Become a founding member of the Fair Food Sustainer Program!

Over the last decade and a half, farmworkers and their steadfast allies have fought to make the dream of enforceable human rights for farmworkers a reality. Today, that reality is the Fair Food Program. Now, the support of the Fair Food Nation is essential to bringing these critical human rights to thousands of workers in new crops and regions by sustaining the three core elements of this work: the leadership and community organizing of farmworkers, the commitment of allies working in partnership with the CIW, and the essential monitoring work of human rights investigators.

Fifteen years ago, a small group of farmworkers and consumers stood on the side of State Road 41 in Ft. Myers, Florida, carrying an oversized papier-mâché tomato.  They gathered there, squeezed between strip malls and rush-hour traffic, to declare a national boycott of Taco Bell. Outside of Florida, only a handful of people had ever heard of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. And outside of the CIW members and their few faithful allies gathered that day, no one gave the Taco Bell boycott a ghost of a chance.

Yet here farmworkers and consumer allies stand together today, having won the Taco Bell boycott, and

•    Thirteen more agreements with major food retailers from McDonald’s to Walmart;
•    The partnership of over 90% of the Florida tomato industry, and;
•    Verifiable human rights protections for 35,000 farmworkers and their families through the groundbreaking Fair Food Program, which is expanding and now operates in six new states and two new crops since its launch in 2011.

Gone is the daily barrage of sexual harassment, discrimination, and dangerous working conditions. Gone, too, are three decades of falling wages. Today, thanks to the Fair Food Program, workers can stand up for their rights without fear of being fired, and the Florida tomato industry is a model of social responsibility recognized around the country and around the world.

None of these historic changes would have happened without the unwavering commitment of thousands of people of faith, students and youth, food justice advocates, grassroots organizations, and every individual who has supported the CIW's vision of justice for farmworkers over the course of the Campaign for Fair Food.

But in many ways, this work is just getting started.

Calls for the expansion of the Fair Food Program to new crops and new states come in weekly; the only real limit to expansion are the resources necessary to sustain growth with the kind of integrity that has become the Program’s hallmark. The growing Campaign for Fair Food represents a central pillar on which the Fair Food Program rests, bringing on board major food retailers and holding them accountable to the conditions faced by workers in their supply chain. Further, the Fair Food Program is proof of a new concept in human rights, Worker-driven Social Responsibility (WSR), with the potential to bring verifiable human rights protections to millions of workers in even more industries.

To sustain and expand each of these pieces of our collective work, the CIW, the AFF, and the Fair Food Standards Council are calling on the national network of allies that has fought for fifteen years in the streets to make the Fair Food Program a reality—not just for support in action, but for financial support, too.

So today, we are launching the Fair Food Sustainer Program.

With a steady stream of monthly contributions, the Alliance for Fair Food can sustain and expand the three core elements of our work in conjunction with the CIW and the Fair Food Standards Council:

•    The leadership of farmworkers through community organizing, worker-to-worker education, and frontline monitoring of their own rights in the fields,
•    The commitment of consumer allies through action holding retail food companies accountable for labor conditions in their supply chains, and
•    The essential monitoring work of investigators though complaint investigations and field audits ensuring compliance with the Fair Food Code of Conduct.

And from the base of an ever more successful Fair Food Program, the Worker-driven Social Responsibility model can develop and take root in more and more communities of low-wage workers across the country and around the globe.

Whether it is with a sustaining donation of $500 or $5 a month, with the partnership of the thousands upon thousands of people that make up the vibrant Fair Food Nation, there is nothing we cannot do together!

Become a founding member of the Fair Food Sustainer Program today.

CIW and AFF announce ‘Behind the Braids’ national truth tours, weekend of action this fall!

As the Wendy’s Boycott swells with support from groups and individuals nationwide – including last week’s endorsement by the National Council of Churches and the nearly 50,000 petition supporters on Change.org – farmworkers in Immokalee are ready to hit the road this fall with the truth about Wendy’s and its callous disregard for human rights!

