed protest in Denver's Capital Hill outside the first-ever Quiznos restaurant. Our hearts have been breaking because Quiznos can't commit to showing farmworkers the respect they deserve.

Quiznos is still holding out against agreeing to the same Fair Food Code of Conduct that the entire Florida tomato industry has already adopted - a code which improves pays, establishes enforceable standards for worker rights and solidifies farmworkers' voice in the decisions which impact their lives. But we're not going to accept Quiznos' feet-dragging any longer. The question to Quiznos is simply: will the fast-casual sub chain help usher in the new era of dignity for farmworkers or will it continue to maintain a status quo of poverty and sweatshops in the tomato fields of Florida?

We made clear which side we're on; we're on the side of farmworkers - some of the nation's poorest and most exploited workers. Pictured here is a Denver Fair Food member being interviews by a reporter from KGNU.

And as the spokesperson from our delegation made clear while delivering dozens of valentines to the lone Quiznos employee on duty that day, if Quiznos does not join the side of justice for farmworkers, we will be intensifying the protests. In fact . . .

We already made plans . . .

Save the dates

Spring Blitz for Farmworker Justice

Friday, March 18th, 12:00noon

Saturday, March 26th, 12:00noon

Thursday, March 31st (Cesar Chavez Day!), 12:00noon

Locations to be announced.

Join us for a month of actions against Quiznos and for farmworkers' human rights!

Action Alert! "Quit breaking our hearts, Quiznos!"

2011-01-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

Come to this Valentine's-themed protest at Quiznos and show your love for farmworkers!!!

Saturday, February 12, 12:00noon
1275 Grant St. (13th & Grant)
the first-ever Quiznos restaurant

For months, Quiznos has promised that it would soon be joining in agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve the wages and working conditions of farmworkers who pick tomatoes bought by the company. But the Denver-based fast food chain continues to drag its feet, delaying the dreams of thousands of farmworkers for dignity and justice, and that's breaking our hearts!

Join Denver Fair Food and the Student/Farmworker Alliance to demand that Quiznos make Fair Food a reality!

BACKGROUND:
Florida farmworkers who pick tomatoes are among the nation's most exploited workers: they earn sub-poverty wages, have no right to form unions or to over-time pay, lack traditional employment benefits such as health, sick leave or pensions, and have not received a significant raise in nearly 30 years. At the current rate, a Florida tomato picker must harvest over TWO TONS just to earn the equivalent of minimum wage for a typical 10 hour. In the most extreme situations workers are held in modern-day slavery and forced to work against their will.

In 2001, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers - a grassroots organization of migrant farmworkers based in Florida - and their allies launched the Campaign for Fair Food, calling on retail food industry leaders to address the egregious working conditions and poverty stemming from these companies' high-volume/low-cost purchasing practices. As a result, the CIW has reached historic agreements with McDonald's, Burger King, Subway and others to directly improve farmworker wages and working conditions and set new standards for social responsibility in Florida agriculture.

Despite these breakthroughs, Quiznos - who profits from the exploitation of farmworkers due to the sheer volume of its tomato purchases - has yet to take responsibility. While there has been discussions with the CIW, those talks continue to drag on because Quiznos won't agree to the same Fair Food Code of Conduct that the entire Florida tomato industry has already adopted. Visit ciw-online.org for more info.

Denver Fair Food Poker Night! (and Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament!)

2011-01-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 5th, 6:00pm
at 6th Avenue United Church of Christ
3250 E. 6th Avenue (6th & Adams)

$10 buy-in
Opportunities to buy in throughout the night!
Winner will receive a cash prize!

This will be a fun, laid-back environment to learn if you've never played poker.

SPECIAL: Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament at 8:00pm for a chance to win a new Ipod Touch!

Refreshments will be available!

Proceeds will go to Denver Fair Food, a community network working in solidarity with farmworkers to fight for fair wages and human rights in the fields.
-------------------
And join us at the Quiznos Action on Saturday, February 12th, 12noon at 13th & Grant outside the first-ever Quiznos. Show your love for farmworker justice and tell Quiznos to stop breaking our hearts!

Two great blog posts untangle Chipotle's spin

2011-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

The people at Change.org have been writing some great stuff about the Campaign for Fair Food. Here are a couple great posts about Chipotle's ongoing stubborn refusal to show farmworkers the respect they deserve. Both the posts respond directly to Chipotle's misleading claims that it has already solved the 'farmworker problem.' These posts are from a couple months ago but we thought we'd post them now to remind Chipotle that the company is by no means off the hook.

While you're at it, sign the Change.org petition demanding that Chipotle sign a Fair Food agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, and let Chipotle know that you're not fooled by their PR spin.

And stay tuned for more news about Chipotle's unpleasant relationship with immigrant workers...

Is Chipotle Still Profiting from Modern-Day Slavery?
by Kristen Ridley November 08, 2010

Chipotle is something of a beacon in the world of fast food. The company has gone out of its way to source humane, non-factory-farmed meat and an ever-increasing percentage of organic beans and produce. This commitment to sustainability has helped make Chipotle one of the world's fastest-growing restaurant chains, but unfortunately it seems that the commitment does not extend to the workers who plant and pick the Mexican restaurant's food.

As Change.org editor Sarah Parsons wrote last month, modern-day agricultural slavery is unfortunately alive and well. Conditions for the workers who pick our food are bad enough given the lack of labor protections and overtime pay, but in the most extreme cases, the workers are actual slaves. They are kept in debt and controlled with sexual and physical violence, along with the ever-present threat of deportation. In September, federal prosecutors announced forced labor indictments in what the FBI is calling the "largest human trafficking case ever charged in U.S. history."

At least 400 Thai workers were lured here with the promise of guest worker visas, only to have their passports stolen and be forced to work without pay once they arrived. It is the ninth time Florida producers have been implicated since 1997. The Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers labor organization (CIW) has an amazing track record in fighting these kinds of abuses. The non-profit has gotten nearly every major fast food chain — except Chipotle — to sign accountability agreements with the CIW as part of its Campaign for Fair Food.

Restaurants agree to prioritize and reward producers who meet the CIW's standards and code of conduct by paying a penny more per pound of produce. CIW has now turned its sights to supermarkets and food service companies and has already won some big victories on that front. The CIW has earned praise from human rights organizations the world over, and even from the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

In light of Chipotle's stated philosophy of "Food With Integrity," Chipotle's continued refusal to join with the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food, or indeed even to meet with the non-profit, is appalling, not to mention bewildering. Chipotle has tried every tactic from silence to shams to avoid the CIW. Most recently, the company decided to take a go-it-alone approach, claiming that it agreed to the penny-per-pound increase and reviews of labor standards.

News outlets ran with the story and helped Chipotle crow its efforts, but the CIW immediately criticized the plan as lacking any transparency or true accountability, as well as disallowing the workers themselves to have any voice in the process.

It's time for Chipotle to stop the spin and the evasion and live up to its motto of "Food With Integrity."

Sign our petition telling the company so. While you're at it, add your voice to the campaign to get Trader Joe's to sign an agreement with the CIW. It's about time the companies that take advantage of a sustainable reputation actually follow through with their ideals.

Tell Chipotle to Sign Anti-Slavery Agreement - Sign the Petition

Don't Fall For Chipotle's Spin on Slavery
by Kristen Ridley November 11, 2010

I wrote about Chipotle's refusal to meet with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and sign on to the organization's Campaign for Fair Food. The campaign fights farm worker exploitation, and several major fast food chains have already joined the Fair Food Fight. More than 100 Change.org members signed our petition asking Chipotle to sign on to CIW's Campaign for Fair Food, and many were confused by the response we received back from the Mexican restaurant. The response read in part:

"When Chipotle signed an agreement with East Coast Growers last year to improve wages and working conditions for farm workers who pick our tomatoes, it was an important step toward getting tomato growers to take action on this issue. Today, all of the tomatoes we use in our restaurants come from growers who have signed on with the CIW and its Campaign for Fair Food to ensure better wages and working conditions for farm workers."

This is the latest way in which Chipotle has justified refusing to sign a Fair Food agreement or even have a discussion with the CIW, the nation's most preeminent force battling agricultural slavery and exploitation in the United States. But the CIW immediately blasted these claims as mere spin when Chipotle first started spewing this rubbish. The CIW's Gerardo Reyes and Sean Sellars wrote for Grist and detailed why Chipotle's response just isn't good enough.

While it's heartening that Chipotle, after years of silence and stalling, has finally acknowledged that working conditions for farmers need to improve, the policies that the restaurant touts do not represent real change. There is absolutely no accountability or transparency in the company's plan. Chipotle currently decides for itself what standards growers need to meet and whether they are meeting them. No one is checking up on Chipotle — consumers just have to take the company's word for it. And as Reyes points out, farm workers still "have no role in Chipotle's plan."

Chipotle's claiming sole credit for the East Coast Growers' decision to improve working conditions and institute a penny-per-pound wage increase is particularly bile-inducing. Several parties were involved in the negotiations that led to that decision, but it's clear that Chipotle played a very, very small role. At the time of the East Coast Growers' decision, Chipotle had just 830 stores. Compare that with the 65,000 stores that were bound by agreements with the CIW, and we begin to see who really had the bargaining power. Chipotle is trying to take credit for the hard work of the CIW and its Campaign for Fair Food, the very campaign that the restaurant refuses to join. It's despicable, and I honestly expect better from a company that claims to have a high regard for integrity.

Many before have been fooled by Chipotle's spin on this issue, but now you know what's up. Sign our petition telling Chipotle to stop the games and the PR-speak and sign on to the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food.

Tell Chipotle to Sign Anti-Slavery Agreement - Sign the Petition

New Year's Action

2011-01-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, a small group of Fair Food activists marked the New Year with a spirited picket outside Quiznos' flagship store and under the gaze of Quiznos' corporate headquarters.

With our protest, we were writing a New Year's Resolution for the sub sandwich giant: This year, and sooner rather than later, Quiznos will place its massive purchasing power behind the principles of Fair Food in order to put an end to the human rights crisis occuring in Florida's tomato industry. And to see to it that Quiznos fulfill this resolution, we made a resolution of our own...
Our campaign will escalate, our actions will intensify, our voices will become louder and angrier, our determination will harden, our power will grow...
Until Quiznos resolves to support the new dawn of human rights in Florida agriculture, we resolve that actions like the small one last Monday will increase in size and frequency and veracity.

Dignity, respect, control over one's own destiny, freedom from poverty, slavery and abuse - farmworkers have never been closer to seeing these fundamental rights become a reality. This reality is too important to be compromised or delayed. The road ahead is clear, Quiznos.

Make ending Modern-day Slavery Quiznos New Year's Resolution

2010-12-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Make ending Modern-day Slavery Quiznos New Year's Resolution...

By making OUR New Year's Resolution to intensify our actions!

WHAT: Protest & Rally in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers

WHEN: Monday, January 3, 11:30-1:00pm

WHERE: Outside Quiznos Corporate Headquarters - 1001 17th St.
(17th & Curtis, downtown Denver)

For months, Quiznos has promised that it would soon be joining in agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve the wages and working conditions of farmworkers who pick tomatoes bought by the company. It is time to hold Quiznos to its word. Our New Year's Resolution is to escalate the campaign against Quiznos until the sub shop resolves to end human rights abuses in its supply chain.

Join Denver Fair Food and the Student/Farmworker Alliance to demand that Quiznos make Fair Food a reality!

BACKGROUND:
Florida farmworkers who pick tomatoes are among the nation's most exploited workers: they earn sub-poverty wages, have no right to form unions or to over-time pay, lack traditional employment benefits such as health, sick leave or pensions, and have not received a significant raise in nearly 30 years. At the current rate, a Florida tomato picker must harvest over TWO TONS just to earn the equivalent of minimum wage for a typical 10 hour. In the most extreme situations workers are held in modern-day slavery and forced to work against their will.

In 2001, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers - a grassroots organization of migrant farmworkers based in Florida - and their allies launched the Campaign for Fair Food, calling on retail food industry leaders to address the egregious working conditions and poverty stemming from these companies' high-volume/low-cost purchasing practices. As a result, the CIW has reached historic agreements with McDonald's, Burger King, Subway and others to directly improve farmworker wages and working conditions and set new standards for social responsibility in Florida agriculture.

Despite these breakthroughs, Quiznos - who profits from the exploitation of farmworkers due to the sheer volume of its tomato purchases - has yet to take responsibility. While there has been discussions with the CIW, those talks continue to drag on because Quiznos won't agree to the same Fair Food Code of Conduct that the entire Florida tomato industry has already adopted. Visit ciw-online.org for more info.

Two blog posts about our October Quiznos action

2010-12-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

Our last action outside Quiznos corporate headquarters may have been a couple of months ago but we still wanted to share some of the great coverage it got. So here are two blog posts written by folks at Change.org.

First off there was this great peice by Amanda Kloer:

Students Protest Quiznos' Unfair Food with Britney Spears Flash Mob
Here's an excerpt:

Move over, Glee cast — you're being overshadowed by farm workers' rights advocates. The Student/Farmworker Alliance recently choreographed their own Britney Spears song and dance number to rival the ones on Glee. But instead of being executed by a team of television stars, this one was done guerrilla style by a sidewalk flash mob outside Quiznos headquarters in Denver, Colorado. You can dance to Britney in spirit by signing the petition to tell Quiznos to be bold and stand for slave-free food. [Read more]

And secondly is another excellent post by Gabriela Garcia:
Even Britney Spears Can’t Convince Quiznos to Quit Accepting Farm Worker Exploitation
which features this great quote from Denver Fair Food member Robert McGoey:

"The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is leading a transformation of Florida agriculture from an old system which brutally exploited farm workers to a new paradigm which values and upholds the human rights of workers,” Robert McGoey of Denver Fair Food says. “As a major buyer of tomatoes, Quiznos' purchasing power can either advance this transformation or can hold it back — thus delaying the hopes and dreams of thousands of farm workers.” [Read more]

According to the Change.org webpage each of these articles has been read by thousands of people!

And there have been hundreds of people who have contacted Quiznos to call on the company to ensure fair wages and human rights for farmworkers! You too can send an email to Quiznos by clicking here:
Tell Quiznos to Be Bold and Say No to Slave-Picked Produce

Action Alert! Tell Quiznos: Now is the time for Fair Food!

2010-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Take 30 seconds to send an email to Quiznos executives demanding that the company support fair wages and human rights for farmworkers:
Sign the petition here!

With the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange announcing a landmark agreement to extend the CIW's Fair Food principles to over 90% of the Florida tomato industry, the future of fair wages and dignified working conditions for farmworkers is just over the horizon.

However Quiznos continues to stall instead of joining the efforts of the CIW to end sweatshop conditions, sub-poverty wages and modern-day slavery in Florida's tomato fields. Quiznos' stalling is delaying progress toward the more just food industry for which farmworkers have been fighting for so long.

Tell Quiznos that NOW IS THE TIME FOR FAIR FOOD!
Send an email to Quiznos by clicking here!

national Supermarket Week of Action: Denver represents!

2010-11-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Supermarket Week of Action saw more than 30 actions happen around the country.

With the CIW and the FTGE announcing a landmark agreement to extend the CIW's Fair Food principles to over 90% of the Florida tomato industry, the Harvest of Shame is nearing an end. As we turn the page on this chapter of Florida agricultural history, however, much work remains. The supermarket industry is now the only impediment to a future of fair wages and dignified treatment for farmworkers.

Check out the full multimedia report from the Week of Action on the Student/Farmworker site by clicking below:

And we wanted to also share our Week of Action Photos from Denver. Denver hosted several actions during the week. One unidentified group linked the purchasing practices of Kroger-owned King Soopers with the harsh reality of continued exploitation in the fields with this rather blunt (and very bad-ass) banner drop:

...while at the same time members of Denver Fair Food employed a slightly different tactic by delivering a letter to King Soopers' headquarters. (So let us get this straight: King Soopers is "Colorado's homegrown grocery store" despite being one of dozens of brands owned by Cincinnati-based corporate behemoth Kroger? Hmm...)

Unfortunately, no one from King Soopers was willing to meet with us. But we're undaunted, knowing that King Soopers and Kroger's other brands will be further bomdarded with the message of the Campaign for Fair Food until they finally decide to behave in a socially responsible way.

Elsewhere, other Denver Fair Food members took the message straight to King Soopers' customer - customers were eager to learn the truth behind their produce and to sign postcards calling on Kroger to work with the CIW.

We'd also like to do a shout out to our compas in the Río Grande Valley who reminded Denver-based Quiznos that the sub franchise isn't off the hook, dropping off a manager letter at their local Quiznos restaurant. Indeed the campaign against Quiznos is only growing and spreading for across the nation. And Quiznos can be sure they'll be hearing from us in Denver again soon!

Finally we'll end with this message to the supermarket industry from the Student/Farmworker Alliance:

Farmworkers & consumers to supermarkets: "The world is changing; When will you?"
The CIW's agreement with the FTGE — fruit of 15 years of struggle by farmworkers and their allies — is a landmark moment in the history of agriculture in the US. (Don't miss the media round-up below from coverage of the agreement and Week of Action.)

But the Campaign for Fair Food is far from over. The onus is now clearly on supermarket chains such as Publix, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Giant, Walmart and Trader Joe's to step up and support the higher standards and more fair wages represented by the CIW/FTGE accord with their significant purchasing power. And if the past is any guide, it will ultimately be the organized voice of conscious consumers — taking action alongside Immokalee's farmworkers — that will finally bring the supermarket industry to the table.

Thanks to the hard work of farmworkers in Immokalee, thousands of farmworker allies across the country, nine major food corporations, and, now, almost the entire Florida tomato industry, it's never been easier to support human rights in Florida's fields.

The refusal on the part of supermarket industry leaders to participate in these changes is as indefensible as it is inexplicable.

With every additional retailer that participates, the wage increase and the support for fair standards will grow. Whether or not Publix, Stop & Shop, Kroger and other industry leaders participate makes a real difference in whether or not the men and women who work 10-14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week to harvest this country's food must continue to make the choice between paying rent or buying food; between seeking medical care for workplace injuries or losing their jobs; between supporting their families and having their dignity violated.

Publix, Ahold, Kroger: What side of history will you be on? Will you throw your weight behind the changes underway in Florida's fields today, or will you continue to stand, arms crossed, blocking the path to progress?

One thing's for certain, consumers and farmworker allies will have their say. Save the Date and get ready to join us in the Boston area February 27 and in Tampa on March 5, 2011, as we will make it plain that it's time for Ahold and Publix to be a part of the solution to the Harvest of Shame that has gone on for far too long.

"Harvest of Shame" Revisited - 50 years later

2010-11-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

The original "Harvest of Shame" was broadcast on the day after Thanksgiving, 1960. Fifty years later, CBS Evening News returned to Immokalee to revisit Florida's fields and, thanks to the recent advances in the Campaign for Fair Food, found reason for hope. Check out the video above, and then click here to see excerpts from the original documentary.

And when you're done, just take a moment to consider the inexplicable -- some might say infuriating -- refusal of companies like Publix, Ahold, and Kroger to support the process of change that is underway today in Florida's fields.

While the harvest itself may no longer be as shameful as it was when Edward R. Murrow first brought farm labor exploitation to the consciousness of the nation fifty years ago, the attitude of the major supermarket companies certainly is. And, ultimately, it is their attitude that will either hold this movement back -- and so hold farmworkers in continuing and unpardonable poverty and degradation -- or allow justice to truly flourish, and make real the dreams of farmworkers and Fair Food activists across the country of an agricultural industry where workers are paid a fair wage and treated with dignity.

