Apopka, FL – On Wednesday, May 15, more than 40 community members gathered to mourn the tragic loss of eight Mexicano migrant workers killed in an automobile accident early Tuesday morning. The vigil was held at the local headquarters of the Farmworkers Association of Florida.

The accident occurred just after 6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning as the workers were aboard a bus on its way to a local watermelon farm in the town of Dunnellon. Bryan Maclean Howard, while under the influence, veered across the center-line of the two-lane road and sideswiped the bus, causing it to swerve off the road, strike a tree, and flip over. Eight workers lost their lives in the accident and nearly four dozen others were injured, many of whom remain in critical condition.

Those lost ranged in age from as old as 46 to as young as 20. They were fathers, brothers, sons and more. All of the men were H-2A visa recipients, working seasonally here in the U.S. for a meager $14.77 an hour. They hailed from states across Mexico, including Guanajuato, Hidalgo and Estado de México.

Florida, more than any other state, employs over 50,000 H-2A temporary workers annually across various sectors such as agriculture and construction. On top of facing poor working conditions and low wages, temporary workers are more likely to be injured while traveling to and from the workplace. Federal statistics from 2022 show that automotive accidents were the leading cause of work-related deaths for farmworkers, accounting for 81 of 171 fatalities.

The vigil began with an introduction by Yesica Ramírez, general coordinator of the Farmworkers Association. She was followed by Juan Sabines, the general consul of Mexico in Orlando.

Sabines said, “One year ago we were arguing about a state law, SB 1718. The reason is because an immigrant, undocumented, crashed into the vehicle of the son of a very important politician in this state. And the Senate said no more undocumented immigrants driving in this state.”

He added, “But now one year later, that was not the solution. The driver who killed eight amazing guys was American, with a driver's license and the people who passed away were Mexican with H-2A visas. Documented or undocumented has never been the reason for an accident.”

Local faith leaders Sister Ann and Pastor David Maldonado also shared words honoring the lives lost.

The Farmworkers Association of Florida is circulating a GoFundMe to raise funds for the families of the victims:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/8-farmworkers-dead-and-over-dozen-injured-after-accident

#ApopkaFL #OrlandoFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #Labor #Farmworkers #FAF

Seattle, WA – On Friday, March 31, Students for Farm Workers led a demonstration of more than 150 people starting from the steps of the Suzzallo Library in the middle of University of Washington-Seattle campus to the Husky Union Building.

Students for Farm Workers, SSFW, is a support group for United Farm Workers, fighting to stop the University of Washington from selling and serving mushrooms from Greenwood Mushrooms Farms in both grocery stores and dining halls. The farm, originally Ostrom Mushroom Farm, has been sued by the state for mistreatment of workers. Workers at the farm are fighting to unionize under the UFW.

Starting from Suzzallo Library, the crowd was already energized. They chanted, “Sí, se puede,” and “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” as they made their way to the Husky Union Building. Chicano organizers with the UFW organized a rally against the grape industry at the very same location in the 1960s. This march was a continuation of that legacy.

Isela Cabrera, a farmworker at Greenwood, said, “In the 90 days that we have had since the switch, we have only been allowed to take days off when we are assigned them. Every day, we are expected to harvest 50 pounds of mushrooms within an hour and that’s not realistic.” She added, “We say thank you to the young people who seem to have all the energy in the world to excel.”

Adding to this energy, Mathieu Chabaud from the Progressive Student Union said, “We need them to keep on losing customers until they get the message, written in their ledger, that they cannot keep oppressing workers.” Diana Paola Vergara from MEChA said “Their fight is not an easy one, but they’re not alone – look at everyone that is here.”

United Farm Workers is asking for Greenwood Mushrooms Sunnyside, formally Ostrom Mushroom Farms, to recognize the union that the majority of workers want and negotiate a contract for decent pay and decent working conditions.

