Week of action galvanizes national petition drive & movement for fair food!
April 8, 2008 - The 2008 Student/Labor Week of Action has come to a successful close with students taking action for economic justice and human rights in communities across the US. Check out the picture slideshow from the SLWoA as well as highlights and brief reports here! The CIW's National Petition Campaign was a central theme of the Week of Action and continues to grow as thousands of consumers demand that Burger King and other food industry leaders take the necessary steps to end human rights abuses and modern-day slavery in the fields, and pledge to boycott Burger King if it fails to do so. From the upcoming Senate Hearings in DC to the April 28 petition delivery and action at BK headquarters in Miami, get ready for an action-packed few weeks as the Campaign for Fair Food heats up!
CIW: "Let us together - workers and consumers - launch a petition campaign to end modern-day slavery and the everyday sweatshop conditions that enable it to flourish in the 21st century." February 27, 2008 - The CIW has launched a National Petition Campaign to End Sweatshops and Modern-Day Slavery in the fields. Joining the petition drive, SFA announces a national student & youth day of action this March 31, 2008 - one of the first days of this year's Student/Labor Week of Action and Farmworker Awareness Week and the birthday of Cesar Chavez.
Background: Seven years have passed since the launch of the Taco Bell boycott; a year has passed since Burger King publicly rejected the CIW's demands and launched a campaign to take away the gains made through the Yum Brands and McDonald's agreements; and just one month has passed since a federal indictment was handed down for the 7th case of modern-day slavery in the fields over the past decade. And still, Burger King refuses to take responsibility for the degradation and sweatshop conditions endemic to the industry that supplies its tomatoes. It is time to say enough. Standing together as workers and consumers, with the national petition drive as our tool, we can make the latest slavery case the last.
Powerful actions rock BK from Austin to Miami February 14, 2008 - No love for Burger King! That was the message brought to the Miami-based burger chain by hundreds of students and farmworkers this past weekend from Austin, Texas to New York City to Miami. In Miami, SFA and CIW teamed with United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) to bring over 250 students from across the country and 50 farmworkers from Immokalee together for a raucous protest of a BK restaurant across from Florida International University. In Austin, local fair foodistas hosted representatives from Immokalee for a weekend of education and action including a march on Burger King and a delegation to Austin-based supermarket chain Whole Foods' headquarters. And finally, CIW and SFA shared some lessons from the successful Taco Bell boycott with some friends in New York as part of of Israeli Apartheid Week, connecting struggles with old and new allies. All told, it was a busy weekend of raising consciousness, spreading the message of the Campaign for Fair Food, and putting BK on notice that it can only expect more and larger actions in the weeks and months ahead.
"Tomato Freakout," days of action, and more: Time for the Movement for Fair Food to get back to work! January 14, 2008 - Want to make BK execs really freakout this month? Now's your chance. We're calling on SFA members to grab a camera today and capture their own reactions to Burger King's sweatshop-produced burgers, a la the latest flashy ad campaign from the world's #2 burger chain. Click here for all the details, then get to your local Burger King today and show 'em if there's anything to "freakout" about at Burger King, it's the human rights crisis in Florida's tomato fields. The holiday doldrums are over, it's time to get back to work! Click on the links below to see how you can take action today!
Plus: Updates from the campaign:
BK campaign to escalate in upcoming months... December 20, 2007 - As another year in the Campaign for Fair Food comes to a close, we invite you to check out some of the highlights from the past 12 months - from the monumental victory in the McDonald's campaign to the escalating struggle with Burger King - by clicking here (and scrolling up).
1,500+ rally at Burger King headquarters December 5, 2007 - The hugely successful 2007 March on Burger King brought together farmworkers, students, and others for a colorful and undeniable action through Miami and rally in front of BK's corporate headquarters. This — the second major mobilization pulled off by farmworkers and their allies this year — marks another clarion call to the fast-food industry that it is time, finally, for it to take responsibility for the poverty and human rights abuses in the fields where its tomatoes are harvested. From the action on the campus of Florida International University just days earlier, to the Concert for Fair Food capping off the weekend's events, students and youth came out to prove to BK that we do, indeed, care about human rights and our own dignity as consumers and as youth. Check out the links below for reports, multimedia and breaking news as the Movement for Fair Food continues!