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks for the huge steps forward this campaign has taken over the past year, and for the hope that progress gives us that, one day, those men and women who run our country's giant supermarket chains will find their way to doing the right thing by those people whose undervalued labor has built their riches for so very long.

But until they do, we will continue to fight for fundamental human rights in Florida's tomato fields. And you can join us -- click here for more on the CIW's Supermarket Campaign and plans for the big actions in Boston and Tampa this coming spring.

Super Market Week of Action

2010-11-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

This week of November 14-21 take action in the national Supermarket Week of Action.

There are several important ways you can participate:

1. The supermarket e-action: click here to send an email to King Sooper's parent company Kroger.

2. Manager letter drops: deliver a letter to the manager of your local King Sooper's and take a minute to tell the manager that, as one of Kroger's customers, you expect Kroger to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to end the human rights crisis in Florida's fields.
Download the manager letter here.

3. Fliering: join us as we flier King Sooper's customers
Saturday, October 20, 11:00am
gather at the AFSC office (901 W. 14th Avenue)

Finally, check out this great video and help spread the word about the new Supermarket Campaign:

With the recent historic agreements between the CIW and leading tomato growers, the vision of a more just and humane agricultural system is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

There's no doubt that change is underway. But the rate, breadth, and depth of that change depends now more than ever on the buyers of Florida produce — from Publix to Ahold, Kroger to Trader Joe's, Quiznos, and Walmart.

In the lead-up to Thanksgiving - one of the busiest times of the year for this country's supermarkets - you can do your part to help speed the day when all of Florida's farmworkers enjoy the fair wages, respect and dignity they deserve.

No Coast Encuentro a smashing success!

2010-11-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

The No Coast Encuentro was a smashing success! Throughout the weekend of October 15-17, we gathered with allies from New Mexico, Kansas, Illinois and elsewhere. In those hectic three days, we formed new bonds with new friends from Boulder to Immokalee, renewed our committment to the Campaign for Fair Food, set a course for future action. (Unfortunately, one thing we failed to do was take many photos but here a few . . .)
This photo was taken literally miliseconds before the pinata from our Saturday party was decimated and its sweet contents were released for the partygoers' enjoyment. The poor tomato pinata may serve as a good analogy for what is coming to those companies - such as Quiznos, Kroger and Chipotle - which continue to hold out against the Campaign for Fair Food and the rising tide of justice in Florida's fields.

During the weekend, not only did we lead a powerful action outside Quiznos headquarters (see the photoreport here and the video here), we sharpened our organizing skills, shared ideas for future action and strategized around the next steps in the Campaign. Pictured above is a partial list of the many goals and committments that Encuentro participants made as we rapped up the Encuentro and head backed to our communities. Just like our sad paper mache friend, the corporate holdout are in for a beating.

More than anything the Encuentro was an opportunity for people to get involved, to strengthen our movement and to build connections between the many communities fighting for Fair Food. This picture, the closest we have to a group photo, represents just a fraction of the well-over a hundred people who picketed, learned, shared, partied, cooked, strategized and otherwise contributed to the No Coast Encuentro.

Thanks to everyone who made the No Coast Enucentro a huge success!

Music Video! "Quiznos your stalling is killing me!"

2010-11-01T13:12:00.001-07:00

This is hot!!! As promised, here is the music video from the Oct. 15 "Quit stalling, Quiznos" flashmob and protest.

Check out the video on youtube or view it below.

Share with all your friends!

See our photoreport from the action as well: "Quiznos, the world is changing!!! When will you?"

And read the article from the Westword blog: "Denver Fair Food and Coalition of Immokalee Workers target Quiznos"

"Quiznos, the world is changing!!! When will you?"

2010-10-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

During the morning preparations for our action outside Quiznos headquarters last Friday, Gerardo Reyes Chavez (on the left) from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers quickly scrawled a sign reading "Quiznos!!! The World is changing. When will you?" His words cut to the significance of the current moment in the Campaign for Fair Food and the urgency of the need for Quiznos to join the potential tidal shift in farm labor relations in Florida (and beyond) which the moment represents.

Just last week, the CIW and Pacific Tomato Growers, one of the nation's largest tomato growers, announced a milestone agreement embodying the principles of fair wages, human rights and a voice for farmworkers for which the CIW has been fighting for so long. The agreement represents the first direct relationship between a grower and the grassroots, worker-led Coalition. Such a relationship would have been unimaginable just a couple years ago and is a profound break with literally hundreds of years of history during which farm owners have viewed farmworkers as little more than "machines in the fields."

Nonetheless, as Lucas Benitez of the CIW stated at the announcement of the agreement, "As we turn the page on this new chapter in Florida agricultural history, however, I do want to make one thing crystal clear. We are not today claiming that we have achieved the changes sought by the Campaign for Fair Food. Rather, we are announcing that we have forged a plan of action that gives us a realistic chance to bring about those changes."

The vision of a more just and humane agricultural system is teetering on the edge of becoming a reality. As a major buyer of tomatoes, Quzinos' purchasing power can contribute to pushing this reality into being or can serve to hold it back, delaying the hopes of thousands of farmworkers. With Pacific - in addition to the other leading Florida grower East Coast, two of the largest organic tomato producers, all Quiznos' leading fast food competitors, and the food service industry - now solidly behind the CIW's plan of action, there can be no acceptable excuses for Quiznos' failure to join the emerging Fair Food concensus. Justice delayed is justice denied, and unless Quiznos works with the CIW, it is supporting the intolerable status quo which is the human rights crisis in Florida agriculture.

"Quit Stalling, Quiznos!" Photoreport from the Action
With this dramatic background, a rowdy crowd - including not only a broad spectrum from clergy to students of the Denver community, but also our Fair Food companer@s from around Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Illinois and as far away as New York and Florida - convened on Quiznos headquarters. We had a simple message: Quzinos must quit stalling!

Never content with your average protest, the Fair Food activists kicked things off with a song and dance routine to the tune of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" to delivery our message.

"Quiznos, your stalling . . . is killing me (and I), I must confess I still believe (still believe) working conditions must be in line with human riiiiiighhhttts! This agreement you must sign!"
View the music video here, but beware, 'cause it'll get stuck in your head.

After a few inspiring words from Gerardo Reyes, we began a lively picket. Meanwhile, a delegation went upstairs to Quiznos headquarters . . .

. . . to deliver a set of jumper cables to the sandwich franchise. In May, Quiznos promised us that it was pursuing an agreement with the CIW. Quiznos' words have rung hollow as the months have passed and there has been no progress on its part. We brought the cables as a gift to help Quiznos quit stalling and start moving in the right direction again.

To our dissapointment, no one from Quiznos was willing or able to meet us and accept our gift. Eventually, a senior vice president got on the phone and spoke with Rudy Cortinas, national co-coordinator of the Student/Farmworker Alliance. But not only was the VP unwilling to meet with us in person, he refused to so much as listen over the phone to Gerardo Reyes from the CIW. And instead of affirming the importance of a partnership with farmworkers in the protection of human rights in Quiznos supply chain, he regurgitated tired explanations about how the company was taking its own steps to address the issue. The cold shoulder we received at Quiznos headquarters is a big departure from the respect for workers in its supply chain that Quiznos claims to embrace.

Gerardo closed things up by rallying the crowd to continue the struggle and indeed re-double our efforts to bring Quiznos to the table. Everyone present may have been frustrated having been snubbed by Quiznos, but we left more determined than ever to bring about justice for farmworkers in Quiznos' supply chain.

PROTESTERS DEMAND FAIR FOOD AT QUIZNOS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

2010-10-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here's our press release for the action on Friday. If you're from the press, get in touch with us at DenverFairFood@gmail.com. Hope to see everyone there!

Concerned consumers from across the country tell Quiznos to "Quit Stalling!" on Farmworker Rights

DENVER – On Friday, October 15th, community members and consumers from Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Illinois, New York, Florida and elsewhere will convene in Downtown Denver at Quiznos national headquarters to urge the restaurant franchise to reach an agreement with Farmworkers which would substantively improve working conditions and wages in Florida’s tomato fields. The festive protest - composed of students, people of faith and community organizations such as Denver Fair Food and Student Farmworker Alliance - will include a musical act and dance number to the tune of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" as well as original Street Theater. The rally is part of the ongoing national Campaign for Fair Food led by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a Farmworker led organization from Immokalee, Florida. Gerardo Reyes Chavez, a farmworker and member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, will address the crowd.

"Our discussions with Quiznos have dragged on. Farmworkers cannot wait for our rights - for fair wages, dignity and freedom from forced labor - and we will continue to make progress toward a more modern and humane agricultural industry. Quiznos should stop holding out and join us on this mission as other companies have," says Reyes Chavez.

In May, representatives from Quiznos made statements publicly and on their website that they were pursuing an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. During a delegation to their headquarters, a Quiznos representative was recorded by local activists saying, "We're looking forward to having an agreement and I'm glad we've already made a significant amount of headway with it." (See video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MZC_gwMN2I.) Today, Quiznos has not moved any closer to signing an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, and Farmworkers and their supporters have grown impatient as the months have passed. Already nine other food corporations, including McDonald's, Burger King and Subway, have signed agreements and are collaborating with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Mike Truswell of Denver Fair Food states: "Only by working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers can Quiznos ensure that the human rights of the workers who pick its tomatoes are respected. We will intensify our call for justice until the values which Quiznos says it supports become concrete commitments in the form of a partnership with farmworkers and real changes in the fields."

"Words are not enough. It's time for Quiznos to quit stalling and start acting to end the poverty and sweatshop conditions which farmworkers face," adds Jordan Garcia from the American Friends Service Committee, Colorado office.

Who: Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), Denver Fair Food, Student Farmworker Alliance, concerned consumers from across the country.
What: Protest and Rally for Farmworker Rights: Dance routine and street theater, colorful signs, picketing, chanting and speech by Farmworker leader.
When: Friday, October 15th, 11:30am-1:00pm
Where: 1001 17th Street, Denver

For more information: DenverFairFood.blogspot.com or http://www.ciw-online.org/

Background:

Florida’s Farmworkers - who work for suppliers of the fast-food industry - face sweatshop conditions every day in the fields, including:

• Sub-poverty wages (tomato pickers earn roughly $10,000/year, according to the USDOL)
• No raise in nearly 30 years (pickers are paid virtually the same per bucket piece rate today as in 1980 - at the going rate of 40 to 50 cents per 32-lb bucket, workers must pick more than TWO TONS of tomatoes just to earn about $50 in a day)
• The denial of fundamental labor rights (no right to overtime pay nor right to organize)

In the most extreme cases, workers face actual conditions of modern-day slavery. Federal civil rights officials have successfully prosecuted seven slavery operations - involving over 1,000 workers - in Florida's fields since 1997. Two more prosecutions are currently underway.

In 2005, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers resolved a four-year, nationwide boycott against Taco Bell when the fast-food leader and its parent company, Yum Brands, agreed to pay a premium for its tomatoes to directly improve workers’ sub-poverty wages and to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to address the labor abuses endemic to Florida agriculture. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has reached similar agreements with McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Whole Foods and the four leading food service corporations.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers' groundbreaking work has been recognized by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Human Rights Center, Anti-Slavery International, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Business Ethics Network, among others. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has received extensive national and international media coverage since 2001.

##END##

No Coast Encuentro: Friday and Saturday night entertainment!

2010-10-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

The No Coast Encuentro is less than two weeks away! In addition to the powerful action happening Friday, October 15 at 11:30 at Quiznos HQ and the amazing workshops, discussions and strategy sessions happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there is great entertainment happening both Friday and Saturday night.

Register online and find all the details at here!

1) The Demarest Factor: US Military Mapping of Indigenous Communities in Oaxaca, Mexico - Film premiere and presentation by Simon Sedillo
Friday, October 15th, 7:00pm
Auraria Campus, North Classroom 1535
(near Speer and Larimer)

2) Dance Party and Celebration!
Saturday, October 16th, 9:00pm
Flobots Community Space
2705 Larimer St.

Join us for all or part of the Encuentro! See the full schedule here!

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1) The Demarest Factor: US Military Mapping of Indigenous Communities in Oaxaca, Mexico - Film premiere and presentation by Simon Sedillo

Friday, October 15th, 7:00pm
Auraria Campus, North Classroom 1535 [Map]
(near Speer and Larimer)

This film and workshop presentation discusses a recent investigation into US military mapping of communally owned indigenous land in Oaxaca, Mexico. Kansas University geography professors presented the mapping project to indigenous communities as a participatory research project intended to benefit the communities ability to manage their resources and territory. The involvement of the US Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) based out of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and a US Army School of the America’s graduate, Lt. Col. Geoffrey B. Demarest, raised serious suspicions about the true nature of the mapping project known as “The Bowman Expeditions” or “Mexico Indigena”. This film will discuss parallels between US political and economic interests within the North American Free Trade Agreement, and a US military strategy to secure those very interests.

Simón Sedillo is a community rights defense organizer and film maker. He has spent the last 8 years documenting, producing and teaching community based video documentation in Mexico and the US. Through lectures, workshops, and short films, Sedillo breaks down the effects of neoliberalism, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and militarism on indigenous communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color in the US and Mexico. Through collaborative media projects, Sedillo’s work has contributed to a growing network of communities whose primary objective is to share, teach, and learn from one another, about community based media production and the collective construction of horizontal networks of community rights defense. Sedillo is also an active member of the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the America’s, at Fort Benning, in Columbus, GA. You can find him at the gates of the U.S. Army base every November along with the folks from The School of the America’s Watch at http://www.soaw.org/.

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2) Dance Party and Celebration!

Saturday, October 16th, 9:00pm
Flobots Community Space
2705 Larimer St. [Map]

Music, snacks, beer - there may even be a pinata! This night is going to be fun! Be prepared to dance. FREE of charge, everyone is welcome!

After a long couple days from the Encuentro, this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our victories and future struggles!

No Coast Encuentro Schedule!

2010-09-27T13:25:00.001-07:00

Denver Fair Food is proud to share with you the schedule for the No Coast Encuentro.

It's going to be an exciting and busy weekend! Join us for a powerful action outside Quiznos HQ, discussions with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the premiere of Mano Vuelta's new film, a racous dance party, making history as we plan the next steps in the Campaign for Fair Food and more!

Register online today: registration form! (en español)

Friday, October 15th
Auraria Campus, North Classroom 1535 [map] except the protest

8am-11am Action preparation
11:30am-1pm "Quit stalling, Quiznos" Protest @ Quizno’s National HQ (17th & Arapahoe) [map]
3pm -4pm Opening Ceremony - Intros, Acuerdos & Logistics
4pm-5pm "From the People, For the People," a discusion with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
5pm-6pm A Participatory History of the Campaign for Fair Food
6pm-7pm DINNER
7pm-9:30 "The Demarest Factor: US Military Mapping of Indigenous Communities in Oaxaca, Mexico" Presentation and Film Premiere by Simon Sedillo

Saturday, October 16th
Tivoli Student Union, room 440-540 [map] except party

8:30am-9:30am BREAKFAST
9am-11am Solidarity, Anti-Oppression, and Allyship
11:15am-12:15pm The Student/Farmworker Alliance 101: Who we are, how we roll
12:15pm-1:15pm LUNCH
1:15pm-2:45pm Regional Updates and Developement
3pm-5pm Supermarket Campaign Strategizing
5pm-6pm DINNER
9pm-?am PARTY @ the Flobots.org community space (27th st & Larmier) [map]

Sunday, October 17th
Auraria Campus, North Classroom 1535 [map]

8:30am-9:am BREAKFAST
9am-10am Quiznos and Chipotle Campaigns Update & Strategizing
10am-11am Break-out Workshops on Media Skillz, Popular Education, Organizing Tools, and others
11am-Noon Bringing It All Toghether: making concrete commitments

Slavery in your salsa? To establish ‘integrity,’ Chipotle Grill needs to stand against farmworker abuse

2010-09-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Another great article by our friend Sean Sellers looking at what he rightly calls Chipotle's "reckless disregard" for its supply chain...

From Grist.org

Chipotle Mexican Grill's public image hinges on its claim to serving "Food With Integrity" -- a campaign that has made it one of the most successful and lucrative chain restaurants in the United States. The "integrity" slogan implies not only high standards for ecological sustainability and animal welfare, but also a deep regard for social justice. You might think that such a company would be at the forefront of efforts to rid the U.S. food system of exploitative working conditions and outright slavery. Yet while Chipotle has instituted bold policies to promote animal welfare in its supply chain as well as to bolster sustainability, it has refused to throw its full weight behind the movement to end forced labor in our agricultural fields.

The situation draws little public attention, but nearly a century and a half after the end of the Civil War, slavery remains a lingering phenomenon in the U.S. Last week in Honolulu, federal prosecutors indicted six people for their role in a massive, multi-state labor trafficking ring. In total, more than 400 farmworkers from Thailand were brought into the U.S. on "guestworker" visas and then held in servitude on farms in 13 states from Hawaii to Florida. Workers' passports were confiscated, and those who protested their abuse were threatened with deportation.

In July, a similar forced labor operation was uncovered in Florida when three farm labor supervisors were indicted for forcing dozens of Haitian nationals to live in wretched conditions and work for little pay. The abuses on the farm likely included sexual assault as one female worker claimed she was raped by her supervisor.

Incredibly, the Department of Justice has successfully prosecuted seven prior agricultural slavery cases in Florida's fields since 1997. These cases have involved well over one thousand farmworkers and resulted in the conviction of 13 supervisors. The enslaved workers harvested tomatoes, oranges, potatoes, cabbage, peas, beans, and other crops for the state's multi-billion dollar fruit and winter vegetable industry.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a Florida-based farmworker organization, is leading the movement to end modern-day agricultural slavery. They train local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate, uncover, and prosecute existing slavery operations, in addition to working to eliminate the root causes of the problem: farmworkers' structural powerlessness and grinding poverty. Since 2005, the organization has pioneered agreements with nine leading food retailers -- from Whole Foods to Burger King -- to improve farm labor conditions in corporate supply chains. By harnessing the purchasing power of large retail brands, these agreements provide market incentives for Florida tomato growers who respect their workers' human rights and establish market consequences for those who do not. At both the farm and retail levels, the model ensures transparency, verification, and -- crucially -- farmworker participation.

This is where Chipotle Grill comes in. For four years, the company has refused to commit its market influence and symbolic weight to the emerging solution to the abuse and degradation in Florida's agricultural fields. Chipotle has repeatedly spurned the invitation by the CIW to forge an equal partnership and has instead opted for a go-it-alone approach that eschews farmworker participation and transparent oversight. It reads as a public relations response to a human rights crisis.

Chipotle's refusal to work with CIW is particularly puzzling, given the farm worker group's reputation in global human rights circles. For years, this approach has received praise from the world's leading human rights and anti-slavery groups. In June, upon the release of its tenth annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the U.S. State Department also weighed in on the group. In a standing room-only ceremony in Washington D.C., Secretary Hillary Clinton recognized the CIW for its persistence and innovations in the fight against human trafficking. It marked the first time a U.S.-based organization received this distinction.

As Clinton explained, ending slavery "is everyone's responsibility." She rebuked "businesses that knowingly profit or exhibit reckless disregard about their supply chains" and called on business leaders to "speak out and act forcefully." The CIW welcomed Mrs. Clinton's emphasis on corporate accountability.

The burrito chain's impressive growth has earned it the respect of both fast-food industry heavyweights and stock market analysts. Its "Food With Integrity" mission not only taps into an increasingly influential niche consumer market, but it also yields low-cost, high-profile publicity, including last year's tie-in to the DVD release of the acclaimed documentary "Food, Inc." and a starring role for CEO Steve Ells on the upcoming NBC reality series "America's Next Great Restaurant."

