Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/481579
F armworkers know they're entitled to clean water, shade and bath- rooms that are accessible," said Julia de la Cruz, a farmworker and member of The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). These things seem so basic, yet, until CIW started its Fair Food Pro- gram, many farmworkers were deprived of these rights. Julia was part of a three-person CIW team that traveled to college cam- puses in Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and New York in February 2015 to raise awareness about food jus- tice. They focused on campuses with Wendy's franchises, since CIW is engaging Wendy's to sign a fair food agreement. "Wendy's isn't the enemy. We're inviting them to join the Fair Food Program," Julia noted, pointing out that CIW agreements aren't just successes for farmworkers. CIW agree- ments are victories for anyone who touches a tomato. During their campus visits, the team screened Food Chains, a documentary about CIW's work to ensure farmworker rights with the tril- lion-dollar industries of fast food and grocery chains. CIW's Fair Food Program is a part- nership between farmworkers, Florida tomato growers and retail buyers. The partnership ensures workers receive fair wages in fair conditions, tomato growers have a stable workforce within a system they can vouch for as ethical, and retail- ers can assure customers that their product is grown and harvested in a socially-responsible way. Julia estimates that 60 percent of farmworkers in the U.S. are women. Most are from Guatemala, Mexico and Haiti. Booklets detailing worker rights are available in English, Spanish and Creole, and worker-to-worker trainings help educate the tomato pickers about what should and shouldn't happen in the fields. Women farmworkers are less afraid to report sexual assaults, knowing that they can't be fired for the report and that CIW will help them during the reporting process. Simply put, CIW is helping to end modern slavery. Many Presbyterian Women are already familiar with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. It's a mission part- ner of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and during PW's 2012 Churchwide Gathering, CIW invited Gathering attendees to participate in a pray-in at an Orlando Publix, lobbying for a penny raise per pound for tomato harvesters. Thanks to CIW's urging and consumers' voices, 13 companies have agreements with CIW, including Yum! Brands, McDonald's, Burger King, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Chipotle, Aramark, Subway and Walmart. CIW's steady advocacy has captured the attention of more than Presbyterians and retailers. In January 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry awarded CIW with the 2014 Presidential Medal for Extraor- dinary Efforts to Combat Human Traf- ficking in Persons. Following the award, CIW attended the White House Forum on Combatting Human Trafficking in Supply Chains, where they presented the Fair Food Program as a case study of the successful eradication of forced labor. But the Coalition of Immokalee Workers knows there's much more work to be done to truly eradicate forced or unjust labor. They're continuing to lobby Publix and Wendy's to sign fair food agreements. They're continuing to edu- cate customers about the conditions under which their tomatoes are har- vested. And they're continuing to equip farmworkers with knowledge and the support needed to work for just wages. Sharon Dunne Gillies is an associate editor for Presbyterian Women. w o r k i n g f o r j u s t i c e a n d p e a c e 36 Creating a Just Food Chain t t t BY SHARON DUNNE GILLIES Here's What You Can Do Visit www.foodchainsfilm.com to find ways to watch Food Chains—community screenings or watching online from your living room! Visit http://ciw-online.org to donate to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, sign up for emails or take action for farmworker justice. T Stated clerk for the General Assembly Gradye Parsons (right) welcomes two of the Coalition of Immokalee Worker visitors, Natali Rodriguez (left) and Julia de la Cruz, to the Presbyterian Center. Rick Jones