In the weeks and months ahead, as Burger King continues its heinous and cynical strategy of teaming with the most retrograde elements in the Florida tomato industry to not only reject the demands of the CIW and its allies, but to also take away the hard-won gains of recent years, it's more important than ever for SFA to step up the pressure and the commitment to see this campaign through to victory. So too will we be looking at the cast of characters behind this story — from BK execs such as Steve Grover to the private equity owners (and Board members) of BK such as Goldman Sachs to BK ad agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky — and sharpening our strategies and skills to take them on... Stay tuned Burger King sabotages progress; undaunted, Movement for Fair Food gathers in Miami November 29, 2007 - CIW: "In the wake of our agreements with Yum Brands and McDonald's, we have arrived on the threshold of a more modern, more humane agricultural industry in Florida. Yet rather than join us on that path toward further progress, Burger King has allied itself with tomato industry representatives to push us back, back toward the same abuse and exploitation we have experienced for decades. But we will not be turned back. We will not give up the gains we have already won, and we will continue forward until all of Florida's farmworkers can enjoy a fair wage and humane conditions in this state's fields." On the heels of Kingdoom actions, attention turns to Miami mobilization! Almost 30 events & actions held in 14 states demanding Burger King do the right thing! November 12, 2007 - This Halloween season was particularly frightening for Burger King as SFA members held almost 30 educational events and protests calling on BK to stop the lies, stop the stalling, and start working with the CIW to truly address the sweatshop conditions and poverty faced by workers who pick its tomatoes. Check inside for just some of the pictures and highlights from around the country. It's time for Burger King to join Yum and McD's in helping to nudge Florida agriculture out of the ditch of perpetual exploitation. It's time for us, as Burger King's target demographic, to stand for justice and dignity for farmworkers and young people alike. Join us in Miami as we take that stand!
"Doom Days" quickly approaching for the King as CIW & allies step up pressure October 10, 2007 - On the heels of the sucessful CIW MiniTour, and as Burger King executives try to dig themselves out of their own pile of lies, SFA members will take to the streets across the country for the Kingdoom Days of Action demanding that Burger King take responsibility for the sweatshop conditions and human rights abuses in its tomato supply chain. From October 27 through November 4, join in for a week of creative Burger King actions to keep the heat on the King as we build toward the major march & rally on Burger King headquarters in Miami, Florida this November 30!
Lies and the lying liars who tell them... Update: October 10, 2007 - see all the details inside! If you can't attack the message, attack the messenger - Burger King caught in blatant lie, fast-food giant's PR strategy grows desperate! September 27, 2007 - When your opponent is left with nothing but lies in its defense, victory can’t be long in coming. That's the lesson we're taking from Burger King's recent behavior - which has included claims that "the CIW is asking BK to write it a check" and even questioning the existence of the CIW's agreements with Yum Brands and McDonald's. Desperation, indeed. But as the CIW's response to Burger King's outlandish attacks states, "When a giant takes a wild swing and misses, he leaves himself vulnerable, and can be brought to earth by the force of his own weight." Watch, read, and judge for yourself as Burger King goes dirty in its efforts to deflect growing public pressure for human rights in its tomato supply chain. And once you've been fired up by BK's web of deceit and cheap shots, join us and CIW allies from around the country in the upcoming Days of Action.
Students and youth across the country to engage in escalating education and action building up to national mobilization in Miami September 17, 2007 - From September 29 through November 30, students and youth across the country will engage in two months of education and action building up to the national mobilization in Miami and calling on the world's #2 burger chain to take responsibility and work with the CIW to improve farmworker wages and working conditions! Click here to find out how you can get involved in all the upcoming activities:
September 14, 2007 - SFA has been nominated for this month's Myspace Impact Award for Social Justice, and we need your help to win. Myspace users can vote for us today by clicking here. The Impact Awards recognize Myspace users who are using the site as a tool to help make positive change in the world. The winner in each category receives a cash prize of $10,000 and some prime real estate throughout Myspace for an entire month. This is an incredible opportunity not only for SFA to receive some sorely-needed funding, but also to spread the word about our organization and the Campaign for Fair Food to the millions of people who regularly use Myspace. So head on over to http://www.myspace.com/impactawards and vote for SFA now! 2007 SFA Encuentro a huge success!
