Tuesday, March 13th, 2007
From the CIW:
Clearly not overly concerned about appearances, McDonald’s announced in February the payment of over $15 million dollars in bonuses — above and beyond baseline compensation — to CEO Jim Skinner and two other top executives. Meanwhile, McDonald’s continues to claim that the company can’t afford to pay farmworkers one penny more per pound for the tomatoes they pick for the burger giant.
You can read the story, “McDonald’s CEO gets $8.8 million bonus,” at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-070222mcbonus,0,1879773.story?coll=chi-business-hed
The announcement comes just weeks before farmworkers from Immokalee, who pick tomatoes at a per bucket piece rate that hasn’t raised significantly in nearly 30 years, and thousands of their supporters will be gathering in Chicago to demand that McDonald’s follow Taco Bell’s lead, work with the CIW to improve farm labor conditions, and pay a penny more per pound to help nearly double farmworkers’ wages when picking for McDonald’s.
The $15 million in bonuses, paid to three people, would easily cover 30 years of the penny per pound payout, to thousands of people.
Stay tuned for more news as the 2007 Truth Tour approaches, and be sure to check out the CIW website, http://www.ciw-online.org , for how you can join us in Chicago this April!
– thanks –
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007
Tom Morello (aka The Nightwatchman), former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, has joined Zack de la Rocha, Olmeca, Son del Centro, the Hot 8 Brass Band, Rebel Diaz, and others as a confirmed participant in the CIW’s Carnaval & Parade for Fair Food, Real Rights, and Dignity , April 14 in Chicago!
Tom is just the latest artist to throw his support behind what is quickly shaping up to be an unforgettable weekend, with a jam-packed program full of music, protest, culture, and just maybe a bit of history. Make plans today to join us in Chicago for the April 13-14 mobilizations for farmworker justice! http://www.ciw-online.org/Save_the_date.html
* Check out the 2007 Truth Tour site here: http://www.ciw-online.org/2007truthtour/index.html
Locally, over 60 CIW allies from Chicago, Detroit, Carbondale, and other points in the region gathered in late February for the hugely successful Midwest Encuentro. The weekend featured discussion and strategizing with CIW members, students, and community organizers which laid the groundwork for sustained support for the McDonald’s campaign in the fast-food giant’s own backyard.
* See photos from the Midwest Encuentro here: http://www.sfalliance.org/mwencreport.html
Finally, just in time for the last few intense weeks of education and outreach leading up to Chicago, the CIW has produced two important documents that provide a quick background and supporting facts on farmworker wages and working conditions as well as the Campaign for Fair Food. Go to http://www.ciw-online.org/news.html to download copies and share with friends to help spread the word about the campaign and why the mobilization in Chicago is so crucial.
Thanks,
SFA
organize@sfalliance.org
Tuesday, March 6th, 2007
A Conference to Promote Justice in Factories and Fields
Columbia Law School, New York City | April 27-29, 2007
Organized by SweatFree Communities & the Alliance for Fair Food
- Register for the conference here
- Sponsor this conference here
- Save the date flyer here
Building off the success of SweatFree Communities’ past three annual conferences and the growing power of the Alliance for Fair Food, SweatFree Communities and the Alliance for Fair Food have teamed up to hold a joint conference to advance worker justice in factories and fields.
The conference will provide information and skills to support communities, groups, and individuals in creating more socially responsible economic models that ensure the human rights of workers. Through strategies such as worker organizing, selective government procurement, corporate pressure, consumer education, and solidarity relationships, it is possible to contribute toward a more just economy at local and national levels, impacting not only workers in this country but also communities and workers around the world.
The human rights crisis in Florida’s fields is the same as the crisis in garment sweatshops worldwide: grueling, dangerous work with no right to overtime pay, no health insurance, no sick leave, no paid vacation or pension, and no right to organize in order to improve these conditions.
It does not have to be this way either in the fields or in the factories.
More…
Friday, March 2nd, 2007
Immigrants are less likely to go to prison than U.S.-born residents of the same ethnic group and they boost pay for natives, research says. By Teresa Watanabe, Times Staff Writer
February 28, 2007Two new studies by California researchers counter negative perceptions that immigrants increase crime and job competition, showing that they are incarcerated at far lower rates than native-born citizens and actually help boost their wages.
A study released Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California found that immigrants who arrived in the state between 1990 and 2004 increased wages for native workers by an average 4%.
UC Davis economist Giovanni Peri, who conducted the study, said the benefits were shared by all native-born workers, from high school dropouts to college graduates, because immigrants generally perform complementary rather than competitive work.
As immigrants filled lower-skilled jobs, they pushed natives up the economic ladder into employment that required more English or know-how of the U.S. system, he said.
“The big message is that there is no big loss from immigration,” Peri said. “There are gains, and these are enjoyed by a much bigger share of the population than is commonly believed.”
More…