Over 500 March for Farm Worker Rights
by: Be Scofield on December 7th, 2009 | 5 Comments »
Photo Credit: CINDY SKOP | THE LEDGER - Click to see slideshow
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) led over 500 farm workers and their allies to Lakeland, Fl. yesterday to protest Publix Super Market’s tomato purchasing policies. In recent years the CIW has through boycott and protest managed to bring Taco Bell, Yum Brands, McDonalds, Burger King, Whole Foods and Subway to the bargaining table. Not surprisingly Publix is adopting the same strategy as many of these previous corporations and denying responsibility. I have followed this story closely for years and it is my opinion that it is only a matter of time before Publix gives in. The Ledger.com has the story:
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) wants Lakeland-based Publix and other food retailers to pay an additional penny per pound for tomatoes from Florida and break ties with suppliers who abuse workers.
Publix spokeswoman Shannon Patten maintained Sunday what has become the company’s standard response to protesters: the state’s largest grocer does not want to become involved in what it calls a labor dispute between others. “This is a labor dispute between the farm workers and the farmers, and not something Publix is going to get involved in,” she said. “It’s disappointing that they want to tarnish our reputation.”
But organizers say their issue isn’t about a labor dispute.
“We won’t stop until Publix makes good on its promises to support families,” said Lucas Benitez, a CIW organizer. “The existence of a labor dispute only exists in Publix’s imagination.”
I am tired of the press and everyone else blaming Publix for the oppression of farm workers. Publix buys it produce through brokers who in turn get their produce from various farmers. Publix pays the prices that the farmers and brokers are asking in the market. If the farm workers want more money, they need to get it from the farmers that pay them to pick the fruit. Publix doesn’t get involved in labor disputs.
Keep in mind that profits have to be made all along the food chain, and if farmers cost increase, so does the cost of the product to retailers, and then to the consumers.
Publix as a corporations pays its people a fair wage, and deals fairly with all of the venders that sell to it.
You people are picking on Publix trying to make them look bad so public interest will turn on them…
get over it, they are a great company…
retired worker after 45 years…
Moral blindness in anyone including a retired employee doesn’t excuse ignoring how pivotal Publix is in ensuring that farmworkers receive a decent living wage. If Publix agrees, as other corporations like Taco Bell and Burger King finally did, to pay the extra penny per pound for Florida tomatoes, the Eastern Growers Association has agreed to keep that money in escrow to be paid directly to the workers around Christmas time. So Publix doesn’t get a free pass for failing to do the right thing here. I urge readers to go to the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers website, then personally deliver the Publix manager’s letter to every one of our nearby Publix store, and also present the manager with a donation of 100 pennies to help this poor misguided corporation afford tomatoes at the higher price. As for the retired worker, let’s hope you’ll choose not to retire from expecting a good company like Publix from doing the right thing, whether coerced or not.
Dear caring ones,
The reason that I am pressuring Publix is because I know they care about their local community. So I expect better of them. I am not tarnishing their reputation; I am calling them to account for it. Through their Greenwise programs and great care of their employees, I am calling them to be consistent in the values they espouse.
Sincerely,
Rev. Allison Farnum
Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida
Board Member
In agreement with Rev. Farnum and Be, for me what CIW is doing is activism at its best. Targeting notable companies for boycott that are capable and can potentially be convinced to do the right thing is a good place to focus energy. These companies are leaders that other companies/businesses watch. If successful, other companies will in turn often follow their lead precisely because they identify with the companies being boycotted as being successful while exhibiting relatively good (or at least not overly evil) business practices. (OK, I admit that other companies will also change their behavior to avoid being successfully boycotted themselves.) This seems to be a better and more constructive use of limited protest energy than protesting a company or public personality who at the end of the day seemingly has no desire or incentive or moral compass to change behavior for the better.
Publix hiding behind this “Labor dispute” argument is weak. If they truly had an interest in their community then they would strive to do whatever they could to insure that farmworkers were treated correctly. They stand in position to have an impact on whether this issue is addressed and to hide behind an excuse that “it’s not their problem” is to allow it to happen. What if we had done that when Hitler was on his rampage? Not to say it’s the same level of problem but, it’s the same attitude. Who is it that said, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to stand by and do nothing?” Comeon Publix, you can do better than this.