Yet, where Chipotle's thriving enterprise intersects with the lives of Florida farmworkers, the company's inaction undermines its claim of integrity. By spurning the CIW, Chipotle Mexican Grill exhibits the exact "reckless disregard" for its supply chain that Clinton criticized in the fight against slavery. And that is a very risky proposition for a company whose fortunes are tied to selling consumers "ethically produced" burritos.

Sean Sellers is a Food and Society Fellow at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and a board member of Just Harvest USA.

"Quit Stalling, Quiznos!" Oct. 15, 11:30am

2010-08-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

-español abajo-
Protest & Rally in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Friday, October 15, 11:30-1:00pm

outside Quiznos corporate headquarters - 1001 17th St.
17th & Curtis, downtown Denver

In May, Quiznos promised that it would soon be joining in agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve the wages and working conditions of farmworkers who pick tomatoes bought by the company. Months have now passed and it is time to hold Quiznos to its word. Until Quiznos' promises become concrete actions, we will intensify our call for justice!

Join the CIW and allies from around country to demand that Quiznos uphold the human rights of farmworkers in its tomato supply chain!

This action will kick off the "No Coast Encuentro," a regional gathering to strategize and network around the Campaign for Fair Food. For more info or to register, contact NoCoastEncuentro@gmail.com or visit DenverFairFood.blogspot.com.

BACKGROUND:
Florida farmworkers who pick tomatoes are among the nation’s most exploited workers: they earn sub-poverty wages, have no right to form unions or to over-time pay, lack traditional employment benefits such as health, sick leave or pensions, and have not received a significant raise in nearly 30 years. At the current rate, a Florida tomato picker must harvest over TWO AND A HALF TONS just to earn the equivalent of minimum wage for a typical 10 hour. In the most extreme situations workers are held in modern-day slavery and forced to work against their will.

In 2001, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers - a grassroots organization of migrant farmworkers based in Florida - and their allies launched the Campaign for Fair Food, calling on retail food industry leaders to address the egregious working conditions and poverty stemming from these companies' high-volume/low-cost purchasing practices. As a result, the CIW has reached historic agreements with McDonald's, Burger King, Subway and others to directly improve farmworker wages and working conditions and set new standards for social responsibility in Florida agriculture.

Despite these breakthroughs, however, Quiznos – who profits from the exploitation of farmworkers due to the sheer volume of its tomato purchases – has yet to take responsibility. While Quiznos has begun discussions with the CIW, those talks continue to drag on without resolution. Visit ciw-online.org for more info.
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"Deje de quedarse estancado, Quiznos!" 15 de Oct., 11:30am

Manifestación y Concentración en solidaridad con la Coalición de los Trabajadores de Immokalee
Viernes, 15 de octubre, 11:30-1:00pm

Afuera de la sede de Quiznos - 1001 17th St.
17th y Curtis, el centro de Denver

En mayo, Quiznos prometió que iba a ponerse de acuerdo con la Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee para mejorar el salario y condiciones del trabajo para los/las trabajadores/as agrícolas, quienes recogen jitomates comprados por la compañía. Han pasado unos meses ya y ahora es el tiempo hacer que Quiznos cumpla su promesa. ¡Hasta que las promesas de Quiznos hagan a ser acciones concretas, intensifiquemos la llamamamiento a la justicia!

¡Júntense con CIW y los aliados de todo el país para exigir que Quiznos defenda los derechos humanos de los/las trabajadores/as agrícolas de su cadena del suministro de jitomates!

Esta acción empezará el “Encuentro Sin Costa,” una reunión regional para hacer estrategia y establecer contactos en la Campaña por Comida Justa. Para más información o para registrarse, póngase en contacto con NoCoastEncuentro@gmail.com o visite a DenverFairFood.blogspot.com.

ORIGEN:
Los/Las trabajadores/as agrícolas de Florida, quienes recogen jitomates, están entre los/las trabajadores/as más explotados/as del país: ganan salarios bajo el nivel de la pobreza, ni tienen derechos para formar sindicatos ni al sueldo por horas extras, faltan beneficios tradicionales del trabajo: como permiso de salud/enfermedad y pensiones, y no han recibido un aumento de sueldo considerable en casi 30 años. En consideración al sueldo corriente, un escogedor de jitomates de Florida tiene que recolectar más que DOS TONELADAS Y MEDIA solo para ganar el equivalente a un salario mínimo por un turno típico de 10 horas. En las condiciones más extremas, trabajadores/as son detenidos/as en condiciones de la esclavitud moderna y son forzados/as a trabajar contra a su voluntad.

En 2001, la Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee – una organización con base comunitaria en Florida de los/las trabajadores/as agrícolas y migrantes – y sus aliados/as lanzaron la Campaña por Comida Justa, instaron a los lideres de la industria de comida de venta a que se ocupen con las condiciones extraordinarias del trabajo y la pobreza que sale de las practicas de comprar de estas compañías de grandes cantidades/ bajo costo. Como resultado, el CIW se ha puesto de acuerdo históricamente con McDonald's, Burger King, Subway y otras para mejorar directamente los salarios y condiciones del trabajo para los/las trabajadores/as agrícolas y establecer normas nuevas para la responsabilidad social en la agricultura de Florida.

Sin embargo, a pesar de este avance, Quiznos – quien saca provecho de la explotación de los/las trabajadores/as agrícolas por la pura cantidad de su adquisición de jitomates – todavía no ha asumido responsabilidad. Quiznos ha empezado discusiones con el CIW, pero estas pláticas siguen durando eternamente sin solución. Visita a ciw-online.org para más información.

A victory for Denver! CIW, Sodexo reach Fair Food agreement!

2010-08-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

In another huge victory in the Campaign for Fair Food, the massive food service provider Sodexo - which contracts with all three of Denver's major college campuses, University of Denver, Regis University and Auraria Campus - has signed an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

We, the people of Denver, should be proud because this is our victory too! Students, both as individuals and members of organizations, from all of Denver's campuses took actions, both big and small, to demand that Sodexo partner with the CIW. The Student Adivisory Committee to the Auraria Board, a student government body composed of representatives from all Auraria's schools, even passed a resolution on the issue which you can read here. We'll give a special shout out to those members of SACAB, UMAS/MEChA de Auraria, the Regis Social Justice Committee, the DU Sustainability Committee, and the UCD Student Government who provided important contributions to this campaign.

Farmworkers continue moving forward toward creating an agricultural industry that does not rely on the exploitation of their labor, and toward a world that does not rely on the exploitation of others. And we are creating that world with them!

Now is the time to redouble our efforts against Denver-based companies such as Quiznos and Chipotle who still give only lip service to the call for human rights and dignity for farmworkers! Now is the time to demand that King Sooper uphold farmworkers' human rights as well!

One final note on Sodexo: just because this campaign is over, and in spite of the statements of Sodexo executives (see below), it does not mean Sodexo is off the hook when it comes to worker rights. Employees of Sodexo in Denver (and around the nation) are organizing for basic protections, decent wages and affordable health care. These workers deserve our support!

Below is the announcement from the CIW explaining the significance of this latest agreement and what's next for the Campaign. Check out the CIW website, ciw-online.org for all the latest news.

Sodexo signs Fair Food agreement with CIW!

Big Three foodservice industry leaders now squarely behind growing movement for Fair Food!...

Saying, "Sodexo is committed to protecting and upholding the rights of all workers, whether employed directly by us or by our business partners and suppliers,” Arlin Wasserman, Sodexo vice president for sustainability and corporate social responsibility, announced today that his company has signed an agreement to work with the CIW to improve wages and working conditions in the fields of its Florida tomato suppliers.

Speaking on behalf of the CIW, Lucas Benitez added:

“We are happy to be working with an industry leader like Sodexo to advance fundamental human rights in Florida’s fields. Social responsibility takes a genuine, sustained engagement with workers and growers on the ground, and a determination to support, with increased business, those growers who agree to comply with the highest standards.”

“Together with Sodexo and our other partners, we are building a system of real accountability, with tangible consequences for growers who fail to protect farm workers’ basic rights,” continued Benitez. “It is our belief that such accountability, with worker input, will be the foundation for lasting improvements in the industry.”

See the joint announcement in its entirety here.

This is very big news for the growing Campaign for Fair Food. The foodservice industry -- the companies that, operating largely behind the scenes, manage cafeterias in the nation's grade schools and universities, hospitals and hotels, government agencies and institutions, and more -- is comprised, almost in its entirety, of its three largest members, Compass, Aramark, and Sodexo. With today's announcement, all three of those companies have now signed Fair Food agreements and will be implementing those agreements in their supply chains this coming season. This marks the conclusion of the Student/Farmworker Alliance's remarkably successful "Dine with Dignity" campaign, a campaign that combined energetic campus activism with smart tactics to bring all three industry leaders to the table in just over one year.

With the four largest fast-food companies -- McDonald's, Yum Brands, Burger King, and Subway -- likewise having signed Fair Food agreements with the CIW, the focus now falls squarely on the supermarket industry. And with the exception of Whole F oods, the natural food leader that signed an agreement with the CIW nearly two years ago, it's time now for the major grocery chains to step up and bring their considerable purchasing power to the plate.

Publix, Ahold, Kroger and WalMart -- which alone sells fully 25% of all food sold in US grocery stores -- all pack a very heavy punch when it comes to their market power in the produce industry. And with great power comes great responsibility -- both for the poverty and brutal working conditions from which they have profited for so many years, and for the work of reforming farm labor conditions in their supply chains that lies ahead.

If the goal of a more modern, more humane Florida tomato industry is to be fully realized, the supermarket giants must do their part.

And so, with today's great news from Sodexo, the Campaign for Fair Food completes its first decade -- with the support of the vast majority of the fast-food and foodservice industries now behind us -- and turns to the supermarket industry. This coming season, the battle for the future of Florida's farmworkers will be joined in the produce aisles of your local grocer.

"No Coast Encuentro"

2010-07-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

-español abajo-
Friday October 15 - Sunday October 17
Auraria Campus, downtown Denver, CO

Encuentro: a gathering, an encounter
The "No Coast Encuentro" is a gathering of activists and allies from throughout the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Southwest, Midwest and beyond who are working in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in the fight for farmworker justice. Happening about 5280 ft. above sea level in the Mile High City, the encuentro is a chance for all those far from either coast to get involved in the Campaign for Fair Food - the growing movement of consumers and farmworkers fighting together to end the human rights abuses occurring in the tomato supply chains of the corporate food industry.

Register Online!

Students and young people, community members, people of faith, labor organizers, food justice activists and concerned consumers - whether new to the cause or a seasoned veteran - all are welcome to participate in the encuentro.

REGISTRATION: Please fill out the registration form which will help us plan for the program, food and housing. There is a $10-$50 sliding-scale registration fee. We wouldn't ask for money if we didn't need it. Partial travel scholarships may possibly be available - please let us know if you have exhausted fundraising options and have a scholarship need.

Click here to register online!

HIGHLIGHTS from the weekend will include:
- Education & Dialogue: The inspiring story of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers; Nuts and bolts of the Campaign for Fair Food; What does solidarity look like?; and more.
- Skill-building Workshops: organizing; popular education; media; and more.
- Action: The encuentro will kick off with a protest outside Quiznos headquarters at 11:30!
- Strategy Sessions: Strategizing how to win campaigns against Kroger supermarkets, Chipotle, Quzinos and other targets.
- Concrete Plans: We'll make concrete plans for action to bring back to our communities, to work together regionally, and to advance the Campaign for Fair Food.
- Movement Building: building relationships, exploring how our struggles interconnect with other struggles for social justice, and partying!

See the full schedule here!

Friday and Saturday night Entertainment!

LOGISTICS

The Encuentro will kick off with an action outside the headquarters of Quiznos at 11:30 on Friday - 1001 17th St. (more info here). Encuentro participants are welcome and encouraged to arrive Thursday night if possible. Please plan on arriving by at least 12noon on Friday and plan on leaving no earlier than 1:00pm on Sunday.

Housing & meals will be available for the entire Encuentro (Thursday evening to mid-day Sunday). Most housing will be gender-neutral floor space. If you need a bed or have other special housing needs, please let us know.

Most of the Encuentro will occur on Auraria Campus in downtown Denver. Transportation to and from the airport can be arranged by contacting us.

What to bring:
- Your energy and your willingness to contribute, be challenged, learn, and have fun.
- Your commitment to take the campaign back to your community. Rather than a general activist conference, the Encuentro is a training & strategy opportunity for folks committed to working on CIW-led campaigns over the next year and beyond.
- Musical instruments, art, poetry; flyers & literature (and merchandise) from other struggles to share; washable bowl, cup and utensils.
- Sleeping bag and pillow (plus sleeping pad if needed), towel and personal items; your registration fee (in cash, check or money order), a bit of spending money for the trip (& for t-shirts).
- Respect for the local people and the spaces at which we stay and meet. Many of the spaces we will be occupying are drug- and alcohol-free and you are expected to abide by such rule. Likewise, while there will no doubt be time and space to party, the main purpose of the gathering is to engage in serious work, not to hang out or "get wasted."

Volunteering: Participants will be expected to help with basic tasks to keep our dishes and meeting spaces clean, our meals coming on time, and the weekend running smoothly overall.

BACKGROUND

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a grassroots organization of immigrant farmworkers from Mexico, Guatemala and Haiti based in Florida which is fighting to end sweatshop-conditions in the agricultural industry. Farmworkers who pick tomatoes in Florida earn sub-poverty wages, are denied fundamental labor rights and perform dangerous, back-breaking work. In the most extreme cases, farmworkers are held and forced to work against their will in situations of modern-day slavery.

Working with a broad alliance of youth activists, people of faith, labor and community groups around the country, the CIW has led successful campaigns against some of largest food corporations in the world including McDonald's, Yum! Brands, Burger King, Subway, Aramark, and Whole Foods. The hard-fought campaigns have resulted in ground-breaking improvements for the workers who pick tomatoes bought by these giant corporations, directly increasing wages, establishing enforceable human rights standards, and providing a voice for workers in the protection of their own rights. This movement of consumers and farmworkers fighting together to end human rights abuses in the tomato supply chains of major food corporations - known as the Campaign for Fair Food - continues to surge forward.

As the Campaign for Fair Food focuses more on the supermarket industry and regional targets, it is more important than ever to redouble our efforts. As regional allies, our organizing is vital to the success of the broader campaign and meeting face-to-face at the encuentro will lay the ground work for that organizing. In addition to planning strategy and sharpening our organizing skills, we hope to provide a space for discussion and reflection about the meaning of solidarity and the nature of our work in light of interlocking systems of oppression.

The "No Coast Encuentro" is a vital opportunity to become stronger as a movement! With your commitment, we know this weekend will serve not only as an inspiration but as a springboard for effective action for social change throughout the next year and beyond! So come on out, whether you're an "old-timer" in the campaign or just beginning to get involved.

Hosted by Denver Fair Food and the Student/Farmworker Alliance
Contact NoCoastEncuentro@gmail.com for more info.
--------------------
El "Encuentro Sin Costa"
Viernes, 15 de octubre – Domingo, 17 de octubre
Campus de Auraria, el centro de Denver, CO

Encuentro: una reunión, una conferencia
El “Encuentro Sin Costa” es una reunión de activistas y aliados/as de las Montañas Rocosas, las Grandes Llanuras, el Suroeste, el Medio Oeste y más lejos, quienes están trabajando en solidaridad con la Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee en la lucha por la justicia para los/las trabajadores/as agrícolas. Sucediendo aproximadamente 5280 pies sobre el nivel del mar en la Ciudad a la Altura de una Milla, el encuentro es una oportunidad para los/las que están lejos/as de cualquier litoral para involucrarse en la Campaña por Comida Justa – el movimiento creciente de consumidores/as y trabajadores/as agrícolas luchando juntos para terminar los abusos en contra de los derechos humanos, los que están ocurriendo en las cadenas del suministro de los jitomates de la industria corporativa de comida.

¡Registrarse en línea!

Estudiantes y personas jovenes, miembros de la comunidad, gente de fe, organizadores/as de trabajadores/as, activistas por la comida justa y consumidores/as preocupados/as – si son nuevos/as a la causa o veteranos/as experimentados/as – todos/as son bienvenidos/as a participar en el encuentro.

REGISTRACIÓN: Por favor, rellene el formulario de registración, lo que nos ayuda en planear el programa, la comida y el alojamiento. Hay un precio para registrar de escala móvil de $10 - $50. No pediríamos dinero si no lo necesitaramos. Es posible que habrá becas para una parte del costo de viajar – por favor, déjenos saber si ha agotado todas sus opciones para recaudar fondos y tiene una necesidad para una beca.

¡Haz clic aquí para registrarse en línea!

Los MEJORES MOMENTOS del fin de semana incluirán:
- Educación y Diálogo: La historia inspirante de la Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee; los aspectos prácticos de la Campaña por Comida Justa; ¿Cómo parece la solidaridad?; y más.
- Talleres para desarrollar sus habilidades: organizando; educación popular; medios de comunicación; y más.
- Acción: ¡El encuentro empezará con una manifestación enfrente de la sede de Quiznos a las 11:30!
- Sesiones sobre la Estrategia: Planificar una estrategia para que salgamos victoriosos en campañas contra los supermercados de Kroger, Chipotle, Quiznos y otros objetivos.
- Planes Concretos: Vamos a hacer planes concretos para acción para llevar a nuestras comunidades, para trabajar juntos en nuestra región, y para avanzar la Campaña por Comida Justa.
- Desarrollo del Movimiento: desarrollando relaciones, explorando como son interconectadas nuestras luchas por la justicia social con otras y ¡festejando!

LOGÍSTICA

El encuentro empezará con una manfiestación afuera de la sede de Quiznos el viernes a las 11:30 – 1001 17th St. (Más detalles serán anunciados). Los participantes del encuentro son bienvenidos y animados a llegar el jueves por la noche, si será posible. Por favor, planee llegar, por lo menos, antes de las 12(mediodía) el viernes y no planeas salir antes de la 1:00pm el domingo.

Alojamiento y comida serán disponibles para todo el encuentro (desde la tarde el jueves hasta mediodía el domingo). La mayoría del alojamiento será espacio del suelo de género-neutral. Si necesita una cama o tiene necesidades especiales en cuanto al alojamiento, por favor, déjenos saber.

La mayoría del encuentro pasará en el Campus de Auraria en el centro de Denver. Si requiere transporte hacia y desde al aeropuerto, lo puede organizar por contactarnos.

Lo que necesita traer:
- Su energía y buena disposición para contribuir, ser desafiado/a, aprender y divirtirse.
- Su compromiso para llevar esa campaña a su comunidad. En vez de ser una conferencia general para la activista, este encuentro es un entrenamiento y oportunidad para la estrategia para los que son comprometidos/as a trabajar en campañas conducidas por la Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee (CIW – según sus siglas en inglés) por el año que viene y pasada a ese año.
- Instrumentos musicales, arte, poesía, folletos y literatura (y mercancías generales) de otras luchas para compartir; plato, vaso y utensilios lavables.
- Saco de dormir y almohada (más un colchón como para camping si sea necesario), toalla y artículos personales; su pago de registración (en efectivo, cheque u ordén de dinero), dinero por los gastos en su viaje (y por playeras).
- Respeto para la gente local y para los lugares en los que quedamos y juntamos. Muchos de los espacios en los que vamos a estar son libres de drogas y alcohol y Ud. es esperado/a a acatar las reglas. También, mientras que habrá sin dudo tiempo y espacio para festejar, el propósito principal de esta reunión es participar en trabajo serio y no pasar tiempo con sus amigos ni emborracharse.

