“Month of Publix Protests” continues with two days of action in Gainesville, Tampa!

Undaunted by the unethical — and unexplained — filming under false pretenses of protesters at last week’s actions, dozens of farmworker families traveled north this weekend to demand that Publix support the growing movement for social justice in Florida’s tomato fields.

Foodservice provider Aramark also focus of Gainesville action on UF campus…

About 150 farmworkers from Immokalee and their allies gathered for spirited actions this past weekend in Gainesville and Tampa, letting Publix know that no amount of intimidation will turn them back from their fight to move Publix to join other food industry leaders in supporting the Campaign for Fair Food. The growing numbers at the latest protests made clear that momentum is building for the big December action in Lakeland, home of Publix corporate headquarters.

In Gainesville, the action started at the University of Florida, where students are organizing in support of the Student/Farmworker Alliance “Dine with Dignity” campaign. The students are calling on campus foodservice provider Aramark to follow the Compass Group’s lead and work with the CIW to support social justice in Florida’s tomato fields.

The protest was large and lively, generating strong support for this week’s vote by the student Senate on a resolution supporting the CIW and the Campaign for Fair Food. Here’s an excerpt from an op/ed in the University of Florida student paper (“Students should demand better wages for Immokalee workers,” 10/26/09):

“… This past Saturday, I was joined by more than 130 students, faculty, activists and Immokalee farm workers in demanding that Aramark negotiate with… athe Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Right now, Subway, McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and several other corporations have agreed to directly pay a penny more per pound of tomatoes picked to the farm workers. The coalition is calling on Aramark to do the same thing.

Because every dining option on campus is owned by Aramark, any student who has eaten on campus has a moral imperative to assist the coalition in its struggle for justice in Immokalee. Student Senate heard a resolution in support of the CIW last month that a majority of Senators from all three parties voted for. In a bizarre turn of events, the resolution didn’t pass because it needed a two-thirds majority.

This Tuesday, Senate is hearing the same resolution again. Based on the enormous amount of support on Saturday, I’m not alone in demanding that Senate vote overwhelmingly to demand that Aramark negotiate with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to bring an end to the abuses and exploitation in Immokalee….”