From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Hunger Strike for Justice for Farmworkers
Date:
Monday, February 24, 2003
Time:
12:00 PM
-
12:00 PM
Event Type:
Other
Organizer/Author:
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Location Details:
Taco Bell hq
17901 Von Karman
Irvine, CA
Farmworkers and supporters cry: “We’d rather go hungry than eat sweatshop tacos!”
IRVINE, CA- On February 24, 2003, farmworkers from the Coalition of Immokalee
Workers and the CIW’s student, religious, and labor allies will begin a historic hunger strike. The action -- a hunger strike outside one of the world’s largest fast-food corporations -- is a powerful contradiction that will dramatically highlight the injustice of fast-food profits derived, in significant part, from farmworker poverty. The strike, which comes after a year of silence from Taco Bell executives, will culminate in a national convergence at Taco Bell headquarters on Friday, February 28.
“We are asking that people send representatives from their schools, churches,
community organizations and unions to fast in solidarity with the Immokalee tomato pickers as well as attend the demonstration on Friday, Feb. 28” says Francisca Cortez of the
CIW. “If people cant make it, they can still support our struggle by holding solidarity fasts, teach-ins or rallies during the week in their own cities.”
see: www.ciw-online.org
HISTORY: Since 1997, tomato pickers in Immokalee, Florida’s largest farmworker
community, have been organizing for the right to join in talks with the state’s corporate tomato growers to find ways to improve farm labor conditions and raise the crop picking-piece rate. Despite signature drives, three general strikes, marches, and a 30-day hunger strike by six members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) - ultimately ended by the intervention of former President Jimmy Carter - the growers continue to refuse to meet with farm worker representatives and have only marginally raised wages.
When workers discovered that Taco Bell is a major buyer of the tomatoes they pick, they informed company executives in January, 2000 of the deplorable wages and working conditions in Florida’s fields and requested a meeting to discuss possible solutions. To date, Taco Bell has not addressed the concerns of the CIW, and the CIW continues to call for a boycott of Taco Bell.
Added to the calendar on Tue, Feb 3, 2004 10:26AM
Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network