September 7, 2007 - November 30 may be the official end of hurricane season, but for Burger King it will instead represent the culmination of a "perfect storm" of organizing, education, and action by the CIW's student and youth allies. About 90 SFA members gathered earlier this week in Immokalee for the hugely succesful, third-annual Encuentro, where they shared skills, built personal connections, visited Miami for an action at BK headquarters, and made plans for the escalating campaign to bring the world's #2 burger chain to the table to work with the CIW to improve farmworker wages and working conditions. Energy ran high for the entire weekend, which included concrete planning for what was deemed at the Encuentro as an upcoming "two months of education and action" featuring:
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for late-breaking news as we make good on the commitments from this year's Encuentro and show BK that our way is justice for farmworkers!
Encuentro and Miami action take aim at the King! August 30, 2007 - As the steady stream of students and youth trickles into Immokalee for the 3rd-annual SFA Encuentro, expectations and energy are running high for this weekend's gathering and tomorrow's action at Burger King headquarters in Miami. In addition to announcing a major mobilization against Burger King to take place this November, the student and youth allies of the CIW will be presenting this letter to Burger King CEO John Chidsey. An excerpt from the letter reads,
Stay tuned for the full report and photos from this year's Encuentro and the action in Miami!
From Broward County to Miami, summer actions provide small preview of things to come... August 7, 2007 - The 100-degree-plus heat index hitting southern Florida this week isn't the only thing making Burger King executives feel a little hot under the collar. As the first wave of workers trickles back into Immokalee from summer harvests up north, and as preparations continue for the 3rd-annual SFA Encuentro, Miami-area Burger King restaurants (and corporate headquarters) have been the scene of protests and delegations calling on the world's #2 burger chain to do the right thing and work with the CIW to bring about real improvements for farmworkers in its tomato supply chain. This summer of action led by farmworkers and their allies is just a small taste of what Burger King can expect this Fall as the Campaign for Fair Food escalates. How much longer will Burger King, Chipotle and the rest of the fast-food industry hold out and refuse to join Yum Brands and McDonald's in working with the CIW? The answer lies in part in the strength of the youth and student movement in solidarity with the CIW - a movement that will gather in Immokalee in just a few short weeks to strategize and plan the next steps in the campaign. Stay tuned as we hit the ground running for a Fall sure to be packed with exciting actions and developments in the Campaign for Fair Food!
SFA and CIW join thousands in Atlanta - "another US is necessary" July 1, 2007 - The recently-concluded, first-ever United States Social Forum brought together thousands of activists and organizers and hundreds of organizations for five jam-packed days of relationship-building and discussion and debate over the current course and future path of social justice movements in the US. Of course, SFA and CIW represented at the forum. A crew from Immokalee joined members of the SFA steering committee at various workshops, plenaries, and actions where topics such as the Campaign for Fair Food, the SFA and CIW's unique organizing philosophies, and our intersections with other movements took center stage. As the CIW's campaigns and victories over the years have shown us, another world is indeed possible. And for that world to come about, another US is necessary. The USSF may be a key moment in that process. Now let's make it happen.
Campaign for Fair Food rolls forward with BK in its sights! May 28, 2007 - In major news from the Campaign for Fair Food, Yum! Brands has extended the Taco Bell agreement to cover all five of its brands. This huge step brings the number of national fast-food chains working with the CIW to improve the wages and working conditions in Florida's fields to six, including Taco Bell and McDonald´s! This exciting news comes on the heels of two powerful national days of action against Burger King by farmworker allies calling on the fast-food chain to work with the CIW to expand and deepen these recent advancements in farmworker wages and working conditions. Increasingly, Burger King, Chipotle, and the rest of the fast-food industry are running out of excuses to not bring about these improvements in their own tomato supply chains.
From the Clown to the Crown: National BK actions May 11-12th! Fair Food movement powers forward with SFA days of action!
This May 11-12th, join students and young people across the country in standing with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to end sweatshops and modern-day slavery in the fields as we seek to expand the precedents of the Taco Bell and McDonald's agreements to the world's #2 burger chain. Click here for action ideas you can take in your own community, including dropping off the new BK manager letter. While BK uses the purchasing power of thousands of restaurants to drive down tomato prices - and, consequently, tomato pickers’ wages - it has publicly rejected working with the CIW to address human rights abuses in the fields (offering, instead, to "re-train" farmworkers to work in its restaurants). Ironically, BK recently announced an initiative to improve the treatment of farm animals in its supply chain. This May 11-12th, let's show Burger King that our way is justice and dignity for Florida farmworkers!