Starting the first week of October, just as the harvest season and organizing in the farmworker community begins to pick up here in Immokalee, CIW members will join thousands of consumer allies for powerful actions, film screenings, presentations, workshops, and interviews in nearly two dozen cities around the country, from the Southeast to the Midwest. To culminate the busy season of tours, the Fair Food Nation will come together for a national weekend of action just ahead of Thanksgiving, Nov. 11-13, amplifying the Wendy’s Boycott from coast to coast.

Check out the ‘Behind the Braids’ tour schedule and join us this fall to demand full respect for the human rights of farmworkers in Wendy’s supply chain!

Southeast (Oct. 2-12): Nashville, Atlanta, Athens, Gainesville

Midwest (Oct. 4-10): Cincinnati, Cleveland, Louisville, Columbus, Ann Arbor

Northeast (Oct. 14-24): NYC, Providence, Boston

Texas (Oct. 23-Nov. 3): McAllen, Austin, San Antonio

Mid-Atlantic (Oct. 24-30): Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C.

Midwest (Nov. 6-15): Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison

National Weekend of Action (Nov. 11-13)

This October and November, the CIW will set out across the U.S. with the truth about Wendy’s flight from the Fair Food Program and real, Worker-Driven Social Responsibility in Florida and the company’s decision to move tomato purchases to Mexico, where endemic human rights violations – from child labor to modern-day slavery – go largely unchecked. The six ‘Behind the Braids’ regional tours will spread the news of Wendy’s human rights hypocrisy to tens of thousands of consumers from Boston, Massachusetts, to Austin, Texas.  

The truth behind Wendy’s well-groomed braids is already out -- and from now until Wendy’s steps up to take responsibility for its supply chain practices, the Fair Food Nation will make sure that truth resonates loud and clear for Wendy’s consumer base from coast to coast to take note, and join the growing boycott.

Check out the Behind the Braids webpage for a schedule and map for the six ‘Behind the Braids’ tours. We’ll be updating it in the coming weeks with action details in each tour stop, and adding mobilizations organized by allies for the Nov. 11-13 weekend of action as they’re confirmed.

If we’re stopping near you or you’d like to participate in the weekend of action, get in touch (organize@allianceforfairfood.org) to figure out the best way to bring the Wendy’s Boycott to your campus, congregation, or community!

Take action with your congregation this Labor Day weekend!

Though it has become synonymous with cook-outs and the end of summer, Labor Day’s meaning is rooted in the value and importance of workers and their labor. For allies of faith in the Fair Food Nation, Labor Day (Sep. 2-4) represents an opportunity to amplify the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ longstanding struggle for justice in the fields. With the CIW’s second-ever corporate boycott in full swing, Labor Day also provides a platform to take meaningful action in response to Wendy’s unconscionable refusal to commit to the Fair Food Program, the groundbreaking worker-driven human rights program that’s bringing an end to the exploitation and poverty that were for decades the hallmark of agricultural labor in this country.

Wendy’s participation in the Fair Food Program is necessary in order to shrink the market for growers that continue to abuse workers with impunity, and make human rights and worker-driven social responsibility an industry standard – therein lies the urgency of our call. As people of diverse faith traditions, and as people of conscience, we stand behind farmworkers’ unrelenting and righteous pursuit of justice.

During Labor Day weekend this year, the CIW invites allies of faith to incorporate the fight for Fair Food and the Wendy’s Boycott into the weekend’s religious services – through sermon, ritual, prayer, or another avenue – and then take action with a community photo petition to show Wendy’s that the longer they stall, the longer they delay – and thereby deny – justice, the louder and more insistent our call will be.

In the coming week, we’ll be updating this page with resources and materials you can use to plan your own Labor Day service and action. Including:

+An interfaith worship guide, including a sample service elements, sermon points, and links to supplemental texts and readings
+A customizable photo petition template

If you plan to participate, let us know at organize@allianceforfairfood.org! We’d love to hear your ideas and support you in planning. After Labor Day weekend, be sure to send us your congregation’s photos and a report of how things went!