Ser Voluntario/a: Participantes serán esperados ayudar con la tarea básica para mantener nuestros trastes y espacios de reunión limpios, para asegurar que la comida llega a tiempo, y para ayudar en que el fin de semana funciona sin problemas.

ORIGEN

La Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee (CIW) es una organización basada en Florida de base comunitaria de trabajadores/as inmigrantes de México, Guatemala y Haiti, la que está luchando para terminar condiciones de fabricas explotadoras en la industria agrícola. Trabajadores/as agrícolas quienes recogen jitomates en Florida ganan ingresos bajo del nivel de la pobreza, son denegados/as a sus derechos fundamentales como trabajadores/as y cumplen trabajo peligroso y extenuante. En los casos más extremos, los/las trabajadores/as agrícolas son detenidos/as y forzados/as a trabajar contra su voluntad en situaciones de esclavitud moderna.

Trabajando con una alianza diversa de activistas jovenes, personas de fe, y grupos de la comunidad y del trabajo por todo el país, CIW ha conducido campañas exitosas contra unas de las corporaciones de comida más grandes del mundo, incluyendo a McDonald's, Yum! Brands, Burger King, Subway, Aramark y Whole Foods. Como consequencia de estas campañas reñidas hemos visto mejoramientos inovadores para los/las trabajadores/as quienes recogen jitomates comprados por estas corporaciones gigantes, directamente aumentando los salarios, estableciendo criterio, lo que es capaz de obligar, sobre los derechos humanos, y proporcionando una voz para los/las trabajadores/as para proteger sus propios derechos. Este movimiento de consumidores/as y trabajadores/as agrícolas trabajando juntos para terminar los abusos en contra de los derechos humanos en las cadenas del suministro de jitomates de las corporaciones importantes de comida – conocida como la Campaña por Comida Justa – sigue hacia adelante.

Mientras la Campaña por Comida Justa enfoque más en la industria del supermercado y objetivos regionales, es más importante que antes redoblar nuestros esfuerzos. Como aliados/as de la misma región, organizar juntos es vital para el éxito de la campaña más amplia y reunir cara a cara en el encuentro allanará el camino para organizar así. A parte de planear estrategia y agudizar nuestras habilidades para organizar, esperamos proveer un espacio para la discusión y la reflexión sobre el significado de solidaridad y la clase de nuestro trabajo en cuanto a los sistemas interconectados de opresión.

¡El Encuentro “Sin Costa” es una oportunidad vital para hacerse a ser un movimiento más fuerte! Con su compromiso, sabemos que este fin de semana servirá no solo como una inspiración, pero también como un trampolín para acción eficaz en cuanto al cambio social por el año que viene y ¡pasada a ese año! Entonces, que venga, sin importancia si sea “abuelo/a” en la campaña o acabe de empezar a involucrarse.

Presentado por la Comida Justa de Denver y la Alianza de Estudiantes y Trabajadores Agrícolas
Ponerse en contacto con NoCoastEncuentro@gmail.com para más información.

Action Alert! Stop "Secure Communities"!

2010-07-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, a local issue comes up which, despite not directly having to do with the main topic of this blog, is so important that it feels imperative to publicize it. So is the case with now: the Department of Homeland Security is trying to force Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to sign a "Memorandum of Agreement" to implement DHS's "Secure Communities" program in Colorado. The Orwellian-named "Secure Communities" is really a repressive program which will allow the governement to further intrude into our lives and further terrorize those of us who come from immigrant communities. Below is an action alert calling on everyone to call Governor Ritter and encourage him NOT to sign "Secure Communities."

ACTION ALERT

Governor Ritter is considering signing Colorado onto "Secure Communities", a dangerous collaboration program between ICE and the state which will hurt our communities and create greater fear of law enforcement.

"Secure Communities" is a program that allows state and local police to check the fingerprints of an individual they are booking into a jail against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration databases. If there is a "hit" in an immigration database, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified, even if the person has not been convicted of any criminal act.

CALL GOVERNOR RITTER TODAY and every day this week @ (303) 866-2471

STOP Secure Communities NOW!
It makes us all UNSAFE.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

YOU could say: I do NOT agree with Secure Communities. I am calling asking Governor Ritter NOT to sign onto Secure Communities.

Background:

Governor Bill Ritter is considering signing onto a program called Secure Communities by July 19.

We have many concerns about this program:

- That it will negatively impact trust between the police and community making us all less safe.

- Unlike SB 90, a bill passed in 2006 in Colorado, Secure Communities does not exclude wrongfully arrested victims or witnesses of crime from being reported to ICE.

- While the state of Colorado can terminate the Secure Communities agreement at any time, Local jurisdictions (such as Denver, Fort Collins, Arapahoe County, etc) have no clear way of opting out of, or withdrawing from, the program if without possibly being in violation of this agreement.

- Cost and impact data from other states has not been tracked by ICE nor shared with the State of Colorado.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

Please CALL GOVERNOR RITTER TODAY and every day this week @ (303) 866-2471

YOU could say: I do NOT agree with Secure Communities. I am calling to ask Governor Ritter NOT to sign onto Secure Communities.

See the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition Resource on Problems with Secure Communities for more information.

Eight, and counting...

2010-07-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, important - and frankly distrubing - news broke. Here's the announcement from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers:

DOJ officials announce yet another prosecution for forced labor in Florida fields, eighth since 1997;

Gainesville Sun: "... dozens of Haitian nationals were the victims of human trafficking... when they were delivered to rural Alachua County and forced to work on area farms."

From yesterday's Gainesville Sun ("Three charged with human trafficking on Alachua County farms," 7/6/10):

"... Federal prosecutors allege in the indictment that once the Haitian workers arrived in Miami they were denied access to their own passports and visas, effectively preventing them from going anywhere other than the farms where they were to work.

The indictment also alleges that the workers were underfed, "supplied substandard housing and few beds, and denied necessary medical care, causing the workers to suffer chronic hunger, weight loss, illnesses and fatigue."

At least one worker told investigators about being forced to work in fields recently sprayed with chemicals so harsh they left her with permanent scars.

According to the indictment, those who complained about the conditions were threatened with being deported and became fearful of the three co-conspirators." read more

Perhaps even more remarkable than the charges was the response of the grower, vegetable farmer Steven Davis of Alachua County, to the possibility of losing the services of his longtime farm labor manager, Cabioch Bontemps. Despite the gravity of the charges against Bontemps, here's what Davis told the court (from the same Gainesville Sun article):

"... During Bontemps' court hearing, his longtime employer, Alachua County farmer Steven Davis, urged Mickle to release Bontemps because he is an integral part of the Steven Davis Farms pea and bean harvesting operations - www.stevendavisfarms.com - and this is the peak season for harvesting.

Davis identified his operations as being headquartered at 1102 N.W. County Road 233 and said that Bontemps has been a part-time worker for 14 or 15 years and an important full-time worker for the past two-and-a-half to three years. According to Davis, the Haitians currently working on the 2,000 to 3,000 acres he is farming this year all report to Bontemps.

"All these people (Haitian workers) look up to him," Davis said "All these people respect him. All these people worship him."

The federal indictment also identified Bontemps as, "the man who raped one of the workers and told her not to say anything or he would make sure she would not be allowed to return to the U.S. in subsequent years."

"Guestworkers"...

Also telling about this latest prosecution is the fact that it took place in the H2A, or "guestworker," context.

Under the H2A program, agricultural employers bring foreign workers into the country under temporary visas to work exclusively on the petitioning employer's farm. Guestworkers remain in the country only at the pleasure of their employer, they cannot change jobs, and they are obliged to return to their home country once their employer is finished with them, or face deportation. This arrangement places a tremendous amount of power over workers' lives in the hands of their employers, and in agriculture, this has frequently resulted in cases of extreme exploitation.

The CIW has long decried the potential for abuse inherent in the guestworker program. Here's an excerpt from a 2004 statement on a possible expansion of the H2A program under then-President Bush:

"... Not surprisingly, guestworker programs have been tried before, and they have failed miserably, often with tragic consequences. Between 1942 and 1964, for example, millions of Mexican workers were imported under an agricultural guestworker program (known as the ”Bracero” program) to work temporarily under contract to US growers and ranchers. The program was scuttled in 1964 after years of scandalous labor abuses. Europe, too, experimented with guestworker programs, which also ended in failure years ago.

Abuses such as those that eventually killed the Bracero program are inevitable, as the guestworker relationship is an extremely coercive form of labor relations. As a guestworker, not only does your employer hold your livelihood in his hands, but he also holds your visa, your very right to be in this country. With so much power concentrated under the employers’ control, it is hardly surprising that an inordinate number of recent prosecutions for modern-day slavery and forced labor have involved guestworkers, with cases ranging from New Hampshire to American Samoa. Indeed, the President’s proposal could well undermine efforts to fight slavery more broadly, as giving employers such wide control over their workers’ lives is a proven recipe for exploitation." read more

News of this latest slavery prosecution serves as a timely reminder of the dangers intrinsic to any plan to expand the current agricultural guestworker program (and in the current debate over immigration reform, there are many such plans in the works).

But, more broadly, it also underscores the urgent need for broad-based labor reforms in Florida agriculture. Stories of extreme exploitation are so tragically commonplace in Florida's fields that, rather than hear them as a call to action, we run the risk of growing inured to the abuse, each case of forced labor losing a measure of its ability to spark outrage and action.

We cannot let that happen. We must redouble our efforts to make this latest prosecution - now the eighth since 1997 - the last prosecution for forced labor in this state.

And food industry leaders - companies like Publix, Ahold, Quiznos, Sodexo, Kroger, and WalMart - must also, finally, heed this call, recognize once and for all the overwhelming case for change, and commit to work with us to bring about a more modern, more humane agricultural industry in Florida.

Quiznos and Krogers and Sodexo, oh my!

2010-07-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

In these dog days of summer, there is lots of news in the Campaign for Fair Food. It seems that the corporate giants who've been profiting from farmworker poverty think that, just because the tempuratures are soaring, they can lounge around ignoring our demands as if this were some 4th of July BBQ. We wanted to give an update about what's happening with some of the companies that do business here in Denver which are campaign targets.

Quiznos still feeling the heat

Quiznos - whose headquarters are in downtown Denver - told us several weeks ago that the company was in discussions with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and hopeful about the prospect of an agreement. However, we're still waiting for Quiznos to turn discussions into concrete commitments. But that doesn't mean we're sitting on our hands. Our allies in Tampa, Florida and Mission, Texas have visited open houses at which Quiznos was trying to recruit new franchisees. Allies shared a strong message with the Quiznos representatives, put simply in the words of the Fair Foodistas from Texas' Rio Grande Valley pictured above, "Quit stalling!" Meanwhile, many others have been delivering letters to the managers of their local Quiznos restaurant, a simple action which anybody can take part in.

Download the Quiznos manager letter here!

Kroger ain't being cool

On another front, at the annual stockholder meeting for Kroger (one of the largest supermarket chains in the country and parent company of Denver's own King Soopers), Kroger CEO David Dillon was presented with evidence that his comany was sourcing tomatoes from Pacific Tomato Growers, one of the farms where enslaved workers from the Navarette Case were forced to pick tomatoes. He was then questioned as to why Kroger has not choosen to work with the CIW like so many other major food retailers in order to put an end to such abuses. Dillon's response is perhaps the most pathetic attempt yet to defend a company's social irresponsibility. He pointed to the company's supplier code of conduct and its provision prohibiting forced labor (apparently without irony...), and then closed with the patently ludicrous statement that Kroger thinks "we can make more progress... working directly with the growers than we can by working with a third party." As the CIW joke about the explanation on their website: "Dillon then went on to say that criminals should police themselves, professional athletes should call their own games, and, of course, foxes should guard the henhouse... (OK, he didn't say those other things... but he might as well have)." (See the full story under the June 26, 2010 post.)

The absurdity of it all - first, defending your company's position by saying you already have a policy forbidding slavery in your suppliers' operations despite that you were just presented with evidence that slavery was occurring in one of your suppliers' operations; and then claiming that working with growers (who have not only allowed abuses to flourish for decades, indeed centuries, but who in fact have actively fought against progress toward a more just agricultural industry in Florida) is a better strategy then working with a grassroots, highly-respected human rights organization (aka "a third party") that has been recogized by the RFK Memorial Center, Anti-Slavery International and even most recently the US State Department for its unparalleled expertise, experience and success in combatting slavery in the US - deserves more scrutiny. Perhaps that will happen in a future post. But for now, if you think this is as ludicrous as we do, take a moment the next time you go to King Soopers to delivery a letter to the manager expressing your outrage.

Download the Kroger Manager Letter here!

Sodexo getting into hot water

Finally, international food service corporation Sodexo - who has contracts with schools through Colorado including ALL of Denver's major college campuses - has still not signed an agreement with the CIW. Since just April of last year, the SFA has helped the CIW secure Fair Food agreements with three of the foodservice industry's four leading companies -- Bon Appetit, Compass, and Aramark. Each of those agreements has helped raise the bar toward ever stronger, more enduring human rights standards for farmworkers in Florida's tomato fields. But Sodexo remains, stubborn and alone, standing against the tide of change. As this past school year wound down, students on campuses across the country where Sodexo operates began to set their sights on the foodservice giant, as evidenced the petition drive of students at New College in Florida. With students like those at New College refusing to take no for an answer, and the SFA readying for its annual student Encuentro in Immokalee ahead of the coming school year, this fall promises to be a hot one for Sodexo wherever it does business on college campuses.

Click here for more on how you can help make the SFA's "Dine with Dignity" campaign an unqualified success.

Action Alert! Keep Quiznos Honest!

2010-06-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Download the Manger Letter here!

As we marched on Quiznos headquarters on May 25th, news broke that the Denver-based sandwich chain may be getting serious about working with the CIW to bring about real change for workers in its tomato supply chain. See this article and this video for statements by Quiznos representative expressing their hope to reach an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Keep 'em honest!: Download the manager letter today and bring it to your local Quiznos with the message that you want Quiznos to follow-through and sign an agreement with the CIW.

Download the Manger Letter here!

(Such an agreement would be huge on its own, of course, but also as a friendly reminder to another Denver-based company that it's about time it steps up as well.)

New photos and video from the Bike Parade and Rally at Quiznos HQ

2010-06-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

We're vigilantly watching to see if Quiznos will make the right decision and choose to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to uphold the human rights of farmworkers.

While we watch (and prepare for the future), check out these two new peices of independent media from the incredible action that happened May 25th outside Quzinos headquarters.

First, an awesome photo gallery from Ric Urrutia at Behind the Lens Productions which you can see here:

Bike Parade & Rally at Quiznos Headquarters Gallery

Second, an amazing video highlighting the participation in the action of the White Flag Warriors Institute (sponsored by Fight With Tools and Let Us Rise):

"The great mountain...created together with each of our individual grains of sands": bikes, kites, picket lines, progress and more

2010-05-26T23:53:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 25th, Denver Fair Food in conjunction with other groups including the Student/Farmworker Alliance, Fight With Tools, Let Us Rise, and Colorado Jobs with Justice held a powerful action in order to send a strong message to the Denver-based subsandwich franchise Quiznos that we demand they work in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to ensure fair wages and uphold the human rights of farmworkers who pick tomatoes used by the company.

Please see our account of the exciting, fun-filled and moving event:
Part 1: Bike Parade!
Part 2: Sending our message to Quiznos Stores . . .
Part 3: Rally at Quiznos Corporate Offices
Part 4: Flying Kites for Human Rights!

We know that our actions are having a deep impact on Quiznos. Leading up to the protests, Quiznos began positive discussions with the CIW and publicly Quiznos is expressing a desire to join in a Fair Food agreement with the CIW similar to those that the CIW has already has with eight other corporations.

Check out these articles to hear Quiznos explain its desire to cooperate with the CIW:
"Quiznos seeks fair wage for tomato pickers amid protest"
"Protesters gather at Quiznos Denver Headquarters in support of farmworkers"

We are truly encouraged by Quiznos' promising words. However, we must make clear that until words become actions and expressed desires become concrete commitments, we will not rest. Indeed, our strength and our numbers will only grow. We will be closely following the progress of talks between the CIW and Quiznos and are determined to see the process through to a sucessful agreement that improves the wages and working conditions of farmworkers.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers sent us a statement to be shared with all those gathered outside Quiznos' headquarters Tuesday. We'll end by sharing it here as well:

Dear Friends,

Please receive greetings from the members of the CIW. You all in Denver encourage us and fill us with hope and the spirit of struggle knowing that this movement is made up of deeply committed people and allies like you.

Without a doubt the executives at Quiznos are beginning to understand that. Thank you for all of the actions you have taken and will continue to take to bring these two corporations [Denver-based Quiznos and Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill] to the table to sign agreements like those we already have with eight other corporations. We are certain that one day soon they'll be working with us.

As you know, Quiznos is closer than ever to adopting the principles of Fair Food. That's why today's action is so important and why it's more important now than ever to keep up the pressure so that for once and for all they understand that the situation faced by workers is urgent and that we won't abide the violations of farmworkers' human rights any longer.

Today you are making history, history that will be recorded by future generations and that will inspire young people by showing them that by working together, fighting together, and marching together we can forge a more just, more humane food industry.

The future is ours. It's up to us to make it a future full of hope in which one day not so far away thousands of families will enjoy the fruits of this movement for fair food. When the day comes that the twisted roads are straightened and justice reaches every worker at his job, that day we'll see that farmworkers have arrived at the top of the great mountain that we created together with each of our individual grains of sand. When that happens we will all be full of joy and we'll let the world know that together another world is truly possible.

Thank you
-- the Coalition of Immokalee Worker

Part 4: Flying Kites for Human Rights!

2010-05-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

After the rally, there were still two final expressions of our solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Everyone first signed a giant postcard addressed to Quiznos CEO Rick Schaden calling on the company to work with the CIW in the improvement of wages and working conditions for farmworkers. A delegation of allies then hand devliered the postcard to Quiznos Corporate Offices. A friendly woman from Quiznos' PR department accepted the postcard and told us that Quiznos has already made a great deal of headway toward reaching an agreement with the CIW and they were hopeful one would be reached very soon. We told her that we are very encouraged these positive developments and we would be watching very closely to make sure the discussions become a working partnership with the CIW . . . And should that fail to happen, well, then our campaign would not only continue but grow.

Meanwhile, those of us outside were flying kites hoping to send a visual symbol to the windows of Quiznos' second story suite of our support for the delegation inside. We have to admit that we felt a little like David vs. Goliath with our puny kites in front of Quiznos massive building . . .
. . . But we all know who won that battle.

Go to Wrap Up

Go to Part 3

Part 3: Rally at Quiznos Corporate Offices

2010-05-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

At Quiznos corporate offices, we were joined by many others from the Denver community and our numbers quickly swelled to nearly 100 people. The group, eager for action, jumped into a picket in front of Quiznos' flagship restaurant which sits just 100 feet or so from the entrance to the headquarters.
Of course, Denver wasn't the only city represented that day. There were folks from all over the country such as this young woman with the "Detroit loves the CIW" sign who is active in her town's own inspiring Food Justice movement - turning the abondoned lots of America's first post-industrial city into a burgeoning osasis of community-run urban agriculture. No doubt the activists hailing from Albuquerque to Atlanta, Portand to Philidelphia (many of whom were attending the White Flag Warriors Institute) will be taking with them back to their home communities a desire to continue fighting for fair food.

The picket was an engergizing testament to people's collective power and filled us with the knowledge that, working together, we can change a system even as mighty as the fast food industry.

