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The Coalition for Immokalee Workers (CIW), is to be
commended for its persistent and inspired work to improve the
labor rights, restore the dignity and livelihood of the farm
workers who pick our crops, and eliminate farm slavery. The
delegation pictured, which included workers, CIW organizers,
clergy and laity (from South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice)
and other supporters, is representative of the many who helped
to convince the corporate executives of Subway to be part of this
growing fast-food industry support of justice for those who
supply their tomatoes. Please join our coalition of supporters of
fair food! This is a deeply religious issue of compassion and
justice.
Rev. Dr. Lucy Hitchcock Seck, Unitarian Universalist minister,
Board member of SFIWJ
commended for its persistent and inspired work to improve the
labor rights, restore the dignity and livelihood of the farm
workers who pick our crops, and eliminate farm slavery. The
delegation pictured, which included workers, CIW organizers,
clergy and laity (from South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice)
and other supporters, is representative of the many who helped
to convince the corporate executives of Subway to be part of this
growing fast-food industry support of justice for those who
supply their tomatoes. Please join our coalition of supporters of
fair food! This is a deeply religious issue of compassion and
justice.
Rev. Dr. Lucy Hitchcock Seck, Unitarian Universalist minister,
Board member of SFIWJ
| 150 SW 13th Avenue, Miami, FL 33135 Phone (786) 264-1708; Fax (786) 264-1859 interfaith@sfiwj.org; www.sfiwj.org |
| Interfaith leaders call for attention to immigration issues |
Episcopal Archdeacon for Immigration and Social Justice J.
Fritz Bazin prepares to read the Interfaith Statement on
Immigration. Behind him are some of the other signatories
to the document: (left to right) The Rev. Renwick Bell of
Metropolitan Community Churches, and South Florida
Interfaith Worker Justice, Bishop Leo Frade of the
Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida and Kathleen
Walker of the Union of Black Episcopalians.
Fritz Bazin prepares to read the Interfaith Statement on
Immigration. Behind him are some of the other signatories
to the document: (left to right) The Rev. Renwick Bell of
Metropolitan Community Churches, and South Florida
Interfaith Worker Justice, Bishop Leo Frade of the
Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida and Kathleen
Walker of the Union of Black Episcopalians.
Executive Director, Jeanette Smith, Esq. (SFIWJ) signs the Interfaith Statement on
Immigration. Behind her is Randolph McGrorty Executive Director of Catholic Legal
Services, Archdiocese of Miami. Far left, Rev. Corinne Olson of St. Luke the
Physicial Episcopal Church in Kendall.
Immigration. Behind her is Randolph McGrorty Executive Director of Catholic Legal
Services, Archdiocese of Miami. Far left, Rev. Corinne Olson of St. Luke the
Physicial Episcopal Church in Kendall.
| Statement by Interfaith Leaders October 13, 2008 Dear Friends and fellow Americans: Greetings in the name of God, our creator and sustainer. As you know in just one week, Americans will begin going to the polls to elect members of congress and the president of these United States. These elections will take place against a background of very important issues such as the economy, the environment, the need for rapid intervention to repair heavy damages caused by hurricanes, the rising cost of gasoline and our involvement in two wars. It is however so important to realize that in time of hardship, nations tend to look for scapegoats. In our case, we find many who want to put the blame for such dire situations on the immigrants and especially the undocumented among us. We want to encourage you to remain level headed, seek information and inquire about the stand of your candidates on the issue of immigration. No one can deny that there is an urgent need for comprehensive reform of our immigration system. We do believe that the U.S. must secure its borders, but we must also approach this matter with justice, pragmatism and especially compassion for the more than 12 million undocumented men, women and children currently in the country. We know that the vast majority of these people find themselves here because of desperate political and economic conditions in their homeland. They have come here seeking a modest existence for them and their families. Most immigrants pay taxes and work to feed their families both here and in their home country. We believe that allowing people to come out of hiding, pay a fine and wait in line to obtain a green card, while using renewable work permits would be good for the economy, assist those countries that will receive remittances and allow the U.S. to know and have control over who resides in this country. As we celebrate the discovery of these lands by the Spaniards more than 500 years ago, we urge you to carefully and prayerfully consider the stand of your candidates on this whole issue of immigration and then vote according to the dictate of your conscience. Blessings |
December 2, 2008: Subway, the third largest fast-food chain in the world and the biggest fast-food buyer of Florida tomatoes, reached an agreement
today with the CIW to help improve wages and working conditions for the workers who pick their tomatoes!
What they're saying about the Subway agreement:
"This agreement between Subway and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers is yet another blow to the scourge of slavery that continues to exist in
the tomato fields of Florida," Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement. "Subway is to be congratulated for moving to ensure that none of its
products are harvested by slave or near-slave labor. Sadly, too many other companies continue to tolerate this travesty."
“Subway strongly supports the farmworkers’ rights and has entered in an agreement with the (Coalition of Immokalee Workers) to pay the
additional 1 cent per pound for tomatoes grown in the Immokalee region of Florida,” Subway spokesman Les Winograd said.
