Category: A Year to Dine with Dignity: May 2009 – August 2010

Coalition of Immokalee Workers > Archives > A Year to Dine with Dignity: May 2009 - August 2010

At long last, a grower steps forward!

Posted on by CIW
With the start of the new season only weeks away, East Coast Growers and Packers -- one of Florida's largest tomato growers -- has agreed to work with the CIW and food industry leaders to implement the CIW'S Fair Food agreements, including the penny-per-pound raise to harvesters, supply chain transparency, and a stringent code of conduct. The agreements -- six >> Read More

Fair Food activists go into high gear in Publix campaign!

Posted on by CIW
Farmworkers, allies celebrate Labor Day with bike tour in Sarasota, FL, to draw attention to grocery giant's continued inaction following latest slavery conviction... This Labor Day, at the invitation of allies at the First Presbyterian Church in Sarasota, several farmworkers from Immokalee along with allies from Interfaith Action ventured two hours north to take part in a unique demonstration -- >> Read More
Publix sweetheart deal at taxpayer expense in Ft. Myers, Florida, comes under increasing scrutiny…

Publix sweetheart deal at taxpayer expense in Ft. Myers, Florida, comes under increasing scrutiny…

Posted on by CIW
A columnist for the Ft. Myers News-Press took a strong stand this past week against the questionable use of taxpayer dollars in a time of economic crisis... and the recipient of the public largesse in question is none other than Florida supermarket giant Publix ("Ft. Myers in no shape to give Publix rent break," 8/28/09). It seems that Publix -- >> Read More

Denver Fair Food activists to Chipotle: “We are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied,” until Chipotle deals with CIW!

Posted on by CIW
Plus: CIW wins 2009 WMNF Radio Peace and Justice Award! When a delegation of local labor, student and community allies representing the Denver Fair Food Committee visited Chipotle corporate headquarters last week (right) to deliver over 16,000 signatures demanding that Chipotle enter into a genuine partnership with the CIW to address the human rights crisis in Florida's tomato fields, they >> Read More

A Farmworker Champion Passes…

Posted on by CIW
Senator Kennedy greets the CIW's Lucas Benitez during last year's hearing on farmworker exploitation in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committtee. Yesterday, farmworkers across the country lost a true friend. The Coalition issued this statement: "Sin duda alguna hoy hemos perdido un gran lider del senado y de esta nación. Siempre usó su voz y su poder para >> Read More

Chipotle all a-“Twitter” over new petition!

Posted on by CIW
American Rights @ Work's Chipotle petition "top Twitter petition of the month" ALSO: "Fresh" director signs the letter to Chipotle! On August 10, American Rights @ Work launched a Twitter petition to Chipotle through the Twitter petition site http://act.ly. The petition quickly went viral. With 331 Tweets so far, it remains act.ly's top performing Twitter petition of the month -- >> Read More
Action Alert: Call Chipotle today!

Action Alert: Call Chipotle today!

Posted on by CIW
From our friends at American Rights @ Work: "Since we first launched our campaign, more than 10,000 activists [editor's note: the number is actually 15,000 as of today!] have urged Chipotle to stand up for exploited Florida farmworkers. People around the country have been calling on Chipotle to live up to its "food with integrity" promise -- and now they've >> Read More

Post-mortem of a PR debacle…

Posted on by CIW
The week in review:  In the press release ahead of last week’s free screenings of the documentary “Food, Inc.,” Chipotle CEO Steve Ells said: "I hope that all our customers see this film.  The more they know about where their food comes from, the more they will appreciate what we do." It’s an admirable goal – with ever more perfect >> Read More

Dean of the food justice press corps pens definitive post on Chipotle PR fiasco…

Posted on by CIW
Tom Philpott, grist.org: "Chipotle grilled -- Burrito chain’s Food, Inc. sponsorship generates off-screen drama over farm-worker issues" While investment and food bloggers tiptoed around Chipotle's failed efforts to hitch its brand to the hard-hitting new documentary "Food, Inc." (scroll down to the following story for more on the blogosphere's collective thumbs down for the fast-food giant), it took a true >> Read More