Things wound up with a short rally outside the restaurant at which the amazing Ashara Ekundayo (lower right-hand corner) spoke. For those who don't know Ashara, her many hats (which are almost too numerous to count) include poet, ARTivist, co-founder of Cafe Nuba and the Pan African Arts Society, mother, Food Justice organizer, Sustainability Director at the GrowHaus, and social entrapenuer with the startup company Blue and Yellow Logic "cause it takes more than one color to make green."

Ashara was followed by Robert McGoey from Denver Fair Food who read a statement from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The statement (which can be found in it's entirety here) read in part: "You all in Denver encourage us and fill us with hope and the spirit of struggle knowing that this movement is made up of deeply committed allies like you. . . Quiznos is closer than ever to adopting the principles of Fair Food. That's why today's action is so important and why it is more important than ever to keep up the pressure . . ."

Finally, the rally concluded with an old friend who's joined us at other actions: the Penny who wanted to share a song about one of the central demands of the campaign which he knows a little something about . . .

We'll finish Part 3 with his words:

Did someone say a Penny?
Just one tiny little cent!
How could a copper penny
Most righteously be spent?

Invest me wisely, I would say
No Quiznos for me, no way
Not till they sign AND agree to pay…

Just one penny more a pound, that’s all!
Just one itsy bitsy cent
For these workers to stand TALL
I say that’s a cent well spent!

Quiznos! Buy tomatoes with integrity
Just one penny more a pound
Let’s make slavery past history
One penny, how’s that sound?

Quiznos! one more time?
Let’s make slavery past history
AND ….. Join the picket line!

Go to Part 4

Go to Part 2

Part 2: Sending our message to Quiznos stores...

2010-05-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Bike Parade split into three different groups in order to deliver our message to as many Quiznos locations as possible in a short amount of time. Each group went to a different Quiznos restaurant. Two groups went to stores on the 16th Street Mall (a place which has seen it's share of historic fair food actions). The third group went somewhere of historic significance for Quiznos - its very first restaurant, seen below. With any luck (and a growing national campaign) all the Quiznos stores we visited will become part of a new history, another chapter in the Campaign for Fair Food which will end with Quiznos joining in partnership with the CIW to uphold the human rights of farmworkers.
At the stores each group delivered manager letters (which you can do as well!) . . .

. . . and had impromptu pickets outside, like this one whose signs straight forwardly explain to Quiznos why it should get onboard with the principles of Fair Food while riffing off of Quiznos' brand image. They read: "Join the winning Team!! (CIW, SFA, IA, Yum!, McDonald's, Burger King, Whole Foods, Subway, Compass, Bon Apetit, Aramark)," "Quiznos: Buy Fair Tomatoes," "Toasted Sub=Good, Exploited Farmworkers=Bad," and "MMMM...Fair Food."

Finally, everyone departed to convene together at Quiznos Coporate Headquarters and flagship store.

Go to Part 3

Go to Part 1

Part 1: Bike Parade!

2010-05-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, things got off to a great start as we warmed up our vocal chords and got the animo moving by practicing some chants.

Then we hit the road for a spirited Bike Parade of several dozen people - flags flyings, tunes blaring from the boom boxes strapped to the back of bikes, gritos louding sending a simple but compelling message through downtown Denver: "J-U-S! J-U-S-T-I-C-E! What we want is Justice in Immokalee!"

Go to Part 2

BIKE PARADE & KITE FLYING RALLY FOR FOOD JUSTICE

2010-05-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Our press release for the upcoming action... Hope to see you all there...

Community members from across the country demand justice for Farmworkers

DENVER – On Tuesday, May 25th, community members and consumers from across the country will convene in Downtown Denver at Quiznos national headquarters to urge the restaurant franchise to reach an agreement with Farmworkers that would substantively improve working conditions and wages in Florida’s tomato fields. Participants will join in a Bike Parade to Quiznos restaurants across the city and will then convene in Downtown Denver at Quiznos headquarters to fly kites in the spirit of Farmworker justice. The action is part of the ongoing national Campaign for Fair Food led by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a Farmworker led organization from Immokalee, Florida. Local supporters of the action include Denver Fair Food, Student Farmworker Alliance, Flobots.org and Let Us Rise.

"We are closely following the dialogue between Quiznos and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and are determined to see the process through to a successful agreement that improves both working conditions and wages for the Farmworkers who pick tomatoes for Quiznos," said Seth Donovan organizer with Flobots.org.

Local supporters of the Farmworkers are encouraged by positive conversations that Quiznos has had with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. However, they say that their campaign will continue until the Farmworker requests for a partnership are reached.

Robert McGoey from Denver Fair Food states, "It’s time Quiznos takes responsibility for remedying the abysmal conditions in its tomato suppliers operations. Only by working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers can Quiznos accomplish this." Ashara Ekundayo, Sustainability Director at The GrowHaus further states, "As a movement, we take direction from Farmworkers because we believe they have the best wisdom to create better lives for themselves. Today, we ask Quiznos to join us!"

These actions will take place in concert with the White Flag Warriors Institute, a weeklong series of trainings, workshops and events sponsored by Flobots.org. The institute is designed to provide tools, skills and analysis for community members across the country looking to engage in actions for positive social change.

Who: Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), Denver Fair Food, Student Farmworker Alliance, Flobots.org, Let Us Rise, and Consumers locally and from across the country.
What: Bike Parade & Kite Flying Rally for Food Justice
When: Tuesday, May 25th, Noon-2pm
Bike Parade starts at Noon, Kite Flying Rally begins at 1pm
Where: Bike Rally starts at Flobots.org Community Space at 2705 Larimer St, Denver at Noon Rally is at Quiznos Headquarters at 1001 17th Street, Denver starting at 1pm
For more information: DenverFairFood.blogspot.com or www.ciw-online.org

Background:

Florida’s Farmworkers - who work for suppliers of the fast-food industry - face sweatshop conditions every day in the fields, including:

• Sub-poverty wages (tomato pickers earn roughly $10,000/year, according to the USDOL)
• No raise in nearly 30 years (pickers are paid virtually the same per bucket piece rate today as in 1980 - at the going rate of 40 to 50 cents per 32-lb bucket, workers must pick more than TWO TONS of tomatoes just to earn about $50 in a day)
• The denial of fundamental labor rights (no right to overtime pay nor right to organize)

In the most extreme cases, workers face actual conditions of modern-day slavery. Federal civil rights officials have prosecuted seven slavery operations - involving over 1,000 workers - in Florida's fields since 1997.

In 2005, the CIW resolved a four-year, nationwide boycott against Taco Bell when the fast-food leader and its parent company, Yum Brands, agreed to pay a premium for its tomatoes to directly improve workers’ sub-poverty wages and to work with the CIW to address the labor abuses endemic to Florida agriculture. The CIW has reached similar agreements with McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and other leading food service corporations.

The CIW's groundbreaking work has been recognized by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Human Rights Center, Anti-Slavery International, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Business Ethics Network, among others. The CIW has received extensive national and international media coverage since 2001.

Action Alert! Drop off a letter at your local Quiznos

2010-05-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Take action for farmworker justice!
Deliver a letter to the manager of your local Quiznos demanding that the company work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to improve wages and working conditions for the farmworkers who pick tomatoes used by Quiznos.

Download the Quiznos Manager Letter here!

In the days and weeks leading up to the exciting Tuesday, May 25th BIKE PARADE & RALLY outside the Coporate Headquarters of Denver-based Quiznos, we're asking you to deliver a letter to manager of your local Quiznos showing your support for the CIW and their Campaign for Fair Food.

NO NEED TO WAIT DO IT TODAY! It's simple: print off the letter, bring it to the Quiznos restaurants nearest you, ask to speak to the manager, and share with her/him your desire to see Quiznos take a leadership role in ending the human rights crisis faced by farmworkers in the company's supply chain.

Download the letter here!

Go here to locate the Quiznos nearest you, see their Store Locator.

As always check out the CIW website for more info www.ciw-online.org.

And be sure to join us, by bike or on foot, for the Tuesday, May 25th Bike Parade & Rally. See here for details.

Save the Date! Quiznos Bike Parade & Rally!

2010-05-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 25th

Tell QUIZNOS: "Fair Food now!"
BIKE PARADE & RALLY
demanding fair wages and human rights for farmworkers!

12:00noon Bike Parade departs from:
the Flobots Community Space - 2705 Larimer St
27th & Larimer, downtown Denver
Map

1:00pm Rally at:
Quiznos Corporate Headquarters - 1001 17th St.
17th & Curtis, downtown Denver
Map

More details TO BE ANNOUNCED

BACKGROUND:
Denver Fair Food and Fight With Tools are teaming up to demand that Denver-based fast food giant Quiznos work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to ensure fair wages and human rights for farmworkers. Join us for an exciting action involving a spirited bike parade followed by a rally outside Quiznos Corporate Offices.

There are opportunities to participate whether or not you have a bike!

The CIW - a grassroots organization of Latino, Haitian and Mayan immigrant farmworkers in Florida - has called on Quiznos to take steps to address the human rights crisis faced by workers who harvest tomatoes in the company's supply chain. Quiznos is a major purchaser of Florida tomatoes whose high volume/low cost purchasing practices place a downward pressure on prices which in turn place a downward pressure on the wages and working conditions of farmworkers.

Farmworkers in Florida who pick tomatoes face sweatshop conditions every day. Workers earn just 40 to 50 cents for each 32lb bucket of tomatoes they pick - the same per bucket piece rate as they received in 1978. At that rate a worker must pick 2.5 TONS of tomatoes just to earn minimum wage for a typical 10hr workday. Farmworkers make, on average, just $10,000 a year. They are denied the right to overtime pay and the right to organize. In the most extreme situations, farmworkers are held against their will and forced to work in modern-day slavery rings. There have been seven successfully prosecuted slavery rings in Florida, involving more than 1,000 farmworkers, since 1997.

Through hard-fought campaigns, the CIW has reached agreements with 8 leading food corporations including McDonald's, Taco Bell, Subway and Burger King. These "Fair Food" agreements have established for the first time direct increases in wages, enforceable standards for the protection of worker rights and a voice for farmworkers in the decisions which impact their lives.

Now it's time for Quiznos to join the growing wave of Fair Food and help put an end to Florida's harvest of shame once and for all. Join us at this important action to send a clear message to Quiznos that we want "Fair Food Now!"

For more information contact: DenverFairFood@gmail.com

Still Waiting... Chipotle CEO Ells Continues to duck Chipotle Challenge...

2010-04-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers just sent out this timely reminder of Chipotle's continued misrepresentation of the Campaign for Fair Food while it continues to deny to farmworkers the supply chain accountability they deverse. It's a particularly relevant reminder for those of us in Chipotle's hometown of Denver.

While supermarket industry leaders like Publix, Ahold, and Kroger continue to bear the brunt of public pressure from the growing Campaign for Fair Food, sustainable food darling Chipotle and its celebrity CEO Steve Ells continue to duck the Campaign for Fair Food's challenge to a public debate.

A quick refresh: Way back in December of last year, Food and Society Fellow Sean Sellers issued a direct, public challenge to Ells by means of an article ("Chipotle Challenge: time to back up ‘food with integrity’," 12/11/09) in the sustainable food blog grist.org. He concluded the article thusly:

"... Which brings us back to Steve Ells' quotation at the top of this story: "But signing an agreement [with the CIW] does not actually change those conditions for farmworkers."

Like most everything else Ells has said about the CIW and the Campaign for Fair Food, this is entirely backwards, and so painfully wrong. But this time, his misinformation will not go unchallenged.

Mr. Ells, consider this my formal challenge to a public debate on the merits of the Campaign for Fair Food. Have the conviction of your beliefs and join me for a debate – you name the time and place, anytime, anywhere. The clock is ticking." read more

So, as the clock has ticked, oh, roughly 11,664,000 times since Mr. Sellers issued his challenge... what has Steve Ells done to back up his contention that somehow he, a Denver restaurateur, knows better how to address decades of documented human rights violations in Florida's fields than the CIW, an internationally recognized leader in the areas of human rights, farm labor slavery, and corporate accountability?

Answer: Nothing. Nothing whatsoever.

Instead, he has sat back and watched as Publix has taken the heat for buying from the two growers involved in the latest slavery prosecution, the very same growers Chipotle bought from as well, until the CIW informed them that some of their workers were being held against their will by a brutal family of farm bosses -- a fact that somehow missed the keen gaze of Mr. Ells and his crew there in Denver.

And so, the clock continues to tick, and Mr. Ells and his company continue to claim that they don't need a "third-party" to tell them how to do social responsibility right (the question of how the workers who actually make it possible for Chipotle's tomatoes to make it out of the fields to Chipotle's restaurants became a "third party" may be a topic for a later debate...).

You'd think that such a smart company wouldn't have a problem defending its position in public. At this point, however, one has to conclude that Mr. Ells simply isn't willling to expose his arguments on the Campaign for Fair Food to the crucible of public debate. It's a shame, it would be a riveting, and valuable, debate for Fair Food activists, and for the sustainable food movement as a whole.

Go to the CIW website, http://www.ciw-online.org for more on this story and for all the latest news from the Campaign for Fair Food. Thanks - Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Photos from the Farmworker Freedom March

2010-04-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

Incredibly it's already been a week since the end of the Farmworker Freedom March. The dozen of us from Denver who participated in the march have recuperated from our sore feet but are still soaring with a renewed sense of determination to continue the struggle. So much for our high hopes of making posts while in Florida - the action proved to busy for that.

Without further delay here are a few photos of us from march:

Please also check out the photo updates from the CIW website:
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

And check out this incredible photo montage from the march:

Florida or bust!

2010-04-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

In just hours, the first wave of Denver Fair Foodistas will be hitting the road for a long drive to Tampa, Florida. There we'll be joined by not only another half dozen of our Mile High sisters and brothers who are flying but also by hundreds if not thousands of our companeros from around the country who likewise have been inspired by the amazing grassroots workers struggle led by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

The Farmworker Freedom March is going to be powerful experience for us no doubt. I'm hoping that between the driving and marching and networking and picketing and chanting and singing and celebrating and building the more just world that lives in our dreams, that between all that, my friends and I will have some opportunities to update those of you who couldn't make it while we're in Florida. In any case expect a thorough report and reflections upon our return and pay attention to the CIW website for all the latest.

Next up: The Denver Ground Forces (as I'll be calling our caravan) are combining forces with the awesome folks from Lawrence Fair Food in Lawrence, Kansas before continuing on our quest. Stayed tuned...

E-Action Alert! Let Publix know "Not in our house" isn't an answer when it comes to farm labor justice!

2010-04-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

Tell Publix what you think about their "Not in our house" approach to social responsibility...

Send Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw an email now! demanding justice for farmworkers!

Next week nearly a dozen activists from Denver Fair Food along with hundreds of allies from around country will join scores of farmworkers from Immokalee in the Farmworker Freedom March -- a 3-day march on the headquarters of Florida-based supermarket giant Publix. But you need not go to Florida to take action: you can send a email to Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw! It only takes a minute but will powerfully amplify the message of those of us marching!

"We don’t like anybody coming into our house telling us how to do business."

That was Publix Communication Director Maria Brous's response to a reporter who asked whether Publix gets involved in the Fair Trade market. And while the answer was in response to a question about Fair Trade coffee and bananas, it sure sounded like it was aimed squarely at the Campaign for Fair Food.

Well, now you can march straight into Publix's house and tell them exactly how you want them to do business!

Click here to send Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw an email to express your "support for the Farmworker Freedom March and to urge Publix to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), an internationally recognized farmworker organization, to address the sub-poverty wages and abuses faced by the farmworkers who pick Publix’s tomatoes."

For everyone who can't join us for next week's march, this is a great way to be counted and make your voice heard in the growing chorus demanding Fair Food. Send your email to Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw today!

Another Victory! as students turn their attention to Sodexo...

2010-04-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

What is Sodexo waiting for? The question just became ever more pertinent as Sodexo is now the sole holdout, among the "big 3" campus food service providers, still resisting coming to the table to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to address the human rights crisis in its tomato supply chain. No doubt the students at the major campuses in Denver with which Sodexo contracts - Auraria, University of Denver and Regis University - will be asking that question with increasing scrunity. We hope Sodexo also recognizes that the longer the company waits, the more organized - and impatient - students will become and their questions will quickly morph into demands for a new food service provider who does respect the principles of Fair Food. If THAT is what Sodexo is waiting for, so be it.

Click here for a copy of a new letter which you can send to Sodexo headquarters or deliver to the Sodexo manager on your campus.

Meanwhile, go to the Student/Farmworker Alliance website for all the news on the announcement of the latest victory with Aramark and check out the SFA announcement as they turn their attention to Sodexo:

Responding to an escalating campaign waged by students on campuses across the country, Aramark has agreed to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to directly improve farmworker wages and working conditions in the tomato fields of Florida. The agreement comes a year into the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA)'s “Dine with Dignity” campaign, which calls on major food service providers to take responsibility for the human rights crisis and grinding poverty faced by workers in their tomato supply chains. SFA's Dine with Dignity campaign has also helped to usher in groundbreaking agreements between the CIW and Bon Appetit Management Company and Compass Group. With the ascension of Aramark, Sodexo now stands isolated as the only major food service provider to not yet join this rising tide of social responsibility.

“This victory is a testament to the power we have as students and young people standing together with farmworkers. The agreement comes in the wake of several successful campus campaigns resulting in Student Senate resolutions calling on Aramark to work with the CIW, including at UF. Thanks to this movement, Aramark has come to understand that the voice and participation of farmworkers themselves are necessary and central components of any real change in the agricultural industry. Sodexo should take note, as all eyes are on them now,” said Richard Blake, Student/Farmworker Alliance member at the University of Florida.

“Victory by victory, we're carving out a new world of fair wages, human rights, and dignity from the shameful history of exploitation in Florida's fields. Now that Aramark has come around, Sodexo doesn't have a leg to stand on. If corporations like Sodexo and Publix are to truly embrace social responsibility and guarantee to consumers that the food on our tables is not the product of human rights abuse, they must step up and follow Aramark and several other industry leaders in agreeing to work with the CIW,” said Meghan Cohorst, Student/Farmworker Alliance.

“As the daughter of a migrant farmworker and student at an Aramark-contracted campus literally down the road from Immokalee, I had no choice but to be a leader in this fight. Even on a seemingly apathetic and conservative campus, we made a difference and garnered significant support amongst the student body for this campaign. SFA has once again played a crucial role in walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the CIW to another victory. Now, Florida's self-described community grocer, Publix, must come to the table and understand that farmworkers are also part of our communities and deserve to be treated with respect,” said Angela Cisneros, Student/Farmworker Alliance member at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Farmworkers picking tomatoes for the corporate food industry toil from dawn to dusk for sub-poverty wages at a piece rate (40-50 cents for each 32-lb. bucket of tomatoes) that has not changed significantly in over 30 years. They perform this grueling, dangerous work with no right to overtime pay, no health insurance, no sick leave, no pension, and without the legal rights to form unions or to demand collective bargaining with their employers, stemming from New Deal-era exclusions of farm- and domestic workers from many of these basic labor and human rights. The CIW-led Campaign for Fair Food, in which SFA is a key catalyst, seeks to transform this reality by enlisting the resources of retail food giants to improve farmworker wages and harnessing their demand to reward growers who respect their workers' rights.

Upcoming Events on Farmworker Justice - past and present

2010-03-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

Past victories can energize us for future struggles. Let's celebrate our history and prepare for the hard work ahead by joining in these upcoming events:

First celebrate the life and work of Cesar Chavez - the great labor leader and tireless fighter for Farmworker Justice!

