The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a community-based worker organization. Their members are largely Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the state of Florida. They are dedicated to making their community stronger, through the reflection and analysis of issues affecting their community, constant attention to coalition building across ethnic divisions, and an ongoing investment in educating and organizing their community on vital workers’ rights issues.
With these ideals in mind, CIW fights for a fair wage for the work they do, more respect on the part of their bosses and the companies of employment, stronger laws and stronger enforcement against those who violate workers’ rights, the right to organize without fear of retaliation, and an end to indentured servitude in the fields.
In 2001, CIW launched their first-ever farm worker boycott of a major fast-food company– the national boycott of Taco Bell–calling on the fast-food giant to take responsibility for its human rights abuses in the fields where its produce is grown and picked. The fast-food industry as a whole, including big name restaurants such as McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, and Wendy’s – purchase a large volume of fruits and vegetables, leveraging their buying power to demand the lowest possible prices from their suppliers. Such tremendous market power leaves the burden on the workforce, lowering workers’ wages and dehumanizing working conditions in supplier operations.
CIW’s Taco Bell boycott garnered immense support from the student, religious, and labor communities. In March 2005, after a four year campaign and as result of growing pressure from CIW supporters throughout the country, Taco Bell agreed to meet all of CIW’s demands to improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato workers. Such an achievement only propelled CIW’s work to new heights. The CIW had continued support from the Student Farmworker Alliance, a network of youth from around the country participating in the Fight for Fair Food, along with the newly formed Alliance for Fair Food, which brought together community organizations, faith groups, and unions to fight for fair food.
This past April, following a two-year battle with the largest fast-food chain in the world - McDonalds - the Campaign for Fair Food took an important step forward. McDonalds and the CIW reached a decision that not only met the standards laid out in the Taco Bell agreement, but also committed McDonalds to collaborate with the CIW in developing an industry wide third party mechanism for monitoring conditions in the fields and investigating human rights abuses.
Today, CIW has become a powerful advocate for young, immigrant workers, fighting for livable wages and a more humane working environment. The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights supports the groundbreaking work of the CIW to improve wages and working conditions for the workers who bring cheap food to American dinner tables. The MCHR’s workers rights project draws many similarities to the CIW’s work. As the food industry continues in a race to the bottom, the working conditions and wages for workers suffer. Profits soar and workers are continually exploited and have their human rights disregarded in an attempt to produce the most food at the cheapest rate possible. The MCHR is fighting for meatpacking workers in much the same way the CIW is fighting for migrant farmworkers. We believe that those with the purchasing power are the link to better conditions and wages for these workers.
Stephanie Bates, workers right consultant on the workers rights project, currently sits on the 2008 Student Farmworker Alliance National Steering Committee, helping to move the Campaign for Fair Food forward and learning from the tactics of the CIW to help move forward on meatpacking worker’s rights.
Check out www.ciw-online.org and www.sfalliance.org for more information.
Source: CIW online
