Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) coming to Denver for the 2008 "Chipocrisy Tour", demanding Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill stop ignoring human rights of farmworkers and live out the true meaning of its marketing slogan "Food With Integrity"!!
Over a dozen farmworkers and their allies will travel from Immokalee,
FL to Denver during two weeks of education and action. Join the CIW
in Denver for these exciting events:
Sunday, October 5th:
1pm - Picket at the first ever Chipotle restaurant, 1644 Evans Ave
(west of University Blv, near DU)
Evening - Celebration, details TBA
Monday, October 6th:
All Day - Plantón (literally "long wait") outside Chipotle HQ, 1543
Wazee St. in downtown Denver, an all-day protest "waiting" for
Chipotle to do the right thing. Starts first thing in the morning.
Come for all or part.
6:30pm - Vigil outside Chipotle HQ.
Tuesday, October 7th:
Morning til Mid-Day - Plantón outside Chipotle HQ continues. Come for
all or part
Mid-day - Send off for the CIW, details TBA
If you would like to invite a member of the CIW to speak with your
church, class, union or other group about their efforts to obtain
human rights for farmworkers, contact robert@sfalliance.org or
505-980-4220.
BACKGROUND:
Florida tomato pickers toil 10-12 hour days and earn just 40-50 cents
per 32-lb bucket of tomatoes, a wage rate that has been stagnant for 30 years. At this rate, a farmworker must pick and haul 2 TONS of
tomatoes to earn $50 in one day. Farmworkers work long hours without overtime pay, the right to organize, healthcare, or benefits of any kind. In the most extreme conditions, workers are held and forced to work against their will in modern-day slavery rings. The CIW, a
Florida farmworker organization, has uncovered and assisted in
successful prosecutions of 7 modern-day slavery rings in the fields,
freeing over 1,000 workers in the past decade.
Through hard-fought campaigns, the CIW has reached agreements with
Yum! Brands (owner of Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and others),
McDonald's and Burger King to improve wages and protect the human
rights of farmworkers picking tomatoes used by these companies. Most recently, Whole Foods - the world's largest retailer of "natural foods" - reached a similar agreement with the CIW. However, Chipotle
refuses to cooperate with CIW and has instead pursued ways to avoid its responsibility for ending farmworker exploitation.
Chipotle has staked its claim as the sustainable agriculture leader in
the fast-food industry. Its marketing slogan - "Food with Integrity" -
is unambiguous.
Yet the company's definition of "sustainable" is apparently
unconcerned with the egregious exploitation of farm labor in Florida's
tomato fields. And you don't have to take our word for it. Here's the
company's vision of sustainable agriculture as defined by none other
than Chipotle's founder and CEO, Steve Ells:
"We decided long ago that we didn't want Chipotle's success to be tied to the exploitation of animals, farmers, or the environment."
Should farmworkers be included in that definition? We think so, and in
the language of this election season, that's a debate we're happy to
have. So let the debate begin, with the 2008 Chipocrisy Tour stopping
in Austin, TX, Kansas and Denver, and may the best vision of
sustainable agriculture win!
Denver Fair Food Committee
for more info: www.ciw-online.org, robert@sfalliance.org 505-980-4220
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