2007 Truth Tour smashes expectations, raises stakes for Fair Food movement! An unforgettable week, from landmark victory over McD's to electrifying "Concert for Fair Food!"
April 25, 2007 - For months, the 2007 Truth Tour was shaping up to be something very special: a major escalation of the McDonald's campaign puncutated with the largest protest in the history of the fast-food industry outside the headquarters of the world's largest restaurant chain. For months, an advance team of CIW and SFA members weathered the Chicago winter to carefully lay the groundwork for these two incredible days of action. And for months, SFA members from New York to Southern Califorina made plans to get themselves – and their communities – to the actions in Chicago. And then... Two days after leaving Immokalee, the Truth Tour pulled into The Carter Center in Atlanta, GA and announced a landmark agreement with McDonald's that lays the foundation for systemic, industry-wide change in Florida agriculture. The historic convergence in Chicago subsequently shifted to a celebration of this enormous victory and a declaration that Burger King would be the next major target in the Campaign for Fair Food. On April 14th, Chicago's House of Blues was packed to the rafters as the CIW and 2,000 allies came together for an unforgettable afternoon of music and celebration, including the historic reunion of Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine (above). Coming off the momentum of the Truth Tour and yet another resounding victory for farmworker justice, students and youth now take the fight to Miami-based Burger King! Stay tuned for upcoming action alerts and organizing resources!
On verge of major protest, CIW reaches landmark accord with McD's! Campaign surges forward with Burger King in its sights! Come to Chicago – now more than ever! Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello to play together April 14th!
April 9, 2007 - Today at The Carter Center in Atlanta, the CIW and McDonald's announced a landmark agreement to work together to improve the wages and working conditions of the farmworkers who pick Florida tomatoes. After two years of escalating pressure by the CIW and its allies, McDonald's has agreed to:
"Two years ago, our agreement with Yum Brands marked the first step toward a distant dream of ensuring human rights for workers in Florida’s fields," said Lucas Benitez of the CIW. "Today, with McDonald’s, we have taken another major step toward a world where we as farmworkers can enjoy a fair wage and humane working conditions in exchange for the hard and essential work we do every day. We’re not there yet, but we are getting there, and today’s agreement should send a strong message to the rest of the restaurant and supermarket industry that it is now time to stand behind the food they sell, from the field to the table."
As in the Taco Bell Boycott victory, youth and student organizing played a crucial role in the swift success of the McDonald's campaign. From aggressive grassroots education to nationally coordinated protests, SFA provided leadership to a broad and diverse network of young allies determined to transform McDonald's marketing "sweet spot" (18-24-year-olds) into a well-organized sore spot. This victory demonstrates once again the effectiveness and clout of the alliance between Florida's farmworkers and students and youth throughout the U.S. Building off this tremendous momentum, the Campaign for Fair Food now surges ahead at full speed – this time towards Miami-based Burger King. Two months ago, the world's #2 burger chain publicly rebuffed the CIW by rejecting a proposed partnership, smugly offering farmworkers jobs at Burger King restaurants instead of real rights and fair wages. Now as we move from the Clown to the Crown, this weekend's mobilization in Chicago – where Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine have just confirmed they will perform together – takes on new significance. Join the CIW, SFA and thousands of allies in Chicago as we take the fight for fair food to an exciting new level!
April 7, 2007 - Early this morning, nearly 60 farmworkers from the CIW and a handful of allies departed from Immokalee officially kicking off the 2007 McDonald's Truth Tour. Over the next several days, the tour will make its way by bus from southwest Florida to the Windy City for the massive protests shaping up in McDonald's backyard on April 13th and 14th. Meanwhile, caravans of allies from New York City to Austin, Texas and plenty of points in between are making final preparations before hitting the road to join us in Chicago for the historic weekend. The Truth Tour comes on the heels of a busy spring of education and action around the McDonald's campaign. Just last week, students on dozens of campuses across the country organized Fair Food events for the annual Student Labor Week of Action and Farmworker Awareness Week. As in year's past, the Campaign for Fair Food was one of the highlights of the Week of Action, demonstrating once more the ever-growing support among young people for a shift towards a food industry that doesn't rely on the endless exploitation of farmworkers.