#SeattleWA #Farmworkers

Over a decade has passed since Florida’s agricultural fields were considered a “ground zero” for modern slavery. Now, Florida tomato farms in the Fair Food Program are leading examples of what is possible through worker organizing. And all of this started in Immokalee, where a group of farmworkers began fighting for better wages and working conditions in the 1990s. Before this group, called the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, created the Fair Food program, abuse and violence were rampant. Farmworkers rarely had access to bathrooms, clean water, or shade whilst working under the scorching Florida sun. In the best of cases, they were paid sub-poverty wages and evaded threats, harassment, assault or wage theft. The worst cases, though, include sexual assault and modern slavery.

Created in 2011 as a unique partnership between food retailers, farmers and farmworkers, the Fair Food Program has changed Florida’s agriculture industry and limited abuses. It is so effective a program because it was created by and for farmworkers themselves. And it is not limited to Florida. The protections and freedoms guaranteed under the Fair Food Program cover farmworkers across the east coast, and its model of worker-driven social responsibility is making waves throughout the global supply chain as workers reclaim their power and demand better.

Wendy’s, though, stands alone as the last of the five major fast food companies to reject participation in the Fair Food Program. The corporation has relocated their tomato purchasing multiple times to evade the program, once sourcing tomatoes from farms in Mexico that were exposed for forcing adult and even child workers to endure subhuman conditions often without pay. Since then, they have released misleading information about the tomato industry such as claims that greenhouses have “inherent benefits of safe, indoor working conditions.” In fact, one of the certification standards upon which the company relies (SA8000) was also held by a Pakistani textile factory in which 262 workers were killed in a fire.

Farmworkers know that neither greenhouses nor the corporation’s toothless code of conduct protect them against sexual violence and abuse. In contrast, the Fair Food Program is the “gold standard” of social responsibility programs, as confirmed by a recent independent study of 40 leading initiatives which found that the program represents “the only existing model with the proven potential to afford protection for the most vulnerable and lowest-wage workers in global supply chains.”

By refusing to join the Fair Food Program, Wendy’s provides a market for farms with no reputable mechanisms to prevent abuses like wage theft, sexual assault and even modern slavery.

Organizing alongside Immokalee farmworkers, students at Florida State University hope to use their power to escalate pressure for the corporation to take responsibility for workers in its supply chain. And they are not alone – other universities in Florida and across the country have passed similar student government resolutions demanding that Wendy’s join the Fair Food Program and that their universities stop doing business with them until then.

The Student/Farmworker Alliance at Florida State was thrilled when the student senate passed their resolution 13-0-4 after months of organizing, but said also, “It was really disappointing to hear one of the senators object to passing the resolution unanimously because of its ‘political content.’ Everything in this world is political, but there should be nothing controversial about the people who put food on our tables and in our dining halls having a say about the conditions under which they pick that food.”

In solidarity with farmworkers and workers around the world, the chapter plans to build on the success of this resolution and continue organizing FSU students to fight back.

#TallahasseeFL #ImmigrantRights #FloridaStateUniversityFSU #Farmworkers

St. Petersburg, FL – Over 3000 farmworkers and supporters from around the country gathered at Bartlett Park, March 21, then marched to demand workers’ rights. Some chants heard during the march were, “Up, up with the fair food nation! Down, down, with the exploitation!”, “One, we are the people! Two, a little bit louder! Three, we want justice for farmworkers!” and “J-U-S, J-U-S-T-I-C-E is what we want, is justice for Immokalee!”

Sam Beutler of the Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society attended his first-ever Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) event. “This great event was led by mostly Central American, Haitian and Mexican farmworkers,” says Beutler. “Events that are actually led and organized by those whom are affected are perfect examples of what we all should be trying to do in our own groups. The Immokalee, Florida workers are at the forefront of the fight against the slave-like conditions that many farmworkers all over the U.S. experience and they are fighting back! I as a student am here to fully, support their fight for justice and equality.”