SIGN & SHARE: CIW launches Wendy’s Boycott petition on Change.org!

The national Wendy's Boycott is about to go viral! With over 100 million petition starters and supporters in more than 196 countries, Change.org is the prime platform for CIW to launch a far-reaching petition calling on consumers to stand with farmworkers in boycotting the final fast food holdout until they join the Fair Food Program.

Sign the petition – and then share it far and wide! 

It’s been almost six months since the Wendy’s Boycott took off during the Workers’ Voice Tour in March – and though thousands upon thousands of consumers of conscience have since then protested, marched, phoned, emailed, organized, and pledged to boycott Wendy’s until the fast food giant commits to respecting human rights for farmworkers, the corporation continues to ignore the growing calls for justice.

But with a brand-new petition live on one of the most successful online campaign sites in the country and a fresh season full of student, faith and community organizing – starting with the Wendy’s Boycott Summit in Immokalee in late September – kicking off, the Fair Food Nation is ready to ramp up the pressure on Wendy’s!

So head over to Change.org to be among the first to add your name to the boycott petition!

Be sure to check out the tools below to spread the word widely with your friends, family and networks to grow support for the Boycott Wendy's petition! 

Sharable graphics for social media:

Sample tweets: 

Stand with @ciw in boycotting @Wendys until they agree to protect the human rights of farmworkers! change.org/boycottwendys #BoycottWendys

.@Wendys: If you want our business, you must join @FairFoodProgram! change.org/boycottwendys #BoycottWendys 

Donate to make this year’s AFF Wendy’s #BoycottSummit a success!

We’re only two short months away from the 2016 AFF Wendy’s Boycott Summit, a long weekend of working alongside the CIW to develop creative strategy to advance the Wendy’s Boycott and strengthen all that we’ve fought for and won together. (If you haven’t already, apply to participate in this year’s Summit!)

AFF dedicates itself to providing this powerful opportunity to those who are committed to this vibrant and diverse network and organizing in the Campaign for Fair Food. That's why we're raising funds to offset the tremendous costs of hosting the Boycott Summit.

We’re calling on folks across the Fair Food Nation to help us raise funds to make this year’s unique gathering a success!

Our goal is to raise $3,000 to offset some of the Boycott Summit’s many costs. Your donation will go a long way in supporting folks traveling hundreds of miles to join us in Immokalee; contributing to food, housing and meeting space needs for over 100 allies; pitching in for printed materials and resources; and more. Every contribution will help us strengthen and grow the movement for Fair Food and bring us one step closer to victory in the Wendy's Boycott. 

So head over to our online YouCaring fundraiser and make your donation today. Don’t forget to share the fundraiser with your family, friends and community to help us quickly reach our goal and make this year’s Summit one for the books!

Announcing the AFF Wendy's Boycott Summit, Sept. 22-25 in Immokalee, FL

As a movement allying with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, we find ourselves at a crossroads: With human rights for farmworkers gaining ground in tomato fields up the East Coast and in Florida strawberries, the CIW has launched a boycott of Wendy’s in a struggle to strengthen and expand all we have fought for and won together, with the tremendous leadership of the CIW.  

At the same time, we are in merely the second year of the existence of the AFF as an organization seeking to best channel resources to support and connect the ally network to the farmworker-led movement in Immokalee. From Seattle to Miami, from the RGV to NYC, we’re shifting and growing as a network as the CIW grows and shifts, too — and together we continue to dream of and work towards realities of justice and dignity for all in the fields and far beyond. In a society where corporations hold such massive power — not only in the agricultural industry, but in countless arenas — victory in the Wendy’s boycott is essential. And it is not a question of if, but of when.  

At this crossroads, we’ve been thinking about how we can best equip ourselves as a movement to win the boycott against Wendy’s and fortify ourselves for the longterm organizing that is sure to follow. For this reason, we’ve decided to call together a Wendy’s Boycott Summit here in Immokalee — a long weekend of working together with CIW to develop short-term and longterm strategy in the national Wendy's Boycott, and building our skills and leadership, all the while growing our connection as a community to the CIW and with each other before we fan out across the country again. 

