One of the most encouraging recent developments in the Campaign for Fair Food has been the development of local Fair Food committees, groups like the Community/Farmworker Alliance shown in the video above in action outside a Trader Joe’s store in Brooklyn.
Popping up everywhere from Austin, Texas, to Denver, Colorado, from the Bay Area in California to Tampa Bay right here close to home, these area committees bring an incredibly valuable energy, creativity, and touch of local flair to the campaign, not to mention help keep pressure on companies like Trader Joe’s, Quiznos, and Stop & Shop.
And the best thing about the local Fair Food committees? They don’t stop! These groups are dogged, and once they’ve started taking action, they keep it coming.
Exhibit A: Denver Fair Food. Declaring in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “Justice too long delayed is justice denied,” Denver Fair Food has announced the “Spring Blitz for Farmworker Justice,” a series of protests that began with an action last week (pictured here on the right) aimed at getting Quiznos to stop delaying and start working with the CIW for Fair Food.
In the photo above, members of Denver Fair Food are shown speaking with the franchise owner of a local Quiznos who came out to speak with the protesters after the action. And according to their report:
| “…. The franchise owner surprised everyone by saying that not only did he fully support the idea of farmworkers receiving fair wages and working conditions but he actually spoke with Quiznos Headquarters and encouraged them to sign an agreement with the CIW.” read more |
That is a powerful message to Quiznos, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the consistent local pressure brought by Denver Fair Food.
Exhibit B: New York’s Community/Farmworker Alliance. The members of New York’s Fair Food committee so enjoyed their first “Sample Justice” action outside a Brooklyn Trader Joe’s (captured in the video at the top of this post) that they have announced “Fair Food Fridays,” which they describe as:
| During the entire month of April, leading up to May Day, we’ll be holding weekly actions in front of Trader Joe’s stores across the city and we’re inviting all of you to join in on the fun!
The action is simple. Each week, we’ll stand outside a Trader Joe’s store, dressed in our favorite Hawaiian shirts (or tomato costumes, if you prefer), carrying a tray of sample cups, and inviting people to Sample Justice! |
These are the actions that, bit by bit, bring change. They send the message that this campaign is not going away, that it is only getting stronger. And most of all, these actions tell workers in Immokalee and throughout Florida’s fields that they are not alone, that their call for justice is being heard, and that justice — however long delayed — will be done.
If you are interested in the possibility of organizing a Fair Food committee in your community or on your campus, write us at workers@ciw-online.org and we’ll hook you up with resources and information to get you started in the right direction.