Last Thursday, students at the Ohio State University – site of the incredible and widely-supported seven-day fast for farmworker justice by 19 students back in March – learned that, instead of terminating the university’s contract with Wendy’s, OSU will renew it for three years.
Rather than stand with farmworkers and the students that for three years have been calling on the university to stop doing business with Wendy’s until the final fast-food holdout joins the Fair Food Program – not to mention the countless consumers and the faith leaders and faith community that have backed them – OSU has in this decision cast its lot with Wendy’s. That is, the university has turned its back on fulfilling any sort of commitment to fundamental human rights.
To read a detailed analysis of OSU’s decision and what it means for the Wendy’s Boycott, head over to the CIW’s website.
OSU students, disappointed, frustrated, and ever-more motivated to hold their university accountable to their disregard for farmworkers’ human rights, are calling on the Fair Food Nation to call President Drake’s offices today to condemn OSU’s decision to renew the Wendy’s contract.
Call President Drake today!
Phone number: 614-292-2424
Sample script:
President Drake, I'm calling because your administration has chosen to turn its back on its students, faculty, Columbus community, and farmworkers by renewing its contract with Wendy's. With this decision, your administration demonstrates its blatant disregard for farmworkers' basic human rights, instead actively working with Wendy's to develop a meaningless Code of Conduct.
Completely lacking in worker participation and enforcement mechanisms, Wendy's code has been publicly and repeatedly discredited as a nothing more than a sham by farmworkers, students, and more recently, international labor law expert James Brudney — and yet, OSU has chosen to support that CSR model, one that is failing thousands upon thousands of farmworkers in Wendy’s supply chain even as we speak. I am joining community members across the country in supporting students' escalating efforts to remove Wendy's from campus until you decide to stand on the right side of history regarding farmworkers' human rights.”
Let us know how it goes by emailing organize@allianceforfairfood.org. And encourage your friends, family and community to also pick up the phone today!