Formed in 1993, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers teamed up with the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) to demand basic worker rights for farmworkers like bathroom breaks, portable toilets on job sites, water, an end to harassment and even implemented a punch-card system for farmworkers. This year's event was titled Concert for Fair Food and organizers were able to book Grammy-award winning bands like Ruby Velle and the SoulPhonics, Ozomatli and La Santa Cecilia.

Dr. Heidi Castañeda, an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida and an immigration researcher was one of the marchers. Castañeda says, “The principles for fair food and worker justice continue to be issues that people around the nation can rally behind. This weekend is both a celebration of previous victories in addition to calls for further action, and the CIW continues to energize the movement for farm-worker justice.”

Among the supporters present were Tampa and Gainesville groups like Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, Students for Justice in Palestine, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, local UPS workers, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Raíces en Tampa.

“As a member of the community and as an activist I believe that everyone deserves a fair pay,” says Alicia Gazga of Raíces en Tampa. “Publix and Wendy's should be ashamed for not joining the fair food program. I grew up in Collier County, Florida which is about 45 minutes form Immokalee city. I spent many weekends helping the CIW with anything they needed for events like this. These are the types of actions we all should support!”

A call to action was made by the SFA and the CIW for all who attended the Concert for Fair Food. Three major tasks people are urged to take on are to pressure the chain Publix – which is the biggest grocery company in the Southern U.S. – by publicly asking for them to support the Immokalee Workers. The second tasks is to schedule a public showing of the movie made by the CIW and SFA titled Food Chains (now available on Netflix) and to use it as a way to launch an action. And finally, to organize a protest in solidarity with the Immokalee Workers – demanding justice for those who experience the everyday effects that corporate America has on the lives of the undocumented.

Marisol Márquez, of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization says, “It is no surprise that the majority of farmworkers are of Central American and Mexican descent and these are the same people are the ones who have all the worst living conditions put against them. Central Americans and Mexicans are almost always, undocumented and as things currently are, they are the same immigrants who will never be given the chance to apply for legal status. This concert, this march this weekend is them fighting back! As a Chicana who grew up in the fields who fully supports the fight for self determination, I am here supporting the efforts of these farm-workers. After all, we want liberation!”

#StPetersburgFL #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #Farmworkers

Clarksville, TN – In six cities across the state of Tennessee on July 20, people held pickets and delivered letters to Publix managers urging the Publix grocery store chain to join the Fair Food Program that would improve wages and working conditions for tomato pickers in Florida.

So far eleven major companies have signed on to the Fair Food Program, developed by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Yet, despite massive protests, marches, hunger strikes and demonstrations around the country, for four years Publix has refused to even sit at the table to discuss joining this program that would not only help farmworkers get a better wage, but would also help to put an end to pervasive human rights abuses in Florida tomato fields.

In Nashville, Zach Blume with the Student Farmworker Alliance at Vanderbilt University said, “Publix, if you want to move into Tennessee we need you to expand your human rights!” This sentiment was echoed across the state as picketers in Clarksville held a banner that read, “Publix: sign on to Fair Food” and chanted “No more slaves! Pay a living wage!” outside of the two Publix locations in the area. A member of Students for a Democratic Society who helped organize the demonstration in Clarksville said, “We are asking Publix to follow the words of its founder and ‘not let making a profit get in the way of doing the right thing.’ We want Publix to do the right thing and sign on to Fair Food, a program that ensures the basic rights and respects the dignity of farmworkers.”

For several years Publix has been steadily expanding its stores into the state of Tennessee and July 20 marks the first time that organizers have come together across the state to collectively put the heat on one the Southeast region’s largest food store chains. Protesters made their message to Publix very clear and could be heard from Knoxville to Clarksville, chanting “Publix, escucha! Estamos en la lucha!” meaning “Publix, listen up! We’re in the fight!”

Organizers plan to continue building the fight back in Tennessee against attacks on farmworkers. More information about the CIW and the Fair Food Program can be found at: www.CIW-online.org. For more information about the Fair Food Campaign in Tennessee visit: www.NashvilleFairFood.wordpress.com.