Cesar Chavez March
THIS Saturady March 27th
10:00am Mass at St. Joseph's - 6th & Galapago
11:00am March to Su Teatro at Denver Civic Theater - 7th & Santa Fe
12:00pm Main Event including awards, poetry, music, bailes folkloricos, free food and more

Sponsored by the Cesar Chavez Peace & Justice Committee of Denver, MEChA, CIRC, Comite en Defensa del Pueblo, Sisters of Color United for Education, UFCW Local 7 and more...

Then learn more about the continuing struggle for Farmworker Justice at a free film screening about the Coalition of Immokalee Workers!

"Immokalee: From Slavery to Freedom" and other films
Thursday, April 1st
10:00am - 11:15am
North Classroom 1535
Auraria Campus, downtown, Denver

Sponsored by Denver Fair Food, MEChA and more

Bring your friends, fellow students, your whole class and learn how students in Denver can get involved in the fight to end modern-day slavery and sweatshop conditions in the Florida agriculture industry.

Here's a sneak peak to share:

"Immokalee: from slavery to freedom" & other films

2010-03-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Join us for FREE screenings of short films about the Coalition of
Immokalee Workers and the struggle to end modern-day slavery and
sweatshop labor conditions in the Florida agricultural industry.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Tivoli Student Union, rm 320a

Auraria Campus, downtown Denver
900 Auraria Pkwy.

The films will include "Immokalee: from Slavery to Freedom," "?Y Ahora
Que?" and more. Go here for links to some of the films: CIW Media

Bring your friends, fellow students, your whole class. And learn how
students in Denver can get involved in the Campaign for Fair Food.

Contact DenverFairFood@gmail.com for more info.

"It didn't benefit me either."

2010-03-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

This digital story about the progression of my involvement in the Campaign for Fair Food hopefully captures at least a fragment of the invaluable knowlegde, hope, dignity and meaning that I have gained through joining in partnership and alliance with the workers of Immokalee in order to build a better world.

Special thanks to the Center for Digital Storytelling and Coloradans For Immigrant Rights.

Shrinking from the Challenge?... Food writers pick up on "Chipotle Challenge"; meanwhile, silence from Ells...

2010-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

In December 2009, Food and Society Fellow Sean Sellers challenged Steve Ells (pictured left), the CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, to a public debate on the merits of the Campaign for Fair Food. The challenge stemmed from Chipotle's ongoing refusal to partner with the CIW to address labor conditions in its tomato supply chain, and in response to misinformation about the CIW spread by Ells in recent high-profile speaking engagements.

Since then -- though Ells has yet to answer the call -- the Chipotle Challenge has certainly caught the attention of national food writers who have seized upon the jarring contradiction at the heart of Chipotle's billion-dollar brand.

In an excellent feature-length article ("One Company Thinks They've Created Fast Food with a Conscience -- Are They Right?," 2/9/10), Tara Lohan of AlterNet writes:

"'Chipotle had no idea it was buying from one of the growers tainted by the most recent slavery prosecution until the CIW told them about it,' said Sellers. 'They would have known much earlier if they had a real working relationship with the CIW.'

... Whether Chipotle will be willing to team up with CIW in an effort to improve labor conditions is yet to be seen. Sellers has invited Ells to a public debate about the issue, but Ells has yet to take him up on the offer. Still, it's not too late for Ells to be consistent about changing the fast-food paradigm."

And a month earlier, the food blog Simple, Good and Tasty posed a series of hard-hitting questions for Ells ("Chipotle Doesn't Support Florida Tomato Pickers? Say it ain't so, Steve," 1/14/10):

"So, my first question to Steve Ells would simply be, why?

Question #2 would be this: Are you willing to tarnish the reputation of your company over this seemingly no-brainer issue? How could you possibly object to doing everything you can to improve the plight of poor and powerless farmworkers in Florida’s tomato fields? (That would be question #3.)

And, finally, do you know how much you are hurting the people who care about you, who have held you in such high esteem, who depend on you to provide inexpensive, convenient, delicious, nutritious and sustainably sourced food that appeals to practically everyone?

Admit you have a problem, Steve. That’s the first step. Now solve it. Pledge your full and unconditional support to CIW and Florida’s tomato pickers. Do it for them. Do it for your customers. Do it for your investors. Do it for your friends and family. Do it, because, as you say on your website, you can always "do better." Prove it. Thank you."

Will Ells accept the Chipotle Challenge? The clock is still ticking.

Farmworker Freedom March, April 16-18

2010-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Already plans are underway for folks from Denver to participate in this important and exciting action. It will be a great opportunity for the Denver community to strengthen our connections with the workers in Immokalee and our commitment to the struggle for Fair Food. If you're interested in attending, contact us at DenverFairFood@gmail.com.

CIW announces "Farmworker Freedom March," Tampa to Lakeland, Florida, April 16-18, 2010!

March to call for: "Freedom from forced labor; Freedom from abuse; Freedom from poverty and degradation"

President Obama declared January, 2010, "National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month," saying:

"Fighting modern slavery and human trafficking is a shared responsibility. This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, we can and must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation."

Join us this spring for an intensive campaign of education and action to end modern-day slavery in Florida's fields.

Details:

Farmworker Freedom March
* Three-day march of farmworkers and allies
* April 16-18, from Tampa to Lakeland (home of Publix)
* Route details and logistics to be announced soon

Background:

The fight to end modern-day slavery has been gaining important ground in recent months. Ten months ago, Florida Governor Charlie Crist wrote these words in an open letter to the CIW, after the Governor and his representatives met in Tallahassee with CIW members and victims of modern-day slavery cases:

"I have no tolerance for slavery in any form, and I am committed to eliminating this injustice anywhere in Florida. I unconditionally support the humane and civilized treatment of all employees, including those who work in the Florida agricultural industry. Any type of abuse in the workplace is unacceptable.

I support the Coalition's Campaign for Fair Food, whereby corporate purchasers of tomatoes have agreed to contribute monies for the benefit of the tomato field workers. I commend these purchasers for their participation..."

Three months ago, the Collier County Sheriff's Department joined with the CIW in organizing "A Day without Slavery," a community event "aimed at providing seasonal farm workers and members of the Immokalee community with information about human trafficking and ways to identify victims of human trafficking." Speaking of the Immokalee farmworker community, Detective Charlie Frost told the Naples Daily News ("Immokalee eve nt geared toward raising awareness of human trafficking," Naples Daily News, 11/14/09):

“They are our eyes and ears out here,” Frost said. “They’re the ones that will be able to alert us to these trafficking type of situations. It’s important that they know they have rights as victims.”

And this month, President Obama declared January 2010 "National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month". The proclamation states, in part:

"The United States was founded on the principle that all people are born with an unalienable right to freedom -- an ideal that has driven the engine of American progress throughout our history. As a Nation, we have known moments of great darkness and greater light; and dim years of chattel slavery illuminated and brought to an end by President Lincoln's actions and a painful Civil War. Yet even today, the darkness and inhumanity of enslavement exists. Millions of people worldwide are held in compelled service, as well as thousands within the United States. During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we acknowledge that forms of slavery still exist in the modern era, and we recommit ourselves to stopping the human traffickers who ply this horrific trade...

... The victims of modern slavery have many faces. They are men and women, adults and children. Yet, all are denied basic human dignity and freedom. Victims can be abused in their own countries, or find themselves far from home and vulnerable. Whether they are trapped in forced sexual or labor exploitation, human trafficking victims cannot walk away, but are held in service through force, threats, and fear. All too often suffering from horrible physical and sexual abuse, it is hard for them to imagine that there might be a place of refuge...

... Fighting modern slavery and human trafficking is a shared responsibility. This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, we can and must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation."

You can read the proclamation in its entirety here. Its words reflect the fierce urgency of the fight to end this most violent form of exploitation.

The movement to end modern-day slavery is not an issue of partisan politics, and it's definitely not a labor dispute. It is a movement to defend one of our most fundamental human rights, and the CIW has been at the forefront of that movement for many years.

Yet when we asked Publix to adopt the principles of the Campaign for Fair Food -- principles, including a zero tolerance policy for slavery, designed to eliminate forced labor and its causes -- Florida's largest supermarket chain turned its back.

Instead, Publix continued to purchase tomatoes from the very farms tainted by the latest slavery prosecution. When asked why, Publix spokesperson Dwaine Stevens told the St. Augustine Record:

"... the chain does purchase tomatoes from the two farms but pays a fair market price." ("Farmworkers protest supermarket tomatoes," 11/24/09)

But there is no "fair market price" for slavery, and there will be no end to modern-day slavery until companies like Publix stop turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in their suppliers' fields.

Help us send a message that Publix cannot ignore. Join us this spring for the Farmworker Freedom March, for a march you -- and Publix -- will never forget.

Check the CIW website http://www.ciw-online.org/ more information on all the action this spring!

"Admit you have a problem, Steve."

2010-01-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

It is not a shock that Chipotle CEO Steve Ells has not responded to, much less accepted, the "Chipotle Challenge." When long-time ally of the CIW Sean Sellers dared Ells to a head-to-head debate to publicly defend his weak excuses for refusing to join in agreement with the CIW, I suspected that Ells would not have the integrity to stand behind his words and would opt instead for ignoring Sean.

Fortunately, at least one of Chipotle's most loyal customers doesn't want to let Ells hide from his problems. In an excellent post titled "Chipotle Doesn't Support Florida's Tomato Pickers? Say it ain't so, Steve." from the Simple Good and Tasty blog, Shari Danielson - a consumer who "trully cares" about the chain - encourages us to:

"Try to imagine a situation in which someone whom you deeply care about -- a friend, a family member, a co-worker -- is doing something wrong and totally out of character, say cheating on his wife, gambling away his children's college funds, stealing from his employer. Now, imagine how you would react to his bad behavior. Chances are, if you really care about this person, you wouldn’t ignore it; you would confront him about it, right? You would probably tell him how much he means to you, and that you don’t want to see him or the people in his life get hurt as a result of his actions. Maybe you would even organize an intervention."

She then explains, "I feel this way about Chipotle now." She goes on to summarize Sean Sellers' documentation of Chipotle's "silence, evasion and cyncial spin" in the face of farmworkers' just demands.

She ends with these tough questions and strong advise for Ells:

"So, my first question to Steve Ells would simply be, why?

"Question #2 would be this: Are you willing to tarnish the reputation of your company over this seemingly no-brainer issue? How could you possible object to doing everything you can to improve the plight of poor and powerless farmworkers in Florida’s tomato fields? (That would be question #3.)

"And, finally, do you know how much you are hurting the people who care about you, who have held you in such high esteem, who depend on you to provide inexpensive, convenient, delicious, nutritious and sustainably sourced food that appeals to practically everyone?

"Admit you have a problem, Steve. That’s the first step. Now solve it. Pledge your full and unconditional support to CIW and Florida’s tomato pickers. Do it for them. Do it for your customers. Do it for your investors. Do it for your friends and family. Do it, because, as you say on your website, you can always 'do better.' Prove it. Thank you."

I can't claim to share Shari's high opinion of Chipotle. I've had too much experience with Chipotle to not conclude that "Food With Integrity" is more a marketing ploy intended to exploit our dreams of a fair and sustainable food system than a true desire to "do better." Steve, it can't be too long 'til your most loyal customers start to come to the same conclusions. If you want to "do better," than the task in front of you is simple: "Prove it. Thank you."

Mistreatment of Range Workers in Colorado

2010-01-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Florida of course is not the only state where agricultural workers face brutal exploitation and social marginalization. Right here in Colorado, there is no doubt poverty wages, harsh living and working conditions, and gross imbalances of power which provide fetile ground for abuse to flourish for workers in the state's agricultural industry.

The great folks at Colorado Legal Service's Migrant Farmworkers Division just issued an eye-opening report about the plight of Colorado's range workers - most of whom are from Peru but also from countries such as Nepal. Here's a brief write up about the report:

A report being released today found that more than 80 percent of a surveyed group of Colorado's sheep, goat and cattle herders are not permitted to leave their ranches, according to Colorado Legal Services.

Much of the treatment of herders is entirely legal due to the exclusion of herders from many of the federal regulations that govern the H-2A program. Sheepherders in Colorado receive a standard wage of $750 per month, as little as $2-3 per hour, regardless of hours worked, and are required by their contracts to be on-call 24 hours per day. Their housing is not required to have electricity, running water and toilets.

The report, conducted by legal services' Migrant Farm Worker Division over 2 years, surveyed 93 herders, essentially a third of Colorado's range workers.

Herders typically come to Colorado as part of the H-2A program, a federal program which allows agricultural employers to import temporary workers. The program has long been rife with labor abuses. *Read the CIW's critical analysis of "guest worker" programs here.* That said, almost all other workers in the H-2A program receive better pay, have better living and working conditions, and enjoy more personal freedom than herders do.

"Many herders have expressed concern over the past several years about the harsh conditions under which they live and work," said Jennifer J. Lee, managing attorney of the division and report co-author. "This survey attempted to quantify these concerns to show how prevalent they are."

Many of the herders surveyed expressed concerns about sub-minimum wage pay, long hours, poor living conditions, mistreatment by their bosses and feelings of isolation, according to the report.

Among the most striking statistics revealed by the report:

· Almost three quarters of the herders reported having zero days off over the course of a year.
· Approximately 35 percent were paid less than once a month.
· 85 percent were not allowed to have visitors who were not ranch employees.
· Roughly 70 percent reported never having access to a functioning toilet.
· 85 percent were never permitted to engage in social activities.
· Almost 50 percent reported not having the opportunity or ability to read their employment contracts.

"This report shows that there must be a change in the way herders in Colorado are treated," Lee said. "Herders come a long way from their home countries to work in our state, and they deserve decent wages and living conditions and more control over their own lives."

You can read the full report at http://www.coloradofarmworkers.org/. There are also some interesting articles to come out about the report:
Advocates push change in working conditions for isolated immigrant sheepherders
Poor treatment of immigrant sheep herders alleged
Unsurprisingly, the ranchers quoted in the articles have no shortage of excuses and explanations to justify the exploitation of their employees. Say what they will, an industry whose survival depends on excluding already desperately poor people from basic economic, social and labor rights, has got to rethink its business model.

You can see for yourself the experiences of Colorado range workers by watching the videos at this link. We'll leave you with this one by Grand Junction Alternative Media:

A Season of Hope

2010-01-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all! We wanted to share this new year's message from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers with you which beautifully captures how their long, hard struggle is flourishing and the fruits of justice are ripening.

Chipotle CEO Steve Ells has still not responded to the "Chipotle Challenge," apparently lacking the integrity to defend in public debate his skewed perceptions about and cynical response to the Campaign for Fair food. We hope he takes a moment to read this message.

A season of hope...

Holidays perfect time for a news round-up with a theme of hope for the new year!

A dozen years ago -- shortly before Christmas, 1997 -- a small group of farmworkers in Immokalee began a 30-day hunger strike that would forever transform the struggle for justice in this country's fields. Their excruciating month-long fast cast an unblinking light on the cruel reality facing tomato pickers -- slipping sub-poverty wages, rampant wage theft, and even violent modern-day slavery rings. But more than that, it also exposed the Florida tomato industry’s deeply-rooted, unregenerate resistance to dialogue with farmworkers and to improving farm labor wages and conditions.

In short, the CIW's month-long hunger strike made the case for the Campaign for Fair Food that was to come, for the urgent need for intervention by the multi-billion dollar corporations that purchase Florida tomatoes to demand more modern, more humane conditions in the fields where their tomatoes are grown and picked.

Over the next twelve years, the Campaign for Fair Food grew into a national movement, and the Florida tomato industry continued its stubborn resistance to progress. Even after workers in Immokalee reached landmark agreements with the world's two largest fast-food corporations -- Yum Brands and McDonald's -- to help fund long-needed changes in Florida's tomato fields, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange threatened to fine any tomato grower willing to pass on the additional funds to improve their workers' wages. Yet the Campaign for Fair Food persevered, patiently building a critical mass of food industry leaders pledged to use their power as major tomato buyers to demand that Florida tomato growers help end poverty and abuses in the fields.

And this year, as the direct result of the collaboration of farmworkers and consumers through the Campaign for Fair Food, true transformation has begun: Three Florida tomato growers are now working with the CIW to implement the Fair Food agreements, including a substantial wage increase, a real voice for farmworkers, and a code of conduct for fair conditions in the fields.

Go to the CIW site today, www.ciw-online.org, where you'll find three stories from the end of this year that capture this pivotal moment in the Campaign from different perspectives. If you have a moment, take a look at the stories and, as you do, savor the fact that these changes can be traced -- day by day, battle by battle -- back to the small, storefront office in Immokalee where six workers took on the trillion-dollar food industry by refusing to eat until their demand for justice was heard.

Thanks - and Happy New Year from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers!

Steve Ells Challenged to a Debate on the Merits of the Campaign for Fair Food!

2009-12-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

In an incisive critique of Chipotle's asinine excuses for not joining the Campaign for Fair Food, Food and Society Fellow Sean Sellers has thrown down the virtual gauntlet and challenged Chipotle CEO Steve Ells to a debate. Below is an excerpt from the must-read article.

Read Sean's full article on Grist.org:
Food with Integrity?
Steve Ells, will you accept the "Chipotle Challenge?"

“Of course I’m not in favor of slavery! But signing an agreement [with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers] does not actually change those conditions for farmworkers,” Steve Ells, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, gibed in front of an audience of 250 at the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School of Business on November 19. “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.”

Ells’ defensive posture came in immediate response to a question posed by Marina Saenz-Luna, a staff member of Just Harvest USA, who works closely with the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Since 2006, the grassroots farmworker organization has petitioned Chipotle – a leading fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in gourmet burritos – to enter into an agreement to improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers. Four years later, farmworkers’ and consumers’ stomachs have soured in light of Chipotle’s persistent hostility towards the workers’ organization.

It didn’t have to be this way. Ells founded Chipotle in 1993 with an $85,000 start-up loan from his father. The venture has since bloomed into one of Fortune’s 100 fastest-growing companies with over 800 restaurant nationwide. Along the way, Chipotle has emerged as a self-styled leader in the fields of sustainable agriculture and socially responsible supply chain management through its highly publicized commitment to “Food With Integrity.”

Chipotle explains on its website that, “‘Food With Integrity’ isn’t a marketing slogan.” Rather, it “means working back along the food chain. It means going beyond distributors to discover how the vegetables are grown, how the pigs, cows and chickens are raised, where the best spices come from.” For his part, Ells, the chef-cum-corporate executive, reflects, “Learning about this dark side of modern agriculture made me want to find out how we could do things differently.”

Yet Chipotle has responded to the human rights crisis in Florida’s fields – including seven federally prosecuted cases of modern-day slavery since 1997 – with silence, evasion, and cynical spin. And Ells seemingly has no compunction about using his high-profile speaking engagements to spread misinformation about the CIW’s Campaign for Fair Food and the impact of his company’s policies on farmworkers.

What is at stake is not mere public relations dividends or quarrels over the meaning of “integrity.” Chipotle apparently believes that farmworkers are incapable of developing mutually beneficial solutions to the problems they face within the agricultural industry. And though Chipotle is but a tiny player within a massive food industry landscape, their stance flies in the face of core principles painstakingly advanced by the Campaign for Fair Food over the past decade: farmworker participation in the protection of their own labor rights; supply chain transparency; and third-party verification and monitoring.

It’s easy to shut down debate and mock earnest criticism when one stands alone at the podium and holds the microphone. But a closer reading of the recent exchange between Ells and Saenz-Luna belies a festering insecurity within Ells and his company over its chosen course of action.

