March on Publix Sarasota, Florida April 21, 2012


Following the suggestion of Rev. Paul Binder, a longstanding United Church of Christ ally, a protest march was organized that wound from one Sarasota Publix store to another, passing, not coincidentally, by the site of Florida’s newest Trader Joe’s along the way. The crowd was unexpectedly large, with more than a few people joining the protest that had read the Herald-Tribune front-page article on the Fair Food Standards Council the day before and felt moved to action. The crowd was led by a lively delegation from St Boniface Episcopal Church on Siesta Key, who painted the perfect tomato at the head of the procession.

Also among the crowd was Rev. Stephen Winemiller, above, of Faith Lutheran Church, who invited representatives of the CIW and Interfaith Action to speak during his congregation’s worship services that morning, following a moving sermon by Rev. Winemiller about the importance of helping Publix to better itself.


He and his congregants were joined by a large crowd of attendees from All Power to the Imagination conference at New College…


… who, together with several members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Sarasota, made for yet another strong turnout by both the CIW’s faith and student allies. The UU Congregation members took part in the protest after a special guest sermon that morning focused on Water, Food and Human Rights by Rev. Brock Leach, the vice president of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and the congregation hosted the CIW’s slavery museum that morning and invited CIW’s very own Oscar Otzoy to lead the morning’s packed forum on the achievements of the Fair Food Program!


Pictured behind the banner is Rabbi Jonathan Katz of Temple Beth Israel on Longboat Key, whose letter to the editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune last month read::

“Last week’s six-day fast in the shadow of Publix’s corporate headquarters in Lakeland by members of the Coalition of Immokalee of Workers, challenging the grocery giant’s refusal to abide a one-penny-per-pound wage increase for tomato pickers and comply with a code of conduct entitling them to greater rights, received press coverage in the Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, Fort Myers News-Press, Palm Beach Post and Lakeland Ledger.

The entirely civil demonstration, on behalf of those making only $10,000 a year with no health insurance, sick leave or recourse in the face of abusive field managers, culminated with 1,000 supporters, including Ethel Kennedy, marching three miles to break bread with the fasting workers.

Considering that the Fair Food Standards Council, the recently established organization charged with overseeing implementation of the penny-per-pound increase and the code of conduct — agreed to by 99 percent of Florida’s tomato growers and companies including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Burger King — is located in Sarasota, the Herald-Tribune’s lack of news coverage of the event is not only regrettable but also, in my view, journalistically delinquent.”


Unfortunately, Publix, as is their wont, wasn’t listening to its customers’ feedback in the press or to the people speaking for the marchers on this day. Here, Rabbi Aaron Koplin, right, attempts to speak with a Publix representative, who stood his ground against all arguments from faith and ethical business behavior. Rabbi Koplin later shared a new initiative promoted within the Rabbinical Association of Sarasota-Manatee and the Sarasota Ministerial Association for Publix shoppers to ask to meet with the manager after every shopping outing in order to donate a few extra pennies, since it seems that last year’s $1.5 billion profit didn’t suffice for the grocery giant to pay the $.01/lb…

All in all another large and vibrant protest, spreading the word of Publix’s refusal to do the right thing and support the Fair Food Campaign!