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Does your grocery store support modern slavery in the fields of Florida?
A Florida farmworkers union says that Lakeland, Florida based grocery chain Publix continues to buy produce from growers recently convicted of actual human slavery.
Heavy beatings, knife wounds, arms in chains, forced living in box trucks, these are the conditions under which some workers were discovered to be living. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers have aided prosecutors in 6 cases resulting in convictions where more than 1,000 tomato workers were held as slaves.
Yesterday the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the farmworkers union whose stated goal it is to change the whole tomato industry, marched near Flagler and 83rd Ave, close to a Publix in the city of Sweetwater.
Members of the activist contingent hand-delivered a letter to the manager of the West Miami Publix stating their dissatisfaction with the company’s policies.
Short Order has reached out to the Publix media relations department for comment. We will let you know how they respond to the recent round of CIW protest actions across the State of Florida.
Here are some more pictures….