New letter rips McD's, kicks off Student Labor Week of Action! 9 national student orgs warn McD's: "Our patience is all but exhausted!"
To coincide with these activities, nine leading national student organizations released a powerful new letter today blasting McDonald's policies over the past two years and calling on the world's largest restaurant chain to work with the CIW to improve wages and working conditions in its tomato supply chain. The letter – signed by SFA, United Students Against Sweatshops, Student Labor Action Project, the National Latina/o Law Student Association, and others – warns:
Read the complete letter here. And don't miss the latest press from the SFA network:
Tom Morello confirms for Chicago; Midwest Encuentro a success!
McD's Truth Tour, major Chicago actions approaching! March 8, 2007 - Tom Morello (aka The Nightwatchman), former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, has joined Zack de la Rocha, Olmeca, Son del Centro, the Hot 8 Brass Band, Rebel Diaz, and others as a confirmed participant in the CIW's Carnaval & Parade for Fair Food, Real Rights, and Dignity, April 14 in Chicago! Morello is just the latest artist to throw his support behind what is quickly shaping up to be an unforgettable weekend, with a jam-packed program full of music, protest, culture, and just maybe a bit of history. Make plans today to join us in Chicago for the April 13-14 mobilizations for farmworker justice!
SFA gears up for Truth Tour with Student Labor Week of Action! Our dreams, our rights – Demand a better future!
Kicking off just 10 days before the 2007 McDonald's Truth Tour departs from Immokalee, this year's Week of Action provides an excellent opportunity to pull out all the stops in mobilizing for the historic Chicago actions on April 13th and 14th. Ideas include last-minute education and outreach events, a fundraiser to help defray travel costs, op-ed's to campus and local newspapers explaining why you're going to Chicago, and of course, creative protest actions at McDonald's restaurants.
Feb. 14, 2007 - This April, farmworkers and their allies will gather in Chicago for an historic mobilization marking a new phase in the Campaign for Fair Food. But we know this struggle for dignity in the fields will not end with the actions against McDonald's this spring. Now is the time to come together and build the connections and skills we'll need in the months and years ahead. Join us Feb. 23-24 in Chicago for the Midwest Encuentro – a networking and strategy gathering of youth, student, community and labor allies of the CIW:
Workshop topics include: Presentation and discussions with farmworker leaders from Immokalee; "Fair Food Animators" training; Mobilizing for the April 13-14 actions; Educating and engaging communities beyond April; Solidarity and connections between our struggles; Art-making and action at local McDonald's! Come join us, whether you're in the immediate Chicago area or the broader Midwest. Participating cities include Urbana-Champaign, Carbondale, Minneapolis, and Madison. Housing will be provided for those coming from out of town. Contact us to RSVP or for more information.
Feb. 1, 2007 - The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has called two days of historic mobilization for farmworker justice in the Golden Arches' backyard capping off the 2007 McDonald's Truth Tour.
"Caravans of justice" are being organized from all points of the country to the Windy City, home of fast-food giant McDonald's. The Campaign for Fair Food – demanding that McDonald's take responsibility for the decades of grinding poverty and degradation in its tomato supply chain – is rapidly building toward a decisive turning point. Farmworkers from Immokalee and their allies are going up against one of the world's largest corporations to demand the dignity of workers and consumers alike. Will you be there? This April, join us for this pivotal and historic convergence. For two years, we've been patient while McD's stalled. Now is the time to show our collective strength and creativity, turning out the largest possible numbers in Chicago:
Please contact us with any questions you may have. See you in April!
Historic mobilization to usher in "new phase" in Campaign for Fair Food! Jan. 10, 2007 - "Today, we are tired, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., of 'relying on the good will and understanding of those who profit by exploiting us.'" So declared the CIW in announcing a major mobilization in the Chicago area this April aimed at fast-food giant and industry leader McDonald's.
Looking back, looking forward... Dec. 21, 2006 - We take a moment as the end of another year looms to reflect back on "the year that was" in the struggle for fair food. Click here for a summary of the actions, events, campaign developments, and more from the ever-escalating efforts to make McDonald's take responsibility for the poverty and abuse in its tomato supply chain.
 New steering committee selected amidst continuing McD's actions!
