Tag: modern-day slavery

Coalition of Immokalee Workers > modern-day slavery

An Open Letter to Gov. Charlie Crist

Posted on by CIW
When those who have the responsibility to ensure freedom from slavery, one of the grossest violations of human rights, instead tolerate its existence, people of conscience must speak out. Mr. Terence McElroy, a spokesperson from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, responded on behalf of Governor Charlie Crist to an inquiry from the Ft. Myers News Press on >> Read More
Statement of Sen. Bernie Sanders on Slavery Verdict in Immokalee, Florida

Statement of Sen. Bernie Sanders on Slavery Verdict in Immokalee, Florida

Posted on by CIW
BURLINGTON, Vt., September 3 – Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate labor committee, made the following statement today regarding the recent guilty plea by five residents of Immokalee, Florida to enslaving and brutalizing farm workers: “I think most Americans would find it hard to believe that people in our country are pleading guilty to slavery charges in >> Read More

Collected Press from the April 15, 2008 Senate Hearing:

Posted on by CIW
Senator Bernie Sanders addresses the hearing, joined by Senators Edward Kennedy (shown here on right), Richard Durbin, and Sherrod Brown (not pictured). The senators' opening remarks set the tone for the dramatic hearing to follow... "Ending Slavery for Pennies," The Nation, 4/16/08 "Senators look into treatment, wages of Fla. tomato pickers: US senators hold hearing on Fla. tomato growers' opposition >> Read More
Press Release: Members of Congress Join CIW in Campaign to End Modern-Day Slavery

Press Release: Members of Congress Join CIW in Campaign to End Modern-Day Slavery

Posted on by CIW
PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: March 11th, 2008 Contact: Jeffrey Buchanan 202-463-7575 ext 241 buchanan@rfkmemorial.org Members of Congress Join CIW in Campaign to End Modern Day Slavery and Sweatshops in America’s Fields Members of Congress -- including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to join in signing >> Read More
Press Release: Sixth Immokalee slavery case suspect arrested Group accused of keeping beating, stealing from Immokalee laborers

Press Release: Sixth Immokalee slavery case suspect arrested Group accused of keeping beating, stealing from Immokalee laborers

Posted on by CIW
FORT MYERS NEWS-PRESS Pat Gillespie pgillespie@news-press.com January 18, 2008 In one of the largest slavery prosecutions Southwest Florida has ever seen, authorities arrested a sixth suspect Wednesday, charging her with making money off unpaid illegal immigrant farm workers. Antonia Zuniga Vargas appeared in court for the first time Thursday to listen to the charges: conspiring to make money off workers >> Read More
How about a side order of human rights?

How about a side order of human rights?

Posted on by CIW
Fred Grimm, The Miami Herald Dec. 16, 2007 Immokalee -- Cheap tomatoes start here. At the slave house on Seventh Street. The squat beige stucco house three blocks off Main Street in Immokalee hardly suggests that the Navarrete family was getting rich using intimidation, locked doors and the strong-arm tactics to maintain their low-wage undocumented work crews. The only signs >> Read More

Fresh allegations of “human slavery” emerge from the tomato fields of Immokalee

Posted on by CIW
Federal prosecutors say workers picking tomatoes locked in trucks, chained, beaten by bosses for trying to escape; Four arrested November 20th was a momentous day in Immokalee. On November 20th, according to court documents filed last week, three tomato pickers made their way to the Collier County Sheriff’s office after having escaped two days earlier through the ventilation hatch of >> Read More

Save the date! Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2007 – Miami, Florida

Posted on by CIW
CIW announces march on Burger King headquarters to coincide with BK's annual shareholder meeting CIW: "Today, in the wake of the Yum Brands and McDonald’s agreements, we stand on the threshold of a more modern, more humane agricultural industry in Florida. Yet, facing this historic opportunity, Burger King seems to have chosen business as usual over progress, continued exploitation over >> Read More
MEDIA ROUND-UP

MEDIA ROUND-UP

Posted on by CIW
Check out the latest article on the growing battle for fair food, this time from the St. Petersburg Times, "Fast Food Fight," 3/5/06 (photo on left). Here's an excerpt: "Wednesday night, more than 70 farm workers packed the CIW's storefront for a regular weekly meeting... As heads covered with ball caps nodded, Benitez said the CIW is pushing for fair >> Read More