#ClarksvilleTN #LivingWage #CoalitionOfImmokaleeWorkers #Publix #workersRights #Farmworkers #FairFood

Lakeland, Florida – La Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee (Coalición), grupo que defiende los derechos de 4 mil trabajadores de tomate en Florida, tuvo una mega protesta de alrededor de 1000 personas, que tomaron las calles y marcharon 10 kilómetros para exigirle a la compañía de Florida, Publix, que respete sus derechos laborales.

La Coalición convocó a una “Marcha por Derechos, Respeto y Comida Justa”, para presionar a Publix, y exigirle que firme un contrato llamado “Programa para comida Justa”. Una de los más importante aspectos de este contrato, es que incluye un incremento salarial, y mejorías en las condiciones laborales del campesinado floridense.

Los campesin@s y sus aliados iniciaron una marcha dos semanas (casi 322 kilómetros), desde la comunidad de Fort Myers, en Florida hasta el edificio principal corporativo de Publix, en Lakeland.

Al llegar a Lakeland, cientos de personas se reunieron en la plaza comercial South Gate Publix, para escuchar a líderes comunitarios y activistas. El grupo portaba banderas rojas y amarillas, con el lema “New Day for Farmworkers”, o “Nuevo dia para los trabajadores de tierra”. Al evento asistieron personas de Washington D.C., New York, California, y de todos los rincones de Florida. El grupo enérgico, levantaba su voz con consignas de “El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido”, y “ONE, we are the people. TWO, a little bit louder. THREE, we want justice FOR farmworkers!”

La policía local, en colusión con la gerencia de Publix, buscaba excusas infundadas para arrestar y apaciguar a la Coalición y sus aliados. Varios campesin@s que marcharon desde Fort Myers, notaron una actitud muy diferente por parte de las autoridades de Lakeland, más estricta e intimidante, que la de otras comunidades que visitaron durante su recorrido por el estado de Florida. Los oficiales del condado Polk, al cual pertenece Lakeland, mantienen el segundo lugar de índices más altos de quejas y demandas policíacas a nivel nacional. Solo la comisaría del nefasto Sheriff Joe Arpaio de Arizona, conocido por su ardiente racismo anti-migrante, ha tenido más quejas que este lugar, localizado al centro de la península floridana.

La Coalición ha pedido reunirse con Publix para negociar y dialogar, pero este se ha negado rotundamente a escuchar a los campesin@s. En lo que va de casi 3 años, otras grandes corporaciones, 11 en total, como McDonalds y Aramark, han firmado el “Programa para comida justa”. Frente a tal indiferencia por parte de Publix, este movimiento se ha hecho más fuerte, y ha seguido creciendo con el apoyo de comunidades religiosas, grupos estudiantiles, y aliados sindicales, que mantienen una lucha permanente para mejorar las condiciones laborales en los campos agrícolas del estado de Florida.

Victor Yengle, Presidente de CHISPAS, grupo chicano-latino de estudiantes en la Universidad de la Florida, quién marchó con la Coalición durante el evento del domingo, participó el año pasado con una huelga de hambre dos semanas, en solidaridad con estos campesin@s y su lucha contra Pubix. A su ver, el joven activista piensa que esta movilización es una “escalación de activistas que empezaron haciendo protestas individuales en diferentes ciudades. Y ahora, la Coalición tiene la capacidad de convocar un día de acción nacional, donde la gente se une desde diferentes partes del país”. El activista también agrego que “esto significa que hay un compromiso que esta creciendo en cada individuo. El año pasado, nosotros ayunamos, este año fue la marcha. Es solo una cuestión de tiempo para que llegue el momento en que Publix tiene que sumarse a las demandas de los trabajadores.”

Después de una hora de protesta en el South Gate Publix, los participantes formaron una fila para comenzar una marcha de 10 kilómetros, hacia la oficina principal de Publix. Consignas en español e ingles como “Publix, escucha, estamos en la lucha!” y “oh Publix you, you got what I need. So just pay one penny more, just pay one penny more,” se escuchaban por los aires. Esta segunada tomando el ritmo de la canción “You Got What I Need” de Freddie Scott.