This Summit will build off of the Student/Farmworker Alliance’s annual tradition of holding a fall student and youth Encuentro (and will happen in its stead just this year), and it will bring together people from every corner of our network — students and youth, worker-led and grassroots organizations, people of faith, Fair Food Groups, and people from many walks of life. This weekend is for anyone who plans to actively build support for the Wendy’s boycott in their communities.  

If you’re interested in attending the Wendy’s Boycott Summit, please fill out an application — or pass it along to someone who would be interested in attending. We’ll be sending more information in the coming days — but for now, save the date!  

We are so excited to welcome you to the heart of the Campaign for Fair Food.

What: Alliance for Fair Food Wendy’s Boycott Summit
Where: Immokalee, Florida
When: September 22-25, 2016
Submit your application!

For more information, contact us at organize@allianceforfairfood.org.

See you in September!

- The Immokalee Crew 

Resounding support grows from faith communities for national boycott!

Since the launch of the Wendy’s boycott in March, thousands of consumers around the country have pledged to join and have taken creative action to call on the hamburger giant to join the Fair Food Program. Central to this resolute call have been people of faith, whose strong, moral voices in society have always been a cornerstone of the Campaign for Fair Food. The last few months have seen endorsements and calls to action from diverse faith communities around the country representing millions.

T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, was the first organization to endorse the Wendy’s boycott, and has been a leader in the campaign since its launch in 2013. After they endorsed, T’ruah put the call out to its entire network to support the boycott in a letter of endorsement (in full here), which over 300 rabbis, cantors, rabbinical/cantorial students, and Jewish communal leaders around the country signed. After collecting these signatures, early last month T’ruah leaders took the additional step of personally delivering the letter to the Park Ave. offices of Nelson Peltz — the same offices to which hundreds of Fair Food supporters marched after the launch of the boycott on the Workers’ Voice Tour. 

In May, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), continued its steadfast support in becoming the first major Christian denomination to endorse the Wendy’s boycott. Representing nearly two million across the country, the PC(U.S.A.) has stood with farmworkers since the nascent stages of the Campaign for Fair Food. In a statement, the Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(U.S.A.) said, “Rather than support Florida growers who uphold human rights under the Fair Food Program, Wendy’s switched its tomato purchases to Mexico, where the denial of human rights in the produce industry was well-documented in last year’s Los Angeles Times exposé… This is unacceptable, especially from a company that has prided itself on using U.S.-made products. Therefore, the PC(USA) joins the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in calling on Wendy’s to sign a Fair Food agreement.” You can read the full story from the Presbyterian News Service here. 

Joining the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and T’ruah is the United Church of Christ (UCC), who also took the formal step to endorse the Wendy’s boycott just weeks ago. The UCC, representing over one million followers in the United States, celebrated the advances of the Fair Food Program and condemned Wendy’s for its refusal to be part of these changes. The Rev. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President, and Rev. Traci Blackmon, Executive Minister, Justice & Witness Ministries, stated, “Wendy’s has turned its back on successful efforts in Florida to protect workers’ basic human rights and has moved its supply chain to Mexico where human rights abuses are rampant…For 10 years the request has been simple and fair: a zero-tolerance policy for slavery and sexual harassment, an additional penny per pound of tomatoes picked, and a formal grievance policy to address worker concerns. Ten years is long enough to simply ask a major corporation to do the right thing.”

On top of these historic endorsements, over twenty powerful religious leaders published an open letter to Wendy’s leadership in advance of the recent Wendy’s shareholder meeting, stating their unequivocal support for the Fair Food Program and calling on Wendy’s to join the Program. They hail from positions within the PC(U.S.A.), United Church of Christ, the Catholic Church, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and other diverse institutions that represent millions of followers. You can read the full letter here. 