Plus, another Rolando sighting in Chicago and more local fair food committees take root! Nov. 27, 2006 - We are pleased to announce the 2007 SFA Steering Committee! The selection of the SC represents another milestone in the development of the SFA network, and increases the Steering Committee to 18 members. This talented group of young organizers and leaders will be key as the escalating campaign against McDonald's continues, and every day more of McD's "sweet spot" becomes its sore spot.
CIW Mini-Tour and SFA Days of Action turn up the heat on McD's!
Nov. 2, 2006 - The 2006 CIW Midwest Mini-Tour has returned to Immokalee after a hugely successful 10 days of classroom presentations, discussions, protests, and consciousness-building around the Campaign for Fair Food. SFA was there at every step of the tour, talking to students and young people about the pivotal role we can, and indeed must, play in this struggle. From Carbondale to Urbana-Champaign, from Chicago to South Bend, the tour received a huge reception and positive energy from thousands of people who make up what McDonald's calls its "sweet spot." Click here to read a report from the Mini-Tour.
Oct. 14, 2006 - As excitement continues to mount for the upcoming Oct. 27-28th National Days of Action, farmworkers from the CIW and their allies are traveling from Immokalee, FL to Chicago, IL as part of the 2006 McDonald's Mini-Tour! The tour – which will visit campuses and communities in Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana from Oct. 15th-23rd – will bring a clear message to consumers and McD's executives alike: "There's sweatshop tomatoes under the Golden Arches!" In recent weeks, the CIW's Campaign for Fair Food has received growing support ranging from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to actors Martin Sheen ("Apocalypse Now") and Matthew Modine ("Full Metal Jacket"). Now, the McDonald's Mini-Tour aims to bring the campaign to wider audiences right in McDonald's backyard. Click here for the itinerary, media advisory, and photo reports! Meanwhile, the National Latina/o Law Student Association presented SFA with the 2006 Community Service Award at its recent conference in Seattle! According to NLLSA, the award "is presented yearly to an organization that has demonstrated a wholehearted commitment to the defense or the empowerment of Latino communities across the country." In addition to concrete victories in partnership with the CIW, the award also cites the SFA's "collaborative organizing philosophy and structure" as important achievements. (Click here to read the complete letter.) We're truly honored to receive this accolade and look forward to our continued work with the students of NLLSA. Finally, don't miss the latest story on Ag-Mart – a known supplier of McD's grape tomatoes. A recent expose in North Carolina's News and Observer found 30-40 workers for Florida-based Ag-Mart living in "crowded, squalid housing" with "no hot water, no shower, and not enough beds." One wonders if these dehumanizing conditions are indeed what McD's expects from its "SAFE-certified" growers. For how much longer will the fast-food industry cling to illusions of impunity in the face of such abuse? The answer, in part, lies in our hands. Let's make sure this message is heard on Oct. 27th and 28th. 1-2 Punch! Nationwide McDonald's actions Oct. 27-28th From 'sweet spot' to sore spot!...
Oct. 3, 2006 - This October 27-28th, join students and young people across the country in standing with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to end sweatshops and modern-day slavery in the fields! With strong support from students and youth, the CIW won its four-year Taco Bell Boycott in 2005. Now the CIW and its allies are organizing to extend these precedent-setting gains for farmworkers throughout the rest of the fast-food industry. Over the last year, however, fast-food giant McDonald's has consistently responded to the dire human rights crisis in the fields as a mere public relations crisis, threatening to roll back the advances the CIW has won through years of struggle. Immediately following the CIW's McDonald's Mini-Tour – which will travel from Immokalee, Florida to McDonald's headquarters outside Chicago, Illinois from October 14-24th – the Student/Farmworker Alliance calls for two days of widespread, decentralized actions on October 27-28th to show the fast-food giant that Immokalee's workers are not alone in this fight. The time is now for students and youth – what McDonald's calls its advertising “sweet spot” – to demonstrate to the Golden Arches that if it refuses to work with the CIW for real labor reform in its supply chain, we will soon become its sore spot. Start organizing today in your community for the Days of Action, and don't miss out on this pivotal “1-2 Punch!” Let us know what you're planning, and be sure to send us photos of your colorful, creative actions!
