Quaker youth to Wendy’s: “What does your heart call upon you to do?”…


Over 150 Quaker youth, adults march together on Wendy’s at national gathering in Colorado, demand Fair Food!

On the eve of Independence Day, Quaker youth from around the country organized a free civics lesson for the executives who run Wendy’s — the same executives who, just weeks ago, justified their decision to reject the CIW’s Fair Food Program by calling the Program “un-American” — with a huge march for human rights and Fair Food on a Wendy’s restaurant in Greeley, Colorado.

From the front page of the Greeley Tribune:

“Clad in red braided wigs and holding picket signs, a cluster of Quakers descended on an unsuspecting Wendy’s in Greeley on Wednesday afternoon, speaking out for the rights of tomato farm and field workers in Florida.

The chanting group of about 150 Quakers — a religious movement with Christian roots often confused with the Amish, who are also a “peace church” — hailed from the national Friends General Conference, held at the University of Northern Colorado this year. Following a workshop on the Fair Food Campaign, which demands more humane labor standards for field workers, kids and adults alike marched from UNC to bring awareness to the issue.

Wendy’s is the only fast-food chain in the United States that has refused to sign the Fair Food Agreement to end things like sexual harassment and unequal pay in the fields, protestors said.

“Your burgers may be square, but the wages ain’t fair,” the group chanted in front of the Wendy’s on 8th Avenue…” read more

The action — with its youthful exuberance and joyful message of respect for fundamental human rights — left even the Wendy’s manager on site no choice but to receive the protesters’ message with warmth and goodwill. A participant in the manager delegation reported:
 

“The person in charge of the store for the day had a very warm response and actually took the handwritten letter the youth drafted and said she would fax it over to corporate, and even gave Itzael (far right, below, hiding behind his father, the CIW’s Lucas Benitez) a free lemonade!”

The protest even caught the eye of the the Greeley Tribune’s editorial page writers, who opined in their July 4th edition:
 

“We think the protest by a group of Quakers this week at the Wendy’s near the university is interesting.

A chanting group of about 150 Quakers — a religious movement with Christian roots often confused with the Amish, who are also a “peace church” — came from the national Friends General Conference, held at the University of Northern Colorado this year. Following a workshop on the Fair Food Campaign, which demands more humane labor standards for field workers, kids and adults alike marched on Wednesday from UNC to bring awareness to the issue.

The protesters were friendly, and many even ate at Wendy’s. But they were there with a serious message.

Wendy’s is the only fast-food chain in the United States that has refused to sign the Fair Food Agreement to end things like sexual harassment and unequal pay in the fields, protestors said.

Of course, there are no large commercial tomato growers in Weld County, but we enjoyed seeing the Quakers raise the issue. We would certainly like to see all agriculture workers treated well, and we know that fast food chains have significant power to affect these standards because of their significant purchasing power.”

All in all, a remarkably successful action, and one that clearly draws the moral battle lines between the Fair Food movement, on the one hand, and the final fast-food holdout, on the other, as the Wendy’s campaign builds energy across the country.

There is much, much more to come, including national Wendy’s days of action in the months ahead, so check back again soon for more from the Wendy’s front in the fight for Fair Food!