So here’s my challenge: Let’s have a real debate, Mr. Ells, at any public forum of your choosing. After all, if you can’t back up your position, then integrity demands that you change it.

Read the full article on here at Grist.org.

Denver is on the move!

2009-12-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since we’ve provided an update. But that’s not because nothing has been happening in Denver. On the contrary, we’ve been too busy to have time to update everyone.

On Friday November 20th, the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board (SACAB; a student government body comprised of representatives from the three different universities housed on the Auraria Campus) passed a resolution urging the campus food service provider Sodexo to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The resolution reads in part:

“AHEC [Auraria Higher Education Center] has an ongoing contractual relationship for the provision of catering and dining services with the food service corporation Sodexo; and . . . we, SACAB Representatives, through our student fees, and the use of catering services fund this food service contract between AHEC and the Sodexo corporation . . . THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that SACAB urges the Sodexo corporation to meet with the CIW to negotiate the terms for directly improving Florida tomato pickers' wages by $.01 per pound of tomatoes, and, together with the CIW, implement an enforceable, human rights-based Code of Conduct for its tomato supply chain.”

The other student government bodies at Auraria are moving forward with passing resolutions of their own.

The same day as SACAB passed it’s resolution, students from throughout the Front Range gathered on the Auraria Campus to discuss participating in the Dine With Dignity campaign on the own campuses and coordinating their efforts with students throughout Denver and around the state. Sodexo is not only the food service provider on Auraria Campus but also on all the other campuses in Denver and many campuses throughout Colorado. And students from those many campuses are preparing to take action to hold Sodexo accountable for the human rights abuses occurring in it’s tomato supply chain.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Denver Fair Foodistas paid a visit to a certain Denver-based “fast casual” restaurant chain. No, not THAT restaurant chain. This time it was a visit to the corporate offices of sub-sandwich giant Quiznos. Unlike our other experiences with Denver’s other fast casual food corporations, Quiznos actually listened to us in a respectful manner and even expressed support for the principles of Fair Food. Of course, more than just words are needed; action is needed, and we will be watching Quiznos closely to ensure that it joins the growing mass of corporate food purchasers cooperating with the CIW to create a more just food system.

(We hope that Chipotle doesn’t like think that we’ve forgotten about it just because we’re paying attention to Quiznos. No need to feel left out, Chipotle, we've still got an eye for you!)

During this same busy week, Denver consumers also participated in the National Supermarket Week of Action by delivering letters to the mangers of King Sooper supermarkets demanding that Kroger (King Sooper’s parent company and the largest supermarket chain in the country) join in agreement with the CIW.

Throughout the country, the Campaign for Fair Food is pressing forward at rapid speed. Pickets, rallies, marches, letter drops, street theater and more have been breaking out from California to Florida. Just next week the CIW is holding a major march on headquarters of the Florida-based supermarket Publix while student and grassroot allies are planning a demonstration outside the corporate offices of food service provider Aramark in Philadelphia as part of the Fair Food Solidarity Tour led by United Workers.

Everyone in Denver has a lot to be proud of as part of this incredible movement.

Campus Gathering for 'Dine with Dignity'

2009-11-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

Friday, November 20th
2:00pm-4:00pm
at Auraria Campus
Multicultural Lounge, Tivoli Student Union builidng
900 Auraria Pkwy., Denver, CO
Map

Calling all students, faculty and staff from Front Range colleges and universities:
Join us for a meeting to share information and make plans for a "Dine with Dignity" Campaign targeting campus food service provider Sodexo.

Dine with Dignity is a campaign led by the Student/Farmworker Alliance in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to demand that major dining services contractors such as Sodexo take steps to improve the wages and protect the human rights of farmworkers who pick tomatoes bought by these companies.

These companies often hold monopolies on campus dining and catering and charge us exorbitant prices for meals and catering, while we have little input into what ends up on our plates, where it comes from or how it was produced. However by working together in alliance with farmworkers, we can hold Sodexo accountable to the demands of students and workers for human rights and greater participation at all levels of the food supply chain.

Sodexo is one of the largest food service providers in the country and has contracts with all the campuses in Denver -- Regis University, University of Denver and Auraria (home to University of Colorado Denver, Metro State College of Denver and Community College of Denver) -- as well as other universities in Colorado including Ft. Lewis College, Colorado State University and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

We hope we can coordinate our efforts to bring pressure to bear on Sodexo.

Contact Angelica@sfalliance.org for more info

Background:
Florida tomato pickers receive sub-poverty wages and are denied fundamental worker rights like overtime pay and the right to organize. They earn about 45 cents for every 32-lb. bucket of tomatoes they pick – a rate that has not changed significantly in 30 years. At that rate, a worker must harvest over 2.5 TONS of tomatoes to earn the equivalent of Florida minimum wage for a 10-hour workday. In the most extreme cases, this everyday sweatshop climate of little pay and little rights tips over into actual modern-day slavery. More info

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a Florida-based grassroots organization of farmworkers who are fighting for human rights and dignified working conditions. Their work combating modern-day slavery has garnered them international recognition.

Through the Campaign for Fair Food, the CIW in alliance with consumers has sought to hold major fast-food chains and food retailers accountable for the human rights crisis faced by farmworkers in their supply chains. The Campaign for Fair Food has led to precedent-setting agreements with Yum! Brands (owner of Taco Bell, KFC, and others), McDonald's, Burger King, Subway and Whole Foods. Most recently the CIW reached an agreement with Compass Group, one of the nation's largest campus food service providers.

For more background, see here.

Denver knows how to party!

2009-11-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

The people of Denver have been working hard for 2+ years to build alliances with and advance the grassroots struggle of farmworkers in Florida. And last Friday we celebrated our hard work, knowing that such bonds between communities are the foundation for the better world for which we're all fighting.

But we weren't just there to celebrate our past, imbibe tasty drinks, and enjoy delicious tomato-themed snacks. This was also a celebration of our future. Denver Fair Food has big plans for the struggle ahead and we need EVERYONE to join with us. There is a lot to watch out for including rumors of a campus upsurge against Sodexo, solidarity with grocery workers in negotiation with King Soopers, increasing scrunity of Denver's own Quizno's, and of course the ongoing struggle with Chipotle.

300 Defeated!

2009-11-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

In testament to the fact that there ain't no power like the power of the people 'cause the power of the people won't stop, a broad coalition of Mile High City organizations soudly defeated Initiative 300 with 70% of voters casting a whopping "NO."

The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition statement on the victory:

CIRC Celebrates Defeat of I-300, Vehicle Impound!

From the Denver Post:

Denver voters drive off vehicle-impoundment initiative

No on 300 / Chipotle's 'Integrity' slogan draws heat

2009-10-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Denver is encouraged to vote NO on Initiative 300 on the Denver ballot. To learn more go here. Also there are still important voluteer opportunities to get out the vote to defeat this initiative which you can inquire about here.

The 'vehicle impound initiative' was brought to the ballot by local anti-immigrant zealots, and it's impact will be disproportionately felt by poor people and communities of color. Everyone from the Libertarian Party to the police to the Denver Area Labor Federation oppose it. It is misleading, vague and dangerous.

Speaking of things which are misleading, vague and dangerous, Chipotle comes to mind. We want to share with you an article that actually got the story right about Chipotle where so many other journalists have failed. Coming to us from the Fresno Bee:

Chipotle's 'Integrity' slogan draws heat
Published online on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
by Jane Obra

As Chipotle Mexican Grill tests its new kids' menu, the company faces scrutiny over its slogan, "Food With Integrity."

First, some background: The Denver-based chain is pushing kids' meals -- such as the $3.95 taco kit and the $3.50 small meat and cheese quesadilla -- at its restaurants in Fig Garden Village, Clovis and Visalia.

There are deals on Sundays between Oct. 18 and Nov. 8. On these days, children get a free meal when their parents buy one adult entree.

To boost sales, Chipotle is touting its philosophy. The chain buys some organic and locally grown produce. It uses meat from humanely-raised animals; they are fed a vegetarian diet and are free of antibiotics and added hormones. And its cheese and sour cream don't come from cows treated with synthetic recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).

"It's never been more critical for kids to learn the importance of making smart food choices," says Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Chipotle. "We've found a way to make dining fun for kids and parents alike -- we fuss over quality ingredients so parents don't have to."

Well, some folks are fussing over Chipotle's use of Florida tomatoes. The nonprofit Coalition of Immokalee Workers says Chipotle doesn't do enough to ensure fair pay and safe conditions for the workers who pick its tomatoes.

Between December and May, the nation's tomato supply comes primarily from southern Florida. Pickers earn 45-50 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes, the coalition says. That's about the same wage they earned 40 years ago.

Some of these pickers even live in virtual slavery. Last year, the Navarrete family made headlines for its treatment of 12 immigrant farmworkers.

In court documents, workers described staying in locked trucks and shacks with no toilets. They say they were beaten and forced to pay for food, as well as the privilege of bathing with a garden hose. Brothers Cesar and Geovanni Navarrete pleaded guilty to counts of deprivation of civil rights.

It wasn't an isolated incident. Since the late 1990s, prosecutions in seven similar court cases resulted in the freedom of more than 1,000 workers.

By highlighting these problems, the coalition pressured Burger King, McDonald's, Subway and other retailers into paying a penny more per pound for Florida tomatoes -- a wage increase that would go directly to the pickers. These agreements with the coalition force retailers to buy only Florida tomatoes that meet a mutual code of conduct.

Chipotle did not sign an agreement with the coalition. Company spokesman Chris Arnold told the Rocky Mountain News in 2006 that its Florida tomato suppliers met Chipotle's standards.
"Just because an activist group doesn't like what we're doing, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with what we're doing," Arnold said. "Not all tomato growers are the same. They're painting all of the Florida tomato industry with the same brush."

Chipotle offered another reason for resisting an agreement with the coalition. The Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, which counts most Florida tomato growers as members, forbade the growers from paying workers the extra money. About $1.5 million in payments for farmworkers sits in an escrow account, says Lucas Benitez, a member of the coalition.

A breakthrough occurred when East Coast Growers and Packers, which bills itself as one of Florida's three largest tomato growers, dropped out of the exchange. It has since signed deals directly with Chipotle, Compass Group (a leading food service company) and McDonald's, pledging to pass on the penny-per-pound raise to the farmworkers, says Batista Madonia Jr., East Coast's vice president and sales manager.

East Coast is the third farm to pass the penny-per-pound raise directly to workers. In June, Lady Moon Farms and Alderman Farms signed a similar agreement with Whole Foods Market.
Benitez praises Whole Foods, Compass Group and McDonald's for having agreements with both the coalition and these farms.

He is wary about Chipotle because the coalition doesn't have oversight of its agreement with East Coast.

Chipotle benefits from good publicity over its relationship with East Coast, but it "is not obligated to continue to pay the penny and to continue to empower the code of conduct because they don't have any agreement with the farmworkers," Benitez says.
For its part, Chipotle declined to provide its code of conduct, but Arnold says it explicitly addresses "such important issues as third-party auditing, treatment of workers, wages and working conditions, and pesticide and chemical usage, among others."
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The columnist can be reached at jobra@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6365. Read her blog at fresnobeehive.com/ author/joan_obra.

"Our tomatoes are picked by slaves"

2009-10-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

This photo was snapped in April of 2006 somewhere around the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Aside from it bringing a smile to our faces, we're sharing it here today not in order to claim that Chipotle's tomatoes are or ever have been picked by slave labor. Perhaps Chipotle would like to answer that question?

What we do have to say is just a quick comment on what will be necessary to end the all too real slavery in the Florida agricultural industry and Chipotle’s failure in this regard.

We propose that the elimination of slavery will necessitate that farmworkers have the ability to participate at all levels in the protection of their own rights. After all, since it is farmworkers’ powerlessness and lack of a voice in the industry which has set the stage for them to be easily exploited and at times enslaved, ending that exploitation would logically require that farmworkers have greater power over their lives and labor and be able to decide for themselves what’s in their best interest. Furthermore, the incredible progress which we are witnessing toward farmworker justice has come about only because farmworkers themselves joined together as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and fought for it – without the people in the fields leading the struggle, change would never and will never occur.

What did Chipotle exclude from its recent agreement with East Coast Growers which it boasts will improve the wages of tomato pickers? Chipotle excluded farmworkers from participating at any level in the protection of their own rights.

Excluding farmworkers from developing, monitoring and enforcing the standards which they believe are necessary for the defense of their rights is a sure fire way to stall improvements of working conditions and make reforms meaningless. It is the perfect way to maintain a status quo in which exploitation and abuse thrive.

Chipotle’s approach comes in stark contrast to the recent other agreement that East Coast Growers made to improve the wages and working conditions of farmworkers – this one with the CIW and the major food service provider Compass Group. Not only does the East Coast, CIW, Compass agreement, provide for much higher standards for workers’ rights and working conditions than Chipotle's, but at the heart there is a fundamental difference which Rev. Noelle Damico beautifully captured at the announcement of the agreement: “This is not an agreement in which farmworkers are ‘done unto.’ Farmworkers have been full partners in the creation of this agreement and will be full partners in its implementation, because the agreement and its partners recognize each other as human beings who are entitled to respect, voice, and participation.”

Talk all it will about antibiotic-free chicken, “food with integrity,” and even making “a difference in the lives of workers who pick tomatoes for Chipotle,” Chipotle is still on the side of slavery as long as it is not on the side of workers. Sin el pueblo no hay la justicia.

Party for Fair Food! A Celebration of Two Years and Going of Farmworker Solidarity in Denver

2009-10-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Friday, November 6

7:30pm - ????

FREE, All Ages

@ the Flobots' Community Space

2705 Larimer St.Denver, CO

Denver Fair Food is throwing a party! After two years of success and struggle, we believe it is long past due to thank the broader Denver metro community for its inspiring, unwavering support of the Campaign for Fair Food.

As a small token of gratitude to the Mile High City, we at Denver Fair Food would like to invite you, your friends, and your family to a night of celebration at the Flobots' community space.

There will be music, drinks, amazing people and plenty of tomato-themed snacks! As well as slide shows from our actions in Denver, campaign updates, visioning for the future, and artwork from the movement!

Since the Campaign for Fair Food still has a long way to go - such as the ongoing campaign against Chipotle and new campaigns against King Soopers and others - and here in Denver we plan on seeing it all the way through, this celebration is not just of the past but of the future. What a great opportunity to get plugged in to the campaign if you have been disconnected lately or are looking for how to begin contributing to this beautiful movement!

Denver Fair Food: we are community members in and around Denver who work in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a grassroots human rights organization of farmworkers working to end modern-day slavery and sweatshop labor conditions in Florida agriculture. Through an alliance of Denver residents and Florida workers, we seek to transform the purchasing practices of the corporate food industry in order to advance the human rights of farmworkers at the bottom of corporate supply chains.

Student/Farmworker Alliance E-Action!

2009-10-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

In concert with the Student/Farmworker Alliance's "Dine with Dignity" national week of action, the Student Labor Action Project has launched an e-action. It takes just a second to participate and will make a strong statement for Sodexo and Aramark to join the Campaign for Fair Food.

Just click the link below!

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/harvestofshame/

"Greatest Victory for Farmworkers since Cesar Chavez in the 1970s"

2009-10-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

As this blog noted earlier, on September 25, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Compass Group, and East Coast Growers announced "sweeping changes to benefit tomato harvesters" at a press conference in the nation's capital! Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis attended the event, lending firm support to the Campaign for Fair Food.

Not only has Compass, the world's largest food service provider, embraced the principles of the Campaign for Fair Food - representing another major victory for the CIW in and of itself . . .

. . . But finally - for the first time - farmworkers, retail food leaders and growers are working together as true partners in the protection of farmworker rights. The vision so relentlessly pursued by the CIW of an agricultural industry in which farmworkers are not treated as machines to be exploited but as equals who have a rightful voice in the decisions which impact their lives, is finally beginning to come to fruition!

That is why Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser said of the agreement: "There's no question that this is the greatest victory for farmworkers since Cesar Chavez in the 1970s."

To see what others are saying go to the CIW website (http://www.ciw-online.org/). For all the details about the agreement read the joint press release. Also be sure to check out the CIW's exclusive photo report from the event.

To conclude, we'd like to highlight one statement from the press conference - that of Rev. Noelle Damico of the Prebyterian Church (USA) - which illuminates so well the failings of other food companies who have recently made big new claims to supporting the rights of farmworkers:

"The mutual respect that is demonstrated in this agreement [between CIW, Compass and East Coast Growers] and at this signing is the fuel that will propel the promise of this agreement into its reality... This agreement is significant because it reminds our society of the fundamental dignity and equality we share as human beings. This is not an agreement in which farmworkers are 'done unto.' Farmworkers have been full partners in the creation of this agreement and will be full partners in its implementation, because the agreement and its partners recognize each other as human beings who are entitled to respect, voice, and participation."

We hope Chipotle Mexican Grill is paying attention.

"The Beginning of the End of the Harvest of Shame"

2009-09-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Make sure you stay up to date on the exciting new victory for the Campaign for Fair Food!

Compass/Coaltion of Immokalee Workers Press Release
From the Coalition of Immokalee Workers

From the Student/Farmworker Alliance
"A Compass for Fair Food" from The Nation
"Tomato Workers Win New Pay Deal" from News Press
"Tomato Pickers' Penny per Pound is 'Right Before God'" from FloridaCatholic
"Farmworkers' Wages to Increase" from the Washington Post (or see below)

After over a decade of struggle, one thing is clear: the CIW and the Campaign for Fair Food are winning! With the largest fast food, food service, and natural grocery companies on board, we can't help thing out loud, "how long until Chipotle formally joins us on the winning side of justice?"

Farm Workers' Wages to Increase Under Labor Agreement

2009-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Farm Workers' Wages to Increase Under Labor Agreement

By Jane Black

Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 25, 2009; 2:34 PM

In what Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis called a "huge victory" for farm workers, one of the country's largest food service companies announced Friday that it will buy winter tomatoes only from growers that pay a fair wage and offer good working conditions.

The Compass Group, which buys 10 million pounds of tomatoes annually, will pay an additional 1.5 cents per pound for all the tomatoes it purchases; one cent per pound will go directly to the workers.

That might not sound like a lot. But it will boost workers' wages from 50 cents for a 32-pound bucket to 82 cents per bucket, a 64 percent raise. The decision, made in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a South Florida farm workers organization, also includes a strict code of conduct to monitor hours worked and employee safety. East Coast Growers and Packers, the third-largest tomato grower in Florida, has agreed to Compass's terms.

"The future of Florida agriculture is contained within this agreement," said Lucas Benitez, co-founder of the CIW. "It is a future founded on mutual respect and mutual benefit."

The Compass agreement is another sign of how American companies are expanding their definitions of sustainability. This year, Starbucks launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign trumpeting the ethical production of its coffee. In March, Unilever announced that all the tea sold under the Lipton brand had been certified by the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit organization that mandates worker welfare standards.

"It's no longer only about the nutritional value of food but how it's produced and collected," Solis said in an interview at the Newseum, where the agreement was announced. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack could not attend the event, but, in a message delivered by Solis, he called the agreement a "meaningful step, not only for tomato harvesters, but as an expression of the value of farm workers in our agricultural system as a whole."

Compass is not the first to sign an agreement with the CIW: McDonalds, Burger King and Yum Brands also have agreed to pay higher wages. But many workers never saw the money. In 2007, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, a trade association that says it represents more than 90 percent of state production, barred its members from passing on the increase to workers. The CIW estimates that as much as $1.5 million is being held in escrow.

