About 40 people from Orlando teamed up with farm workers of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) on Saturday, to turn up the heat on both Wendy’s and Publix to support the human rights of farm workers, by joining the internationally-recognized Fair Food Program (FFP).
Students, farm workers and members of the faith community rallied for several hours outside the newly opened Publix located on Woodbury and Colonial then marched to the Wendy’s at 1734 E. Colonial Drive, calling on both food companies to do the right thing.
The FPP is a groundbreaking social responsibility program that ensures a humane workplace environment and increased pay for over 30,000 Florida farm workers. The Program has won the acclaim of human rights observers like the United Nations and also from the White House.
Of the five largest fast food corporations in the country — McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Taco Bell (Yum! Brands) and Wendy’s — Wendy’s is the only one not participating in the Fair Food Program.
Meanwhile, for close to four years, Publix, Florida’s largest privately-owned corporation, has staunchly refused to join other retailers that are part of the Fair Food Program. Instead, the company has chosen to support the handful of Florida growers where workers are denied access to the Program’s higher standards and “penny-per-pound” bonus. Publix has also claimed, wrongly, that it doesn’t want to get involved in “a labor dispute.”
Over the years, the CIW has built up alliances not only across Florida, but nationwide as well. Yesterday, farm workers, supporters and customers vowed to keep the pressure on Publix and Wendy’s to join the FFP in which workers’ rights are respected and a “penny-per-pound” more is paid to tomato pickers for engaging in very difficult work.
