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News and photos page two |
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Stated Clerk calls on Burger King: Work with CIW
Jan. 2006 — In a public letter dated January 10, 2007, the Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), wrote to Mr. John Chidsey, CEO of Burger King urging the hamburger giant to work with the CIW to improve wages and end human rights abuses in the fields of its tomato suppliers. Noting that he had written to Burger King more than a year earlier and that the company has taken no action, Kirkpatrick insists “This is not the time for Burger King to stand on the sidelines of history. Your commitment is needed now.”
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Florida labor camp owners found guilty in slavery case
 East Palatka labor camp. Photo courtesy of CIW. A federal jury in Jacksonville, Fla., found Ron Evans, Sr. and his wife, labor camp owners on fields owned by the 2004 chair of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, guilty of luring homeless people into a “form of servitude” and supplying them with crack cocaine and alcohol to keep them indebted.
CIW first brought the case to the attention of authorities and assisted in its prosecution.
“Labor Camp Owners Guilty of Enslaving Workers,” by Evan Silverstein, Presbyterian News Service Story
For CIW’s reflection on the conviction and stories from the Washington Post, New York Times and Fayetteville Observer visit CIW online.
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Jonathan Blum, senior vice president of Yum! Brands, shook hands with Lucas Benitez, a CIW leader and co-founder. Photo by Evan Silverstein.
CIW and Yum! Brands reach historic agreement; A victory for human rights
This agreement is the precedent-setting, first step in achieving industry-wide change. Stay tuned for next steps in the campaign for fair food! |
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On behalf of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) I commend the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the McDonald’s Corporation, and McDonald’s suppliers on the historic agreement that they have forged to improve wages and guarantee human rights for farmworkers harvesting tomatoes in the fields of Florida. The farmworkers have carried forward their campaign for fair food with integrity and dedication and the McDonald’s Corporation has taken a leadership role in moving the fast-food industry toward more just way of doing business. The Presbyterian Church is particularly grateful for the role that the Carter Center has played in fostering dialogue among the parties that led to this significant agreement. [Read the entire release] |
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Shareholder resolution calling for human rights in McDonald’s supply chain moves forward
In a March 22nd letter to McDonald’s Corporation from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC announced that it was “unable to concur” with McDonald’s attempts to exclude a shareholder resolution submitted by Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) allies from the McDonald’s 2007 Proxy Statement. As such, McDonald’s shareholders should have the opportunity to vote on the resolution, entitled “Human Rights Standards,” at the McDonald's Annual Meeting in May.
The resolution urges the Board of Directors to adopt, implement and enforce a revised company-wide Code of Conduct, inclusive of suppliers and sub-contractors, based on the International Labor Organization's ("ILO") Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and other relevant ILO conventions.
The PC(USA)’s Campaign for Fair Food, as well as the primary filers (the Adrian Dominican Sisters and the AFL-CIO Reserve Fund), and the CIW encourage all institutional and individual shareholders to vote for this resolution as a way of advancing farmworkers’ human rights and socially responsible purchasing within the McDonald’s Corporation and its supply chain. Read more about the SEC ruling and related news at the CIW Web site. |
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Religious leaders flock to sign letter to McDonald’s
The Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the NCC, signs a letter to McDonald's Corporation. Photo by Noelle Damico
March 9, 2007 — The energy was high as religious leaders attending the National Council of Church’s Education and Advocacy Days stood in line to sign a letter to McDonald’s decrying the human rights abuses faced by farmworkers picking for the fast-food giant’s suppliers. After a rousing sermon by the Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the PC(USA)’s General Assembly, people of faith stood 5 deep in order to witness to their hope that McDonald’s ensure the human rights of the men and women harvesting their tomatoes.
Would you like to sign the letter? Send us your full name, title, congregation, address and email. Periodically we’ll be sending this letter again to McDonald’s with additional signatures.
Read the full letter
Signatories of religious leaders on the letter to Mr. Jim Skinner, CEO of McDonald’s — 3/26/07 
Learn more about Ag-Mart and the FFVA
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Faith Symposium a Success!
Participants are welcomed by the Pastor Photo by Andrew Nurkin.
Over fifty religious leaders from different Christian and Unitarian Universalist congregations participated in “Partners in Faith: Working for Human Rights and Fair Food” on Saturday, March 3rd at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church Reconciling in Oak Park, Ill. The event featured plenaries with CIW members, leaders from the National Farm Worker Ministry, Interfaith Worker Justice, and the PC(USA)’s Campaign for Fair Food. Workshops explored the theological dimensions of the campaign for fair food, modern-day slavery in the fields, how to build partnerships of dignity and equality between religious congregations and the CIW. The day concluded as leaders gathered in small groups to concretely plan how they’ll mobilize for the April 14th rally at McDonald’s and the Parade for Fair Food. |
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PC(USA)’s Socially Responsible Investment Committee to McDonald’s: Work with CIW
December 2006 — The Chair of the Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was among the signatories of a letter to McDonald's CEO, urging him to work in partnership with the CIW to improve farmworker wages and working conditions. The Presbyterian Foundation and the Presbyterian Pension Boards hold shares in the McDonald’s Corporation.
The MRTI was joined by the United Church Foundation, the Pension Boards of the United Church of Christ; the Shareholder, Education and Advocacy of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and the Adorers of the Blood of Christ Investment Group.