With the promise of business from Compass and other large food corporations such as McDonalds, East Coast decided to resign from the growers exchange. "It's an unpopular decision with my competition," said Batista Madonia Jr., East Coast's vice president and sales manager. "But it doesn't cost our business anything. And it was the right thing to do."

Compass first became involved with the coalition in April, when its subsidiary Bon Appetit Management Co. issued a challenge to Florida growers: If no tomato grower would pass on the extra penny to the workers and improve working conditions, Bon Appetit would not serve tomatoes in the winter at its 400 college and corporate cafeterias.

Bon Appetit was not big enough to sway any of the large growers; last month, it cut a deal with independent tomato grower Alderman Farms. But its efforts did attract the attention of its corporate parent, which operates 10,000 cafeterias in public schools, hospitals and government buildings, including the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

"We hope this will set the standard for other food service companies," said Chris Ashcroft, executive vice president of human resources at Compass. "We're using our leverage for change."

Celebrating a victory while continuing to call on Chipotle...

2009-09-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

East Coast Growers and Packers -- one of Florida's largest tomato growers -- has agreed to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and food industry leaders to implement the CIW'S Fair Food agreements, including the penny-per-pound raise to harvesters, supply chain transparency, and a stringent code of conduct! This is a major victory in the Campaign for Fair Food and for all of us in Denver who have been working in solidarity with the CIW. In many ways it represents the culmination of the over 15 years of struggle by the CIW -- what may very well be a turning point in Florida farm labor power relations.

This major breakthrough was made possible by the growing purchasing power that the CIW in alliance with consumers nationwide have marshaled behind the principles of the Campaign for Fair Food -- the more than 65,000 restaurants across the country represented by Yum! Brands, McDonalds, Burger King, and Subway that are now committed to buying from growers that work with the CIW to implement the penny per pound wage increase, code of conduct, and farmworker participation in the monitoring system. Ultimately it was the collective purchasing power of those food industry giants that broke the two-year old logjam created by the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange's resistance to the CIW's campaign.

Furthermore, thanks to the CIW's Fair Food agreements, these companies will be working in partnership with the farmworkers of the CIW in a transparent manner in order to ensure that the farmworkers are receiving the wage increase and that the code of conduct is being followed.

Chipotle, however...

Last week, before the agreement with East Coast could be made public by the CIW or any of the other parties involved, Chipotle issued a press release claiming the agreement as the product of its labors alone.

Chipotle, rather than make a transparent, formal commitment to work with the CIW to implement a real code of conduct and the penny per pound wage increase, has seized instead on this latest news in an effort to score cheap public relations points. Indeed the only thing transparent about Chipotle's surprise press release was the brazenness of their decision to take sole credit for something it couldn't have accomplished on its own in a million years.

Just do the math.

Total market share of companies in formal agreements with the CIW, agreements that commit those companies to buying from any participating grower: over 65,000 restaurants.

Chipotle: 830

While Chipotle may have been involved in a multi-party process that brought about the East Coast decision, there is no disputing the fact that Chipotle was -- by far -- the smallest piece of the puzzle. And yet, Chipotle was the only company to jump out alone and shout from the highest mountain, "Look what I did!"

Looks like someone might have been a little too eager to wash over the public relations mess left behind by the "Food, Inc." fiasco. Unfortunately, no amount of grandstanding can substitute for real reform.

To be clear: Chipotle still has not signed an agreement with the CIW to pay the penny per pound and has not agreed to work with them to implement a code of conduct which would guarantee farmworkers the ability to participate in the protection of their own rights. There is no way for the CIW to verify that Chipotle is even paying the penny per pound, as there is no agreement on regular reporting or transparency.

East Coast's agreement to work with the CIW is something we should celebrate -- while we continue to call on Chipotle to do the right thing. (See the CIW website for all the latest.)

At long last, a grower steps forward!

2009-09-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

The following update from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers announces an incredible victory in the Campaign for Fair Food.

Unfortunately, Chipotle has released confusing and misleading information about it's role in this triumph. This blog will no doubt have more to say about Chipotle's latest PR antics. For now though we refer you to our post Celebrating a victory while continuing to call on Chipotle....

With the start of the new season only weeks away, East Coast Growers and Packers -- one of Florida's largest tomato growers -- has agreed to work with the CIW and food industry leaders to implement the CIW'S Fair Food agreements, including the penny-per-pound raise to harvesters, supply chain transparency, and a stringent code of conduct.

The agreements -- six in all, among them the world's four largest restaurant companies and the leading organic grocer -- had been held up for nearly two years by the resistance of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE), the powerful industry lobby.
"The past two years have been difficult, as farmworkers in Immokalee and throughout Florida have been stubbornly denied the benefits of the Fair Food agreements thanks to the FTGE," said Lucas Benitez of the CIW. "But we never stopped organizing, and during those two years some of the industry's largest buyers of tomatoes signed on to the agreements, creating an ever larger share of the market committed to purchasing tomatoes only from growers who agree to meet the higher standards called for by the CIW."

"We are extremely pleased that East Coast has shown the courage and the vision to seize on this tremendous opportunity and by so doing help lead the Florida tomato industry toward a fairer, more sustainable future," added Gerardo Reyes, also of the CIW. "We will be working closely with East Coast and our food industry partners in the coming weeks to ensure that we have an effective mechanism in place for passing the penny-per-pound to the workers and a solid plan for monitoring compliance with the code of conduct. There is still much work to be done but, at long last, we are working together, and when we work together -- farmworkers, growers, retailers, and consumers -- we can forge a relationship that will benefit all of us."

With a major grower now committed to implementing the CIW agreements, the Campaign for Fair Food turns to those companies that have remained on the sidelines, companies like Publix and Kroger, Sodexo and Aramark, Wendy's and Quizno's, Costco and WalMart.

The familiar excuses for inaction -- "we don't get involved in disputes between our suppliers and their employees," or "but there's no way to get the penny to the workers" -- no longer hold.

The question to those companies now is simple: Will your company support social responsibility? Will your company put its purchasing power behind those in the Florida tomato industry who are willing to do the right thing for their workers, or will you continue to support the growers who stand against progress?

The time for stalling is over. Now, to borrow a phrase, is the season for action.

Thanks,
Coalition of Immokalee Workers

No justice, no sustainability: ‘Time’ was right about cheap food—but forgot farmworkers

2009-09-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

This is a great article published at Grist.org and takes Chipotle to task for leaving farmworkers out of its definition of "sustainable."

By Sean Sellers

The widely read recent Time cover story “Getting Real about the High Price of Cheap Food” is a useful complement to current discussions about our food system. It offers further evidence of the mainstreaming of ideas and practices that were considered radical or irrelevant a mere decade ago.

But the author errs by avoiding any mention of the three million farm laborers who pick our fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, this omission is not simply limited to one article. Rather the idea that farmworkers somehow exist apart from our food system routinely comes across as the conventional wisdom framing many discussions about sustainability.

The undeniable reality is that farmworkers form the base of the food industry, and their brutal exploitation dates back centuries. It is reasonable to point out that the U.S. has never fully grappled with the noxious legacies of racism, violence, and disenfranchisement that underwrote the growth of much large-scale agriculture: first in the form of chattel slavery; and later with convict labor, sharecropping, and debt peonage.

Today, migrant farmworkers are among the poorest, least-protected workers in the nation. The Department of Labor describes them as a workforce “in significant economic distress,” and leading social scientists corroborate these findings. Farmworkers toil on both conventional and organic farms, often in similarly degraded working conditions.

In Florida, the poverty and powerlessness at the heart of the agricultural industry have created fertile ground for modern-day slavery. In the last decade alone, federal prosecutors have uncovered seven cases of forced labor in Florida’s fields preying upon native-born and immigrant workers alike. These prosecuted cases are, as the U.S. Attorney’s office says, just the tip of the iceberg.

Yet there are hopeful signs amidst this dire human rights crisis, as well as important opportunities for sustainable agriculture advocates.

The Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is leading a strategic, broadly supported reform effort. To improve tomato harvesters’ wages and working conditions, the CIW has forged innovative accords with Whole Foods Market and Bon Apetit Management Company, as well as the world’s four largest fast-food companies (Yum Brands, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway). The agreements harness the purchasing power of large buyers to raise the harvesting wage floor, create a structural voice for workers in the industry, and establish market consequences for growers who use forced labor. These companies deserve credit for exhibiting leadership on an issue of pressing importance.

Foodie darling Chipotle, however, steadfastly refuses the historic opportunity to partner with the CIW. The company has instead opted for a go-it-alone approach to address farmworker exploitation. This deserves scrutiny. In an industry with such an overwhelming imbalance of power between employer and employee, farmworkers are uniquely situated to identify the root cause of the problems they face and advance practical solutions. Their participation at all levels is vital to any meaningful change.
Human rights are integral to real sustainability. It is past time to bring farmworkers in from the periphery of these discussions, particularly when the abuses in question are so flagrant and systemic. Any honest reckoning with our food system - from magazine articles to supply chain purchasing policies - must treat farmworkers as indispensable partners worthy of a seat at the table.

Sean Sellers is a Food and Society Fellow at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

On Our Own Terms: Become a Sustaining Member of SFA Today!

2009-08-31T08:26:00.001-07:00

Sign up today! - http://sfalliance.org/sustainer.html

"Becoming a sustainer is one of the easiest and most direct ways to enable this important work to continue on its own terms." -Sean, former SFA staff member

How much do you spend every week on coffee or beer? Every month?

How much do you spend when you go to the movies?

What if, for a fraction of what you might spend on those items, you could make a monthly contribution to help the Student/Farmworker Alliance — one of today's most dynamic youth and student movements fighting for economic justice — achieve new victories and climb new heights as we work to transform our food system (and build a base of stable, independent, no-strings-attached, grassroots funding in the process)?

Today you can. Click here <http://sfalliance.org/sustainer.html> for more information on this exciting new campaign and to become a Student/Farmworker Alliance Sustaining Member!

As a SFA Sustaining Member, a small monthly contribution of your choice ($5, $10...) will automatically and securely be deducted from your bank or credit account to help our movement grow.

We've set a very lofty goal that we'll only reach with all of your support: To sign up enough Sustaining Members so that SFA earns at least $1,000/month, nearly covering an entire SFA staff member's salary and allowing us to divert that money to our exciting organizing work!

And, as if helping to build a national student/youth movement and securing human rights and dignified wages for farmworkers wasn't enough, we have some exciting incentives and goodies in store for Sustainers: check out the details at <http://sfalliance.org/sustainergoods.html>, where you could also find talking points and info to help you recruit other Sustainers.

On the eve of our 5th-annual Encuentro and a season of intense organizing and action around the Dine with Dignity campaign, our movement is stronger than ever. It also needs your support more than ever. We all know that money is tight in these tough economic times, but with just a small contribution, you (& your friends, family members, and co-workers) can strengthen our movement as we continue to fight for fair food, dignity, and respect!

In Solidarity,
The Immokalee crew & 2009 SFA Steering Committee

“I see something special when I see SFA in action. It gives me hope that this world will be a better place, and I see us transforming it little by little, one corporate giant after another." - Juan, SFA member

--> http://sfalliance.org/sustainer.html <--

When will we be satisfied? Delivering the open letter to chipotle and reflecting on the negotiable and non-negotiable in human rights

2009-08-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

When we presented Chipotle with the names 16,000 people, including key leaders from the food justice and sustainable food movements – not to mention the makers of the very film that Chipotle CEO Steve Ells thinks everyone should go see – who signed an open letter to the company stating that “we view the CIW’s struggle for dignity as a non-negotiable part of the struggle for a sustainable food system,” the company did not embrace the call of thousands of concerned consumers that it “work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers as true partners in the protection of farmworker rights.” Instead the company told us, in more words or less, that the human rights of farmworkers are negotiable and can be negated for their business preferences.

To give a little background, in July Chipotle announced that it was sponsoring 32 free screenings around the country of the hard-hitting new documentary Food, Inc. As part of its long-running efforts to align itself with the growing movement for sustainable food, Chipotle explained that “the issues raised by the film Food, Inc. are important and complex, and everything we do at Chipotle strives to address them.”

But the many allies of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers were not about to let Chipotle off the hook so easily. For far too long, Chipotle has left out a vital perspective from its vision of sustainable food – that is the view from farmworkers, the women and men who perform the difficult and dangerous work of harvesting the food we eat. Just a few weeks before Chipotle announced it’s Food, Inc. promotional deal, more than two-dozen prominent activists from the sustainable food and food justice worlds issued the above-mentioned open letter to Chipotle. Among the letter’s signers are none other than the director of Food, Inc. Robert Kenner and co-producer Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation).

Outside the Chipotle-sponsored Food, Inc. screenings, Fair Food activists circulated the open letter among moviegoers and collected more signatures of support. American Rights at Work, a Washington, D.C.-based labor rights organization, also circulated the letter nationwide and encouraged concerned consumers to call and Tweet Chipotle. In the resulting public relations blow back, food, social justice, environmental blogs and even an investor blog scrutinized the contradiction between Chipotle’s stated committed to “food with integrity” and its failure to adequately address the human rights crisis faced by the farmworkers. Robert Kenner and Eric Schlosser also reiterated their support for the CIW and their disagreement with Chipotle regarding the company’s response to the Coalition.

All told, activists spoiled Chipotle’s public relations party in over a dozen cities, generated hundreds of tweets (becoming a top Twitter petition) and made over 600 phone calls to Chipotle headquarters. More than 16,000 people emailed Chipotle and added their names to the open letter.

Knowing that emails and phone calls can be ignored all too easily, last Wednesday members of Denver Fair Food along with compañeros from Denver’s labor, student and community organizations delivered in person to Chipotle headquarters the open letter with all its signers.

The two Chipotle public relations spin doctors – Chris Arnold and Joe Stupp – who eventually met with us seemed untouched by many signers to the letter insisting to us that, while Chipotle isn’t willing to join in formal agreement, they are “working with the CIW” to find a grower who will pass along the penny-per-pound wage increase to the workers.

But Chipotle is unwilling to guarantee that it will not back out of its penny-per-pound payments, unwilling to share information about its supply chain or verify that it is doing what it claims, unwilling to include the CIW in the development and enforcement of a worker rights code of conduct for its tomato suppliers, and unwilling to maintain an open line of dialog with the CIW about these issues – hardly what could be described as an “working relationship.” It’s Chipotle's equivolent to confusing flirtation over a phone dating service with the bonds of holy matrimony.

Eventually the Chipotle representatives conceded that “we are working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers . . . okay maybe not to their satisfaction but we are working with them.” In one of his most famous speeches, MLK stated: “There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’” To which he reponded: “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors . . . as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity . . . No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”

Likewise, today the CIW cannot be satisfied with the actions Chipotle has taken in response to the dire crisis faced by farmworkers. Farmworkers deserve a fair wage, and none of us can be satisfied as long as Chipotle refuses to guarantee that it will not back out of its commitment to contributing to one. Farmworkers have a fundamental right to have a voice in the industry of which they are a part, and we will never be satisfied as long as Chipotle denies them the ability to participate in the decisions which impact their lives. Proctecting the rights of farmworkers is not possible without transparency about purchasers’ business practices, and we cannot be satisfied while Chipotle continues to meet us with only secrecy and closed doors. We cannot be satisfied with Chipotle’s response any more than we can ever tolerate the existence of poverty, exploitation and slavery.

When we repeated our position – and the position of thousands of others – that “we view the CIW’s struggle for dignity as a non-negotiable part of the struggle for a sustainable food system,” the chipotle representatives told us that we should “recognize that things are negotiable and that there are no non-negotiables . . . recognizing that there is more than one way to solve a problem, instead of saying: here is the one solution – take it.”

There are certainly multiple solutions to any problem. But is that the same as saying there are no non-negotiables, nothing so fundamental, so valuable that it cannot be sacrificed? Human rights are non-negotiable; human dignity cannot be taken away when it becomes inconvenient. And therefore, the solutions to human rights problems must be embraced fully regardless of the burden. There are not steps which can be left out because they do not mesh with your preferences – not without compromising the solution for which you are working.

The fact is that Chipotle’s “solution” to the human rights crisis in Florida’s fields is not a solution at all. While no one from Chipotle would out right say that farmworker poverty is an acceptable price to pay so that Chipotle can avoid a binding commitment or that a little bit of slavery in its supply chain is preferable to joining in a formal agreement with the CIW, Chipotle’s actions speak loudly that continuing its preferred manner of doing business is more important to it than doing everything possible to ensure that farmworkers’ human rights are respected. Without accountability, transparency or the participation of farmworkers, there is no vehicle through which to make human rights in the fields a reality and all Chipotle’s promises amount to little more than words on paper – pretty maybe, but meaningless.

These are principles far too important to be negotiable – to be sacrificed for the sake of other interests – because they form the very basis upon which farmworkers can actualize their human rights and dignity. If Chipotle proposes an innovative new way for implementing these principles or thinks a particular idea is best suited to its supply chain, then I’m sure the CIW will listen with open ears. There is more than one way to solve a problem. But until then we will never be satisfied.

“No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”

View the unedited video from our debate with Chipotle’s PR reps:

Tweet Chipotle - Give Chipotle your 2 cents (it's more than they're giving farmworkers!)

2009-08-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Another message from American Rights @ Work: now there are even more ways to keep the pressure on Chipotle!

We're getting their attention, but we need to keep the pressure on if we want Chipotle to live up to its "food with integrity" promise.

Call 1-888-899-0017 today!

It's official. You've got Chipotle feeling the heat.

When we told you that Chipotle was standing by while the farmworkers who pick their tomatoes faced abuse and exploitation in the fields, you and over 16,000 others wrote Chipotle CEO Steve Ells, demanding that Chipotle live up to its "food with integrity" promise.

As a major buyer, Chipotle knows they have the power to intervene for the farmworkers.

We need your help to keep the pressure on and let Chipotle know that integrity can't be bought with half-efforts and excuses.

You've already signed our petition but there are a few simple ways you can help us keep the pressure on Chipotle:

*Spread the word, and ask your friends to join you by signing the petition to Chipotle.

*Help flood Chipotle's offices with calls in support of the farmworkers. Just dial 888-899-0017 and follow the easy instructions.

*Share this effort on Facebook and make sure your friends know you're taking a stand for farmworkers.

*Sign our Twitter petition to Chris Arnold, Chipotle's PR rep, urging Chipotle to partner with Florida farmworkers and end the exploitation.

To sign, just click here, and then click the "Sign and Tweet" button. If you've never used Twitter, you can set up a new account and sign the petition at the same time! NOTE: You may have to try a few times to get through if Twitter's web servers are busy.

Your actions now will help Florida farmworkers fight unimaginable abuse and exploitation. The average farmworker puts in a 10 hour day in the scorching Florida sun and must pick two and a half TONS of produce a day to earn $50 - that's only $10,000 per year. Powerful companies like Chipotle need to know they have a responsibility to exert their influence and give a fair deal to the workers who help boost their bottom lines.

That's why we're going to keep turning up the heat until Chipotle does the right thing and lives by their own "food with integrity" pledge. With your help, we can do just that.

We'll keep you posted, and thanks for all that you do.

-Liz, Manny, Elizabeth B., and the American Rights at Work team

P.S. If you've never signed a Twitter petition before, just click here and click the "Sign and Tweet" button. Signing our Twitter petition will make a huge impact because the signatures are public. If enough of us sign, Chipotle will be forced to respond! (NOTE: You may have to try a few times to get through if Twitter's web servers are busy.)

P.P.S. If you're already on Twitter, once you've signed the petition you can also help us spread the word about Chipotle by tweeting about the farmworkers. Make sure to use the hashtag: #Chipotle