3/13/11

This picture, taken the night before the final march in Tampa during rehearsal for the next day’s popular theater performance, is one of many pictures that are now viewable at the Do the Right Thing Tour home page. Scroll down a bit, beneath the video table, to the “Photo Galleries” column on the right to see links to several new galleries by longtime CIW allies including Fritz Myer and Emiko Soltis.

CFF News Round-up: Great stuff we just couldn’t get to during the Tour!

Free Speech Radio story on Publix march; Dow Jones Newswire story on Trader Joe’s action; Ahold actions in Amsterdam, The Hague; Plus, great new photo galleries from the Tour…

During the Do the Right Thing Tour, there was so much happening that it was all we could do to keep up with daily reports from the road. Naturally, a few great stories fell through the cracks, and so today we want to go back and sweep up all the news we missed last week in one big round-up. So, here we go…

First up, click here to listen online to an excellent, five-minute report from the march by Free Speech Radio. The sounds and interviews really capture the feel of the action, so whether you were there and want to take a short aural trip down memory lane or you couldn’t make it out but want to hear what you missed, it’s well worth the five-minute investment.

Next, Al Lewis, a syndicated columnist for the Dow Jones Newswire, wrote a very nice column on the CIW’s visit to Trader Joe’s in Manhattan. Entitled, “Tomato pickers pick battle with Trader Joe’s,” the piece is an interesting close-up with CIW member Nely Rodriguez. Here’s an excerpt:

“… The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has been successfully championing some the lowest paid people in America since 1993. In a unique campaign, it has gone around growers and asked growers’ customers for a raise. Whole Foods, Subway, McDonald’s, Burger King and other companies have stepped up to pay the extra penny a pound in response to the group’s demands. If you want tomatoes for a penny a pound less, go to Trader Joe’s. But at least consider the plight of the tomato pickers as you benefit from their continued exploitation…” read more

The column then goes on to quote Nely extensively as she describes that exploitation in its many forms. Be sure to check it out.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean… While we were protesting Stop & Shop in Boston, Fair Food allies were taking the fight to Stop & Shop parent company Ahold in Amsterdam, Ahold’s hometown, and The Hague (below). In two separate actions, organized in solidarity with the big Boston march, CIW allies talked to scores of Ahold customers about the company’s refusal to meet the new industry standards for social responsibility established in the CIW’s agreement with the Florida Tomato Growers’ Exchange. Here’s a report from the actions:

“In Amsterdam as well as in Den Haag hundreds of customers of Albert Heijn (now the most important daughter of Ahold in the Netherlands, but originally the ‘founder’ organisation of Ahold), learned about the tomatopickers in Florida, the penny per pound and others demands. Many of them spoke out their support for these demands. In both cities picketlines were held in the center of the city.”

The solidarity and spirit of our Dutch friends are deeply appreciated by workers in Immokalee and an inspiration to Fair Food allies across the country! Our bonds will surely only grow stronger in the days ahead as the Ahold campaign intensifies.

And finally, do check out the great new photo galleries — and all the incredible media — from the Do the Right Thing Tour. Just scroll down until you see the “Photo Galleries” column on the right-hand side of the page. You won’t regret it!