The letter concludes:
“It is our sincere hope that McDonald’s will move swiftly to build a partnership with the CIW so that shareholders and consumers may be assured that abuses in the field are being dealt with effectively and respectfully. Because of McDonald’s’ history of being on the forefront of humane treatment for animals and recycling, we are confident that with concerted leadership from key executives within McDonald’s, such a partnership cannot only be established but produce an innovative and lasting model for ensuring human rights in the agri-food industry.”
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United Methodists Join the Alliance for Fair Food
November 2006 — Good news! The General Board of Church & Society of the United Methodist Church has endorsed the Alliance for Fair Food! The Methodist Church is one of the largest Christian enominations in the country, and Methodists across the country have been encouraging McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants to ensure fair wages and working conditions for farmworkers. We look forward to continuing to work with the General Board of Church & Society. The PC(USA) is one of the founding members of the AFF. |
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Episcopal Bishops write McDonald's!
November 2006 — The Episcopal Dioceses of Southwest and Southeast Florida have both recently endorsed the Alliance for Fair Food and three of Florida's Episcopal Bishops have written a joint letter calling on McDonald's to work with the CIW. Bishops Lipscomb, Frade and Duncan write:
"Our state’s fields and the people who labor in them are sacred, part of God’s marvelous creation, which demands respect, dignity, and justice. We urge McDonald’s to work with the CIW to bring about the dignity, respect, and a seat at the table that farm workers and all of God’s children deserve... This is fundamentally a justice issue. McDonald’s has the power, responsibility, and resources to work cooperatively with the CIW to bring about a new day in its tomato supply chain."
Read the full text of the letter. |
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At McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill., CIW members extend their hands which pick McDonald’s tomatoes and call on the company to work with them. Photo courtesy of CIW.
CIW “Mini Tour” focuses on McDonald’s Suburban Chicago Neighborhood
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers held a “mini truth tour” to the Chicago area October 18-22. During this tour the farmworkers and their allies from the religious, human rights and student communities continued to call on McDonald’s to work with the CIW to improve the poverty wages of farmworkers and end human rights abuses in the company’s supply chain. The tour involved educational events and a peaceful demonstration at McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook on Friday, Oct 20.
Seventeen farmworkers plus translators set out from Immokalee and when they reached Louisville on Oct 15, CIW members worshipped with and led educational sessions at Anchorage Presbyterian Church, James Lees Presbyterian Church, and Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church in Louisville. Presbyterians joined the farmworkers in an evening protest at a local McDonald’s (see news article below).
CIW leads a presentation at Anchorage Presbyterian Church’s adult “issues” class. Photo courtesy of CIW.
Upon reaching Chicago, Cruz Salucio of CIW addressed the Chicago Presbytery and spent time meeting with pastors, elders and presbytery staff, thanking them for their support. The CIW held a campus-wide educational program at the University of Illinois at Chicago sponsored by the United Campus Ministry and met with members of First United Church in Oak Park on Sunday the 22nd.
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Religious Support for CIW and the CFF Grows!
Cruz Salucio, CIW, is welcomed to Chicago Presbytery by the Rev. Michael Winters, pastor of Morton Grove PC(USA) and chair of the Hunger Taskforce. Photo courtesy of CIW.
Presbyterians aren’t the only people of faith that care that the food we eat be produced fairly and respect workers rights. On the Chicago tour, CIW met with pastors from the Fox Valley Association of the United Church of Christ (UCC). The UCC was the first major denomination to endorse the Taco Bell boycott and has been with the CIW at every step along the way throughout our time in the Chicago area.
Catholic support for CIW was strengthened by a public letter from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops which called on McDonald’s to work with the CIW to address exploitation in the fields of the company’s suppliers. Read the BBC story. Meanwhile on the tour youth from St. Giles Catholic Church Family Mass presentation in Oak Park hoisted thirty-two pound buckets, experiencing a bit the farmworkers’ daily labor.
CIW representatives meet with Chicago-area UCC pastors. Photo courtesy of CIW.
And here come the Methodists who were stalwart supporters of the Taco Bell boycott back in the day. Bishop Hee-Soo Jung of the United Methodist Church has written to McDonald's urging them to work with the CIW. Bishop Jung oversees the Northern Illinois Conferences of the UMC, an area that encompasses 19 counties (including the city of Chicago), 400 local churches and approximately 125,000 members. Read the full letter. And a representative from Interfaith Action, the Immokalee-based group that coordinates religious support for the CIW, returns to Chicago on Oct. 26th to preach at and resource the Methodist Federation of Social Action meeting
And representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is in full-communion with the PC(USA), met with CIW at Lutheran Headquarters in Chicago. We look forward to increasing support for CIW and the Campaign for Fair Food from Lutheran sisters and brothers across the country. |
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CIW Visits Denver, Hometown of Chipotle
CIW supporters hold up a banner in front of a Chipolte's restuarant in Denver, Colorado. Photo courtesy of CIW.
September 2006 – September 13-21, the CIW traveled to Denver, the hometown of Chipotle, to link up with supporters and call upon the Mexican food chain to uphold the company’s own “food with integrity manifesto” by working with the CIW to ensure “work with dignity” for farmworkers harvesting tomatoes. The company’s manifesto, entitled “Food With Integrity,” discusses its mission to “revolutionize the way America grows and gathers its food” by “working back along the food chain” beyond distributors to encourage healthy production of vegetables and humane raising of animals by farmers supplying Chipotle. But it says nothing about the conditions under which farmworkers labor to harvest Chipotle’s produce.
While in Denver, CIW presented at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church’s adult forum, worshipped with the congregation, and met with the church’s peace and justice committee.
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