Hey America, this Thanksgiving let's buck tradition and not go out of our way to kill indians.
So, maybe you don't know, but, most of America's tomatoes are grown in Immokalee, Florida, just up the street from Naples, and across the way from Miami, and most of the workers in the fields picking them are Mexicans & Guatemalans of native descent. In the past 10 years Florida has prosecuted 7 cases of modern human slavery involving over 1,000 of the field workers who probably pick the tomatoes you buy.
A union they formed to protect themselves from human rights abuses and corporate irresponsibility, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, is currently campaigning for Publix to step up in the fight against modern slavery, and in support of a living wage for field workers. The CIW already has Burger King, McDonalds, Subway, Taco Bell, Whole Foods, Bon Appetit, East Coast Farms, and others on their side.
Click here for an article in the Atlantic Monthly about the Publix corporate spy team that has been working against the CIW.
Maybe shopping for thanksgiving is unavoidable, but you can join the National Supermarket Week of Action. Drop off a letter to your supermarket manager explaining your support for action against maltreatment of field workers.
The link below has a letter written for you already. Read it, print it, and hand it personally to your supermarket manager, they will send it to their corporate boss. Log on to allianceforfairfood.org/2009supermarket.html to see how you can help.