"Today, the fast-food industry has spoken with one voice,” said Gerardo Reyes of the CIW. “With this agreement, the four largest restaurant
companies in the world have now joined their voices to the growing call for a more modern, more humane agricultural industry in Florida." (read the
joint press release in its entirety)
But Sherri Daye Scott, who edits QSR, a North Carolina-based food-service industry magazine, noted consumers spoke first - by supporting the
coalition's petition drives, protests and boycotts.
"Until the college students and then the consumers got involved, it was not that big a deal," Scott said.
Will fair food become an industry watchword?
"It could," Scott said. "I haven't heard any rumblings yet beyond the tomato pickers yet, but it could gain traction. Look at food safety - five, 10
years ago, you didn't hear much about it; now it's everywhere. The same thing could happen with transparency in the food supply chain."
"Subway's agreement could yield as much money as all the other deals combined. That's because Subway is the largest user of tomatoes and has
24,000 stores in the United States. Burger King's agreement is expected to yield about $250,000 for workers, numbers relatively comparable to the
Taco Bell and McDonald's agreement." (Miami Herald)
Meanwhile, the Northeast Fair Food Tour continues, spreading the news of the Subway agreement and meeting with allies to discuss plans for the
road ahead in the Campaign for Fair Food, including a growing focus on the other leading buyers of Florida tomatoes, the supermarket and
foodservice industries.
At a Columbus Day press conference on the front steps of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Miami,
Bishop Leo Frade of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, along with leaders from South
Florida Interfaith Worker Justice and other faith groups in the community, added his signature to
an interfaith statement calling for increased attention to immigration issues.
Other signers on the document included representatives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Miami, the United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church, Metropolitan
Community Churches, and the Quaker Peace Center. SFIWJ President Rabbi Solomon Schiff of
the Greater Miami Jewish Federation was unable to be present at the press conference, but has
also signed.
Signers said they intentionally chose to make this public statement on the Columbus Day holiday
in recognition of the fact that the Europeans who “discovered” the North American continent in
1492 were, in fact, among this hemisphere’s first immigrants.
The statement cautions against the temptation to make immigrants the scapegoats for the
current economic crisis and other challenges facing this country, and urges voters to “remain
level headed, seek information and inquire about the stand of your candidates on the issue of
immigration” before casting ballots on November 4.
“No one can deny that there is an urgent need for comprehensive reform of our immigration
system,” the statement says. “We do believe that the U.S. must secure its borders, but we must
also approach this matter with justice, pragmatism and especially compassion for the more than
12 million undocumented men, women and children currently in the country.”
Copies of the signed document will be sent to the local McCain and Obama campaign headquarters.
For additional information on the interfaith leaders’ positions on immigration issues, contact
Episcopal Archdeacon for Immigration and Social Justice J. Fritz Bazin, jfritzbazin@gmail.com, or
Jeanette Smith of South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice and the Quaker Peace Center,
jeanettesmith@sfiwj.org.
Bishop Leo Frade of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, along with leaders from South
Florida Interfaith Worker Justice and other faith groups in the community, added his signature to
an interfaith statement calling for increased attention to immigration issues.
Other signers on the document included representatives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Miami, the United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church, Metropolitan
Community Churches, and the Quaker Peace Center. SFIWJ President Rabbi Solomon Schiff of
the Greater Miami Jewish Federation was unable to be present at the press conference, but has
also signed.
Signers said they intentionally chose to make this public statement on the Columbus Day holiday
in recognition of the fact that the Europeans who “discovered” the North American continent in
1492 were, in fact, among this hemisphere’s first immigrants.
The statement cautions against the temptation to make immigrants the scapegoats for the
current economic crisis and other challenges facing this country, and urges voters to “remain
level headed, seek information and inquire about the stand of your candidates on the issue of
immigration” before casting ballots on November 4.
“No one can deny that there is an urgent need for comprehensive reform of our immigration
system,” the statement says. “We do believe that the U.S. must secure its borders, but we must
also approach this matter with justice, pragmatism and especially compassion for the more than
12 million undocumented men, women and children currently in the country.”
Copies of the signed document will be sent to the local McCain and Obama campaign headquarters.
For additional information on the interfaith leaders’ positions on immigration issues, contact
Episcopal Archdeacon for Immigration and Social Justice J. Fritz Bazin, jfritzbazin@gmail.com, or
Jeanette Smith of South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice and the Quaker Peace Center,
jeanettesmith@sfiwj.org.
Prosperity is not a sin, but to finance our prosperity on the backs of the poor is a grievous sin. The corporate titans who are willing to squeeze
the poor in order to inflate their profits are acting unconscionably. But it is also true that the average American consumer is an unwitting
cheapest toys to our store shelves. We are ALL morally accountable for the plight of the working poor who provide us with so much. Fr.
Frank. Corbishley, Chaplain. Episcopal Church Center, University of Miami
the poor in order to inflate their profits are acting unconscionably. But it is also true that the average American consumer is an unwitting
cheapest toys to our store shelves. We are ALL morally accountable for the plight of the working poor who provide us with so much. Fr.
Frank. Corbishley, Chaplain. Episcopal Church Center, University of Miami