Las voces energizantes de estas multitudes continuaron durante cinco horas. El hecho de que el sistema de sonido se había dañado al inicio de la marcha, no fue una razón alguna para que las consignas cesaran. Al enterarse de esta falla, los cantos se volvieron más fuertes, con el corazón y la energía de este grupo que tenia un mensaje claro y fuerte de justicia y dignidad.

Al llegar a la oficina corporativa de Publix, todos se reunieron al frente de una tarima para el evento principal. Los voluntarios de Coalición distribuyeron comidas y bebidas a los participantes, que se deleitaban con la música de artistas como Tracy Chapman, y su entrañable canción “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution” (hablando de una revolución).

Después de un poco de música, los campesin@s empezaron a compartir sus experiencias en la marcha de dos semanas, y de sus deplorables condiciones laborales. Los trabajadores sostenían ocho pancartas, cada una simbolizando una victoria ganada por la Coalición, que tuvo su inicio en el 1993. Estas incluían el “Derecho a trabajar libre de abusos sexuales” y “el derecho a trabajar libre de esclavitud”, en referencia a las terribles condiciones que enfrentaban antes de organizarse como Coalición. Las mujeres ahora tienen el derecho a reportar abusos sexuales, y todos los trabajadores tienen acceso a estructuras legales, por medio de programas de la Coalición, para enfrentar abusos de los “rancheros.”

Otras pancartas mostraban victorias en las áreas “Salud y Seguridad” y “El derecho de reportar abusos sin miedo.”

Lideres religiosos de varias creencias – Musulmanes, Judíos, Cristianos y otros – acompañaron al los campesin@s en el escenario. Cada líder religioso habló acerca de la justicia social y de los atropellos laborales en los campos agrícolas. Uno de ellos agradeció a las 45 diferentes congregaciones religiosas que dieron techo y comida para los marchantes durante su trayectoria del sur de Florida a Lakeland.

Estudiantes y jóvenes sostuvieron una manta gigante con una famosa frase del Dr. Martín Luther King, Jr., “La arca moral del universo es larga, pero se inclina hacia la justicia.” Esta acción incluyó la participación de cientos de manos, que apuntaban hacia las oficinas corporativas de Publix, mientras se daba lectura colectiva de esta frase, y se exigía que Publix firmara un acuerdo con la Coalición.

Después de la marcha, Tefa Galvis, joven organizadora con Estudiantes por una Sociedad Democrática (SDS, por sus siglas en ingles), de la Universidad del Sur de la Florida, dijo que “si mis pies duelen tanto después de seis millas, solo puedo imaginar como se sienten los trabajadores que trabajan todos los días en las fincas y que caminaron todas las 200 millas.” Galvis agregó que “ellos han mostrado dedicación a un movimiento que busca justicia igualitaria, no solo para los hombres, pero también para las mujeres que han sido victimas en los ranchos. Este movimiento no va a parar aquí, ni tampoco cuando Publix decida firmar el contrato. La Coalición entiende que hay muchas otras injusticias que todavía se tienen que luchar, y que el movimiento solamente crecerá más grande como una organización de trabajadores y aliados.”

#LakelandFL #ImmigrantRights #CoalitionOfImmokaleeWorkers #Publix #CIW #Farmworkers

Lakeland, FL – About 1000 people took to the streets here, March 17, marching six miles to the Publix Supermarket headquarters.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), which represents farmworkers in South Florida, organized the “March for Rights, Respect and Fair Food” to pressure Publix into signing an agreement called the “Fair Food Program.” This agreement includes higher wages and better working conditions for farmworkers.

During the past two weeks, CIW workers and community allies marched 200 miles from Fort Myers, Florida to the Publix Corporate Headquarters in Lakeland.