Wendy’s leadership should know that these individuals and institutions will not rest with just a signature or endorsement, but they will be spreading their support of the boycott to the millions of followers in their communities. As a resounding consensus in faith communities grows in support of farmworkers’ human rights and the Wendy’s boycott, Wendy’s should know that people of faith and conscience around the country will accept nothing less than their full participation in the Fair Food Program — and, in partnership with farmworkers, are committed to making that a reality. 

Midwest brings national boycott to Wendy's annual shareholder meeting!

Last Thursday, the Fair Food Nation delivered the message of the Wendy’s Boycott loud and clear to Wendy’s corporate headquarters in the quiet, suburban town of Dublin, Ohio. Farmworker leaders led a delegation inside the meeting and a lively action outside, joined by scores of people of faith, students and community leaders from around the Midwest. 

Since the Wendy’s Boycott was announced in March, tens of thousands have taken up the charge in the form of institutional endorsements and actions in local communities around the country. This commitment and enthusiasm took center stage both inside and outside the meeting, making it clear to Wendy’s executives and shareholders that the boycott will only grow in numbers and strength the longer they hold out.

In the days leading up to the much-anticipated meeting, hundreds of people of faith answered an invitation to participate in the National Day of Prayer, praying and then calling the offices of Wendy’s Board Chairman and major shareholder Nelson Peltz. Fair Food supporters across the country called Peltz to deliver the message that as people of faith, they find it unconscionable that Wendy’s refuses to join the Fair Food Program – and as a result, they are boycotting Wendy’s and inviting their congregations and communities to do so as well.

 We received reports from around the country that phones were ringing off the hook over at Wendy’s headquarters, and by midday receptionists were no longer taking messages – just names and states of callers. 

A national call-in day followed last Wednesday, and hundreds more picked up their phones to call Todd Penegor, the new CEO of Wendy’s, to tell him he has an important choice to make: Will he finally commit Wendy’s to the Fair Food Program or will he allow Wendy’s inaction to continue fueling a national boycott that is tarnishing the company’s flashy image?

Many callers reported that they were unable to get through due to the sheer volume of calls, making it evident that support for the boycott is thriving. The deluge of calls from people of faith around the country was accompanied by the publication of a letter from 40+ Columbus-area clergy demanding that Wendy’s participate in the Program and pledging to boycott until they do.

With this thundering momentum, on Wednesday night, dedicated groups of allies from cities around the Midwest – Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, Nashville and Louisville – began their travels to Wendy's headquarters for the shareholder meeting.  

And so, bright and early on Thursday morning, as a few dozen shareholders entered the headquarter building to hear about and vote on corporate initiatives, members of the CIW were joined by over 80 students, people of faith, and community allies from the Columbus area and across the Midwest to communicate the message of the Wendy’s boycott right outside Wendy’s doorstep.  

The lively crew was made up of community organizations, students and religious leaders, interconnected by their deep commitment to stand together with farmworkers and boycott Wendy’s: Ohio Fair Food, Nashville Fair Food, the Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Dignidad Obrera, the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, SFA at the Ohio State University, SFA at the University of Michigan, SFA at Duquense University, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, Justice and Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ and Columbus Mennonite Church, among many others! 

As more shareholders entered and the meeting time approached, the group – getting larger by the minute – gathered momentarily to give a warm send-off to the extraordinary delegation of four who were ready to enter and speak directly with Wendy’s executives and shareholders: CIW’s Silvia Perez, Natali Rodriguez of the Alliance for Fair Food, Amanda Ferguson of The Ohio State University Student/Farmworker Alliance, and Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.

Here is one highlight from Tony de la Rosa, Interim Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, who shared these words:

"… Presbyterians throughout the country have been incredibly impressed with the strength, the fortitude, the savviness of this movement in [farmworkers’] marathon struggle to take control of their destiny and the demand for respect and fairness that all people should be afforded, but especially for farmworkers who pick our food, who nourish us with their labor...