2006 SFA Encuentro a springboard for action!
Sept. 29, 2006 - From Sept. 21-24, over sixty young activists and organizers from across the country gathered in Immokalee, Florida for our 2nd annual SFA Encuentro: three days of reflection, discussion, and strategizing about the struggle for fair food and building a more just world. Youth and student leaders from more than 15 states and representing more than 30 organizations and campuses – a sample of the breadth of support that the CIW can count on in the months and years ahead – participated in the Encuentro. Old and new allies from Southern Illinois to Miami, from UC Santa Cruz to Notre Dame, from the Bronx to Southern Mississippi, came together for this important weekend in the birthplace of the CIW. This year's Encuentro took place against the backdrop of an escalating campaign against the multi-billion dollar McDonald's Corporation – the largest fast-food chain on the planet and an enormous buyer of Florida tomatoes. As in the four-year Taco Bell Boycott, student and youth organizing will play a critical role in the campaign's overall success. Our weekend together in Immokalee inspired and re-energized the SFA network, serving as an important springboard for the work ahead as we turn McDonald's marketing "sweet spot" (18- to 24-year-olds) into a well-organized sore spot.
 Florida crewleader guilty on 57 of 58 charges in federal court
Aug. 28, 2006 - Amidst the background of the escalating campaign to pressure fast-food giant McDonald's to work with the CIW to improve Florida farmworkers' wages and working conditions, documented cases of brutal labor abuse continue to mount. On Aug. 25, a federal jury in Jacksonville, Florida, returned a guilty verdict on 57 of 58 charges against Ron Evans, Sr. – a crewleader accused by federal prosecutors of luring farmworkers, many of them recruited from homeless shelters, into "a form of servitude." "Causing homeless people to incur large debts by selling them crack, cigarettes and beer [on credit] forces these individuals into a form of servitude that is morally and legally reprehensible," explained U.S. Attorney Paul Perez in the Washington Post (8/25) following Evans' conviction. Evans' crew harvested in Florida for Tater Farms, an operation owned by Frank Johns, the 2004 Chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA). Johns defended Ron Evans, Sr., as "an above average leader" to the press even after prosecutors filed over 50 charges against Evans. The Evans case – which takes place in a larger context of modern-day slavery in Florida's fields – should serve as a clarion call for reform from McDonald's and other powerful end-buyers of cheap Florida produce. After all, the FFVA is a founding partner of McDonald's SAFE initiative, an industry-designed code of conduct created to isolate the CIW and roll back the historic yet fragile gains of the Taco Bell Boycott. And now, less than one year later, this case unfolds. Is the fox guarding the henhouse? You decide.
 Ag-Mart, McDonald's and pesticides in the fields
Palm Beach Post editorial (almost) says it all Aug. 21, 2006 - A recent editorial in the Palm Beach Post correctly fingers Ag-Mart - a powerful Florida-based grower operating as far away as North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey – with neglect in protecting farmworkers from exposure to dangerous pesticides. The effects of these toxins on Florida's farmworkers and their families are as devastating as they are well-chronicled, including a damning investigative series that ran in the Post in 2005. Importantly, the editorial makes the straightforward claim that "complaints from consumers and corporate buyers" - not enlightened good will or the threat of yet another round of litigation - is what will force a modicum of progressive change from firms such as Ag-Mart. Indeed, this is precisely what the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has argued since it launched its successful Taco Bell Boycott in 2001. The CIW notes in an earlier report, "someone buys the tomatoes Ag-Mart produces." That someone - or rather, a very large "someone" - is McDonald's , as documented by Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) activists in a piece published on AlterNet earlier this year. Read more...
July 30, 2006 - From Sept. 21-24, 2006, dozens of young organizers and activists from across the country will gather in Immokalee, Florida for three days of strategizing, skill-sharing, and focused discussion about the struggle for fair food and building a more just world. This fall's event – building on the success of the 2005 Encuentro – will provide an invaluable opportunity for the student and youth movement in solidarity with the CIW to coordinate its activities for the upcoming year as we take the campaign against McD's and the rest of the fast-food industry to exciting new terrain!
And don't miss the recent article on SFA and the burgeoning student-labor movement in Critical Moment, a great Michigan-based news magazine: "A new generation of labor activists emerges!
