On left, Bert Perry (right) of National Farm Worker Ministry hands Publix representative (blue shirt) a copy of the State Department TIP report. On right, the Publix representative walks away after brief exchange.

Secretary Clinton: Fighting slavery “is everyone’s responsibility.Businesses that knowingly profit or exhibit reckless disregard about their supply chains… all of us have to speak out and act forcefully.”

Publix: Meh…

Yesterday, the CIW, allies from Interfaith Action and National Farm Worker Ministry, and a reporter and photographer from the Florida Catholic traveled to Publix corporate headquarters in Lakeland to deliver a copy of the State Department’s recently released “Trafficking in Persons” (TIP) report. The delegation had hoped to get a meeting with Publix representatives to discuss Secretary Clinton’s forceful remarks on the urgent need for corporations to take responsibility for cleaning up human rights abuses in their supply chains.

Instead what they got is pictured above. They were met outside the offices, at the security gate, by the gentleman in the blue shirt, who accepted the copy of the TIP report and quickly clarified that he had no authority to speak on behalf of Publix. After a brief exchange — during which his attention was directed to the specifc words on supply chain accountability, to which he responded curtly that he had already seen those words — the gentleman returned to Publix’s headquarters with the report.

In his remarks at the TIP ceremony in Washington last week, US Ambassador Luis CdeBaca said:

“There have been many cases exposing servitude for both sex and labor in Florida. And the Coalition of the Immokalee Workers and Laura Germino have always been there. They’ve been important partners and, more importantly, an independent and pressing voice as they uncover slavery rings, tap the power of the workers, and hold companies and governments accountable.”

Apparently, Publix wants no part of that partnership, though the company’s history of dealing with growers found to have employed slave labor in their tomato fields would seem to indicate that Publix could stand to benefit greatly from more attention to its supply chain.

It’s time for Publix to stop burying its head in the sand and to heed the growing call for farm labor justice. It’s time for Publix to meet with the CIW and join the growing partnership for real supply chain accountability.

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UPDATE: Since this page was originally posted, Pacific Tomato Growers has agreed to participate in CIW’s Campaign for Fair Food and has adopted a comprehensive Code of Conduct that affords significant verifiable worker protections. This Code reconfirms Pacific Tomato Grower’s long-standing commitment to a zero tolerance for forced labor. While Pacific Tomato Growers was never the target or subject of the Federal prosecution’s Navarrette investigation, Pacific Tomato Growers agrees that all growers must do more to prevent the use of forced labor on their farms.