...We stand with the farmworkers and we call on you, Wendy’s, to heed our call for justice in your supply chain.  The Wendy’s boycott is necessary because Wendy’s has refused for many years to join the Fair Food Program and we believe as people of faith that it is a wrong refusal. Slavery in the fields, sexual harassment, other abuses and poverty wages, are simply unacceptable...

....The success of the Fair Food Program is bringing these things to an end, and their success is a cause for our celebration.  So now, it’s time for Wendy’s to get on the train for Fair Food and join the Fair Food Program!”

When the circle finally closed, the group began a colorful march to the nearby Wendy’s flagship restaurant. Once there, CIW’s Lupe Gonzalo, a Tennessee State student, and a family from Columbus attempted to speak with the manager of the store to explain the presence of the protest and ask that the manager pass along the message to corporate across the street – but, as expected, the group was turned away at the door.

Returning to the sidewalk, Lupe addressed the waiting crowd with a few final words:

“I tried to tell the manager that I was accompanied today by students and children who are the future of Wendy’s business — who are seeing how Wendy’s is rejecting us.  The truth is, Wendy’s is shutting the door on themselves and on the future, because consumers are taking note of how they are responding to the national boycott, and losing respect for Wendy’s.”

And just as Lupe concluded the report back, the delegation inside the shareholder meeting was preparing for an intense exchange with Wendy’s leadership. Throughout the meeting, it became clear that though Wendy’s is shamelessly aware of its position as the only major fast food corporation outside of the Program, they constantly referenced their Supplier Code of Conduct and the values of Wendy’s Founder Dave Thomas as hollow shields.  

Following Wendy’s presentation, focused on the international growth of the company, Silvia Perez, representing the CIW, took the stand to address both executives and shareholders alike. She said: 

“…Wendy’s actually moved its tomato purchases away from Florida, where workers’ human rights are protected, to source instead from Mexico, where human rights violations are systemic and go unchecked. Wendy’s told the growers it was leaving Florida specifically to avoid the Fair Food Program. And where does it get its tomatoes now? A Harper’s Magazine piece recently revealed that Wendy’s buys its tomatoes from Bioparques, a major grower in Mexico that was the subject of a massive slavery prosecution in 2013. 

Therefore, this past March the CIW and thousands of consumers declared a national boycott of Wendy’s…

…All of Wendy’s top competitors – McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Subway – have joined and are enforcing the Fair Food Program’s golden standard of human rights in their supply chains. 

Given all of this, Wendy’s leadership is faced with a choice. Mr. Penegor and Board Directors, will you choose to join the Fair Food Program and correct a legacy of injustice – or will you choose to see a boycott grow day by day outside of your stores?”

Wendy’s representatives confirmed that the company no longer purchases from Florida, and also asserted that it does not purchase exclusively from Mexico either, but also from California and eastern states. Their response nothing more than a cheap public relations trick to evade the real question before them: Why has Wendy's abandoned growers that are enforcing human rights to purchase from farms where no such protections exist? 

Up next, Amanda Ferguson, representing Wendy’s prized “youth market” and a student at The Ohio State University, brought to Wendy’s attention student efforts to end OSU’s contract with Wendy’s: 

“…In the fall, the renewal of the Wendy’s contract with the OSU Wexner Medical Center is conditioned upon the “satisfactory resolution of the concerns of the Student Farm Workers Alliance.”

Our concerns are nowhere near met. Thus, unless your company joins the Fair Food Program you can expect that we will fight, tooth and nail, to remove Wendy’s from OSU. 

Support for Fair Food is stronger than ever; the millennial generation your company depends on will relentlessly fight and organize to boycott your restaurants regardless of how long it takes.

Mr. Penegor and Wendy’s leadership, will you uphold the Dave Thomas legacy of doing the right thing – or will you continue to ignore the demands of your target market until you see losses in business contracts?”

Wendy’s responded that they feel they have adequately addressed students’ concerns with their Supplier Code of Conduct– but Amanda was quick to respond that students' concerns will only be satisfied by Wendy’s joining the Fair Food Program.