"Certainly a $1.2 billion annual advertising war chest can buy a better study than this...." May 3, 2006 - For months, McDonald's has touted the upcoming release of an "independent study" to prove that, despite the CIW's claims, there is no farmworker exploitation in McDonald's tomato supply chain. In fact, we were told, conditions in McDonald's tomato supply chain are not only good, they're actually better than the conditions enjoyed by workers who fall under the precedent-setting Taco Bell agreement. Last week, in a watershed moment for the campaign, McDonald's released the much-anticipated study, "So riddled with errors both large and small that it cannot be accepted as factually accurate on virtually any measure," according to Dr. Bruce Nissen, a well-respected labor economist and Director of the Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy at Florida International University. He further noted, "Almost nowhere are ordinary norms of social science research followed," concluding, "The report should have no credibility whatsoever." View Dr. Nissen's entire critique of the study. Today, seven national organizations representing high school, university, and professional students -- Student/Farmworker Alliance, the National Latino/a Law Student Association, United Students Against Sweatshops, United States Student Association, Student Labor Action Project, Student Environmental Action Coalition, and Living Wage Action Coalition -- echoed Dr. Nissen's findings in a powerfully-worded letter directed to McDonald's CEO, Jim Skinner. The letter reads, "It is one thing to commission a bogus study to prove that workers' calls for change are unfounded.... However, to commission a study executed with such breathtaking incompetence is beyond the pale of comprehension." Read the complete letter here!
 Chipotle & McD's:
Farmworkers deserve "Work with Dignity!"
April 21, 2006 - Chipotle is an important part of the Mcdonald's group, and its "Food With Integrity" manifesto makes it clear that the company is committed to ensuring and improving the humane treatment of animals and the production of healthy vegetables in its supply chain. Yet, nowhere does the manifesto mention or discuss how "Food With Integrity" will improve the grievous conditions for farmworkers who its harvest tomatoes. Farmworkers earn 40 to 45 cents for each 32-pound container of tomatoes they pick, and that sub-poverty wage has remained stagnant for almost 30 years. They do not enjoy the same rights as workers in other industry and do not receive overtime or health care. Take action to urge Chipotle to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to ensure improved wages and the participation of farmworkers in the protection and advancement of their own rights within Chipotle's and McDonald's tomato supply chain. Certainly, "Food With Integrity" should include "Work With Dignity" for the people who toil to bring tomatoes to the tables of Chipotle's restaurants across the country.
* 400 people march on McDonald's in Chicago! * Over a dozen solidarity actions around the country! * CIW launches "aggressive public education campaign" aimed at McD's and Chipotle! April 10, 2006 - The rental vans and sound systems have been returned, the protest art is neatly stacked in the CIW office, and the jury is in... the 2006 McDonald's Truth Tour: The Real Rights Tour was wildly successful! Hitting 17 major cities throughout the South and Midwest in just 10 days, the three-legged tour raised the consciousness of thousands of consumers about the reality of farmworker exploitation in McDonald's tomato supply chain. The tour culminated in two days of fiery action in the Windy City: a human rights delegation and picket in the freezing rain at the Golden Arches' global headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois on Friday March 31st, and an electrifying 400 person march on "Rock 'n Roll" McDonald's in downtown Chicago on April 1st. At the end of the five-mile march -- which took place on the fifth anniversary of the launch of the Taco Bell boycott -- the CIW announced a new "aggressive public education campaign" aimed at McDonald's and Chipotle, the quick-service Mexican restaurant chain that is part of the McDonald's group!
And those who couldn't join us in Chicago instead brought the fight for fair food to their communities and campuses. Between March 26th and April 4th, in support of the Student Labor Week of Action, students and youth in the SFA network organized over a dozen solidarity actions calling on McDonald's to work with the CIW for real labor reform in its supply chain. During this Week of Action, youth around the country -- from Florida to southern California -- spoke out for economic justice and workers' rights, demonstrating to McDonald's that their new "sweet spot" (18-24 year-olds) sees the reality of farmworker exploitation hidden behind McDonald's logo and billions of marketing dollars. The unifying message of these actions was loud and clear: "i'm leavin' it!" |
New year brings wave of new actions...
SFA announces '2 months of action' in Burger King Campaign! 
Students and youth gather in Immokalee to lay groundwork for "2 months of action" in BK campaign
May 1, 2007 - "CIW: 2; McDonald's and Taco Bell: 0; Burger King watch the f--- out!" So spoke Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello at the 
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