Hundreds of people came together at the Southgate Publix Supermarket in Lakeland. Organizers and activists handed out yellow and red flags that read, “New day for farmworkers” to the protesters. Spirits were high as the march grew by the minute, with people coming from Washington D.C., New York, California and all over Florida. They chanted, “ONE, we are the people. TWO, a little bit louder. THREE, we want justice, FOR farmworkers!”

The police consulted with Publix management and looked for opportunities to arrest protesters. Several farmworkers who marched from Fort Myers noticed that police became more strict and intimidating when the CIW arrived in Lakeland. The Polk County sheriff’s office, which includes Lakeland, has the second-most complaints and lawsuits of any sheriff’s office in the U.S. – behind Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the infamous racist and architect of Arizona’s anti-immigrant laws.

The CIW is pushing for Publix to sit at the negotiating table. Publix is reluctant to join the eleven corporations, including McDonalds and Aramark, that have signed on to the Fair Food Program since 2010. However the CIW’s campaign is growing stronger every year with critical support from community members, religious organizations, student groups and labor unions. Publix is feeling the pressure.

Victor Yengle, President of CHISPAS, the Chicano-Latino student group at the University of Florida, marched with the CIW at the March 17 event. Yengle fasted for a week with the farmworkers last March as a part of the same Publix campaign. When asked about the progress that the CIW is making, Yengle said, “This was an escalation. Activists started off doing regular, individual protests by city. Now, the CIW is able to call for a national day of action, where people will gather from every part of the country.” He added, “It signifies that there’s growing commitment from individuals. Last year, we fasted. This year was the march. It’s only a matter of time before Publix has to meet the farmworkers’ demands.”

After walking the picket line in front of the Southgate Publix for an hour, protesters filed into three-by-three columns and began the six-mile walk to the headquarters. Energetic chants rang out in both English and Spanish: “Publix, escucha, estamos en la lucha!” meaning “Publix, listen, we are in the fight!” Other chants included, “Oh Publix you, you got what I need. So just pay one penny more, just pay one penny more,” to the tune of Freddie Scott’s classic R&B hit, You Got What I Need.

The protesters’ energetic voices continued for the five-hour long march. Even when the CIW’s sound system blew out within a mile of the destination, the protesters grew even louder and eager to send Publix a message of justice.

When the protesters arrived outside the Publix Corporate Headquarters, they congregated in front of a stage for a rally. The CIW provided refreshments for the crowd while a few musicians played favorite progressive anthems, like Tracy Chapman’s Talkin’ Bout A Revolution.

The farmworkers then gave speeches about their experience on the two-week walk and on working conditions in the fields. They held up eight signs, each signifying a victory won by the CIW since their founding in 1993. These signs included “The right to work free of sexual harassment” and “The right to work free from slavery,” which speak to the horrible conditions that farmworkers face. Women now have the right to report sexual harassment when it happens in the field, and all workers can access legal structures through the CIW program to deal with abuses by overseers.

Other signs noted gains in “Health and security” and “The right to report abuses without fear.” At least one farmworker spoke about each of the eight signs.

Religious leaders from many faiths – Muslim, Judaism, Christianity and others – joined the farmworkers on stage. Each of the religious leaders talked about the importance of social justice and uniting around the farmworkers’ struggle. One speaker thanked the 45 different religious congregations that provided shelter and food for the marchers after each day.

Allied students and youth held a banner painted with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous quote, “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Hundreds of hands pointed at the Publix headquarters building as the crowd read the quote together and chanted for Publix to sign an agreement with the CIW.

After the march, Tefa Galvis, an organizer with Students for a Democratic Society at the University of South Florida, said, “If my feet hurt this much after six miles, I can only imagine how the farmworkers who work every day in the fields and walked all 200 miles feel.” Galvis continued, “They have shown dedication to a movement that seeks equal justice for not only men, but also women who have been harassed in the fields. This movement will not stop here, or even when Publix decides to sign the contract. The CIW knows that there are many injustices that still need to be fought and it will only grow bigger as an organization of workers and allies.”

#LakelandFL #CoalitionOfImmokaleeWorkers #Publix #CIW #Farmworkers