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster of T’ruah took the mic next: 

“…T’ruah’s endorsement of the boycott is part of a massive and growing support within America’s faith community for the human rights of farmworkers. We are joined in our endorsement by the Presbyterian Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Unitarian Universalist Association, together with dozens of congregations representing tens of thousands of people of faith. 

Yesterday, over 20 national faith leaders from diverse traditions representing millions across the country published a letter pledging to support the boycott, and right here in Columbus, more than 40 local faith leaders have written to you to endorse the boycott as well. And our numbers will only grow as the boycott expands.

None of us wants a boycott.  We want Wendy’s to do the right thing, as its major competitors have done.  

It is time for Wendy’s to commit to justice and human rights—to choose meaningful and verifiable rights protections for the workers who pick your tomatoes, rather than continue to uphold a meaningless code of conduct that allows slavery to flourish in your supply chain.

On behalf of the CIW’s faith allies, I ask you: When will you partner with the CIW and become part of this transformative model for human rights protections? When will Wendy’s join the Fair Food Program?”

With that, the shareholder meeting was adjourned, and the Fair Food delegates made their way to Columbus Mennonite Church, where they were welcomed with a warm and beautiful outpouring of cheers and applause from those present outside the shareholder meeting earlier in the day. The play-by-play of the exchange between the delegation and the executives electrified the room, igniting further commitment from allies to continue moving forward the campaign.

Wendy’s is mired in a fast-growing national boycott, and would be wise to look at the Fair Food Nation’s impressive track record of victory. We will win this struggle with Wendy's, too, by partnering with farmworkers to demand dignity and respect in the U.S. agricultural industry. 

Stay tuned for more action to come this summer! 

Two-year federal investigation results in $1.4 million fine for top Publix tomato supplier for unacceptable human rights violations

This week, news broke out of the U.S. Department of Labor uncovering extensive human rights violations at Red Diamond Farms, a grower outside of the Fair Food Program and a major Publix tomato supplier, resulting in the farm paying $1.4 million in penalty fines and $150,000 in stolen wages to workers.

Below are the DOL's findings from the two-year federal investigation: 

Investigators from the department’s Wage and Hour Division Tampa District Office found that Red Diamond Farms and Torres violated provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act and H-2A temporary agricultural program. Specifically, investigators found the employer:

+ Provided preferential treatment to H-2A guest workers over corresponding domestic workers when it paid the guest workers higher rates and offered them more hours than the domestic workers, and failed to offer free housing or pay transportation costs to the domestic workers;

+ Failed to disclose the conditions of employment to the domestic workers when they were not provided a contract, as the law requires;

+ Concealed the presence of the domestic workers by segregating the payrolls, and denying their presence during the investigation;

+ Failed to keep accurate and complete payroll records.

In the course of the two-year investigation, agency investigators also determined that 380 employees were due back wages stemming from underpayments and the company’s failure to meet the full terms and conditions of the H-2A contract.

Over the course of the past six years, while Publix has turned its back on the thousands of farmworkers, religious leaders, students and consumers of conscious urgently calling on the South's largest grocery chain to make a verifiable commitment to the farmworkers who make its profits possible, at least three separate federal investigations for human rights violations have taken place in its Florida tomato supply chain. All the while, Publix, unbothered and unaccountable to any of these abuses, cashes in the profits of "doing business as usual" with growers like Red Diamond and stocking their shelves with exploitation-tainted produce. And given that Publix has refused time and time again to join the Fair Food Program, this time around is no different. 

In the DOL's press release, an administrator states, “Red Diamond Farms and its owner willfully disobeyed federal labor laws and exploited vulnerable, low-wage workers. These actions are unacceptable.” And just as Red Diamond has willfully exploited and humiliated farmworkers in the fields, Publix willfully has chosen to turn a blind eye to the conditions in its supply chain and deny the imperative for participation in the Fair Food Program.

No amount of PR ploys or delicately written statements can justify Publix's complicity in the deplorable abuses flourishing within its supply chain, especially when now, for five seasons strong, tens of thousands of farmworkers under the Fair Food Program are exercising their right to report abuses without fear of retaliation and work free from sexual harassment, violence and forced labor, and 14 multi-billion dollar corporations are utilizing their market power to enforce these rights. 

So long as Publix remains on the hook for buying produce from growers that exploit workers and refusing to do its part to eliminate and prevent human rights abuses in the fields, consumers of conscious will remain firm in incessantly calling on the grocery giant to join its major grocery counterparts in ensuring the farmworkers harvesting the produce — including Red Diamond's exclusive Tasti-Lee tomatoes — they sell in their stores are treated with dignity and respect. 

It will be interesting to hear what Publix has to say in its desperate defense this time around. Will Publix continue with its embarrassing tradition of brushing off atrocities in its supply chain and writing them off as "not our business" or will the grocery giant find its sense of shame and join the Fair Food Program once and for all? 

READ THE FULL REPORT DETAILING THE "1.4 MILLION REASONS WHY PUBLIX SHOULD JOIN THE FAIR FOOD PROGRAM" OVER AT THE CIW SITE!

 

CALL TO ACTION: Farmworkers, allies to boycott Wendy's at shareholder meeting, national call-in day May 25!

With support for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ boycott of Wendy’s growing by the day and Wendy’s annual shareholder meeting right around the corner on May 26, farmworkers of the CIW and allies are preparing to be present both inside and outside the meeting at Wendy’s Dublin, OH headquarters to take the message of the boycott directly to Wendy’s executives and shareholders. And for those who can’t be present (and for those who can!), the CIW invites all to call in Wendy’s headquarters on May 25 to demand that incoming CEO Todd Penegor bring the corporation to commit to the Program ahead of the meeting.

Call-in Number: (614)-764-3327  *This number will take you to Bob Bertini, Wendy's head of communications who must pass these messages to CEO Todd Penegor*

Sample call-in script: 

Hi, my name is ____, and I would like to leave a message for Todd Penegor. 

As Wendy’s prepares for its annual meeting of shareholders and Todd Penegor transitions into his role as CEO, Wendy’s shareholders and executives should know that I am boycotting Wendy’s until the fast food chain agrees to join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food Program. It is unacceptable that Wendy’s has not only refused to be part of a proven solution to farmworker abuse and poverty, but has also moved its purchasing away from the Fair Food Program and to a farm where slavery was found in 2013 — so as Emil Brolick retires, I’m joining thousands of farmworkers and consumers in refusing to eat at Wendy’s until they respect farmworkers’ rights.

Thank you for relaying this message.

Over the course of this year alone (not to mention the three-year public campaign and 10-year call), countless farmworkers and consumers of conscience have shown up outside of hundreds of Wendy’s locations to picket, march, hold vigils, and deliver letters to managers; we have called and marched outside the offices of Wendy’s Board Chair and major shareholder Nelson Peltz; and during the CIW’s massive tour of the east coast this March, we committed by the thousands to join the farmworker-called boycott of Wendy’s until they join the Fair Food Program. Since March, organizations and individuals representing millions have pledged to join the boycott. And Wendy’s finds themselves ensnared in their lies: If Wendy’s cares about their supply chain — as they claim in their recent “All-American” ads and Supplier Code of Conduct  — then why are they purchasing from a grower where slavery was discovered in 2013?  

On May 26, farmworkers and consumers get the chance to share our message with Wendy’s executives and shareholders face to face. Together, we will meet Wendy’s unconscionable rejection of the Fair Food Program — eschewing real, verifiable human rights for farmworkers — with the strength of workers uniting with students, people of faith, community members, grassroots groups and so many more, all boycotting Wendy’s until they respect farmworkers’ rights. For those in Ohio — or those able to make the trip from elsewhere — will you join us outside Wendy's headquarters on May 26? And for those unable to be present, will you commit to call-in on May 25?

If you’re traveling to the action, email us at organize@allianceforfairfood.org for information about carpools and housing on the night of May 25.  

Make sure to fill out the form below to let us know about your call to Wendy's HQ's!