Friday, May 4th, 2007
Informational Pickets in NYC
Saturday March 12th
Noon: Meet at Union Square South (by the steps)
Proceed to flier and deliver manager letters at:
Burger King
519 6th Ave, b’twn 13th and 14th
Burger King
115 E 23rd St, At Park Ave.
ACTION ALERT FROM THE CIW
Greetings,
The historic Taco Belland McDonald’sagreements were two huge steps down the path to farmworker justice, and students and youth were pivotal in both campaigns. Today, the movement for Fair Food continues as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and its allies look to expand the precedents of these agreements to the world’s #2 burger chain: Miami-based Burger King.
Mark your calendars and start organizing today to join students and young people across the country this May 11-12 in calling on Burger King to work with the CIW to address the human rights crisis in Florida’s fields. Click herefor action ideas you can take in your own community, including dropping off the newBK manager letter .
While BK uses the purchasing power of thousands of restaurants to drive down tomato prices - and, consequently, tomato pickers’ wages - it has publicly rejectedworking with the CIW to address human rights abuses in the fields (offering, instead, to “re-train” farmworkers to work in its restaurants). As one CIW member put it, “We’re not unemployed. We want dignity and we want them to take responsibility for the conditions we work in the fields.”
Even as it refuses to work with the CIW, however, BK recently announced an initiative to improve the treatment of farm animalsin its supply chain.
This May 11-12, let’s send a strong message to Burger King that Florida’s farmworkers and their student/youth allies are committed to making fast food into fair food - one burger chain at a time:
________
Student/Farmworker Alliance
http://sfalliance.org
http://ciw-online.org
http://myspace.com/sfalliance
Wednesday, April 25th, 2007
Hey Hey NYC–
Well we made it! After 40 hours on the bus and a full weekend of excitement, folks who traveled to Chicago for the CIW’s Truth Tour are back in the big apple.
Groups represented include: Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE), Make the Road By Walking, IWW Warehouse Workers, Starbux Workers Union, Readnex Poetry Squad, Stonybrook’s Social Justice Alliance, Movement in Motion, Allied Resistance, Regeneracion Childcare Collective, Air America and students from CUNY’s Union Semester program, Sarah Lawrence, Hunter College, Kingsborough Community, New York University and NYU Law.
The weekend’s schedule reflected the shift from preparing for the boycott to celebrating the monumental victory of McDonalds signing the agreement to meet the CIW’s three demands. When we arrived in Chicago, we jumped right into the action by participating in an encuentro and rally. The rally included presentations from Dolores Huerta, people of the faith community and words from the workers of the CIW. The rally concluded with a beautiful theater piece depicting farmworkers’ struggle for dignity and justice in the fields–some of our nycistas even got to be tomatoes!
To end a wonderful day, conference participants broke off into three groups and traveled to three nearby Burger Kings for mini demonstrations, thereby launching the next phase of the CIW’s campaign for fair food. Get out the way, King. Get out the way.
Saturday afternoon, after bus confusion and some logistical savviness, we made it to the House of Blues in downtown Chicago to see hours of thrilling performances by outrageously talented artists and CIW allies. The performance ended with a two minute slide show of some poignant moments of the CIW’s history, quite a trip down memory lane.
Sunday morning bright and early, we said goodbye to our gracious hosts at St. Gertrude’s Church (and their hardwood floors) and got back on the bus. That night our exhausted caravan trekked back into the big apple against torrential downpours but with tummies full of trail mix…
We are collecting photo and video footage from our travels and our weekend in Chicago. So if you have some please be in touch. A documentary is in the works about the McDonalds victory and we are looking to include footage from lots of different people from around the country. We’ll keep everyone posted on media as the campaign moves from the Arches to the King.
For a full report from the CIW, visit their website at http://www.ciw-online.org and don’t forget to check out JJ’s pictures (on the website). There’s some pretty adorable ones of us crazy New Yorkers.
But wait, that’s not all! Fair Food NYC will be throwing a carnival of justice on Saturday April 28th. The carnival will bring back familiar faces that traveled with us to Chicago as well as members of the CIW and the Student Farmworker Alliance and include a rowdy performance by Reverend Billy and his entire choir. Don’t miss out–visit our website http://www.fairfoodnyc.org/category/special/cleanclothes2007/ to find out more info and register for the conference.
In Solidarity,
Fair Food NYC
– Fair Food NYC
http://www.myspace.com/fairfoodnyc
http://www.ciw-online.org
http://www.sfalliance.org
Consciousness + Commitment = Change
Monday, April 23rd, 2007
There’s going to be a fantastically exciting and wonderful conference this weekend at Colombia University and Fair Food NYC’s helping out with a fun-filled afternoon including a Burger King action, carnival games and a performance by the esteemed Reverend Billy and his choir. If you’d like to lend a hand with any of the activities, give us a shout by emailing Lauren at lkarch(at)riseup.net or our Fair Food or fairfoodnyc(at) gmail.com and we’ll hook it up. There will be a separate email if you subscribe to the alert list here with full details of the weekend, don’t worry. MOST importantly, we’re looking for organizations/projects to host booths at the carnival which will be from 5-7:30 on Saturday evening at Broadway Presbyterian Church near Columbia University. And you can always check out our website for more info.
See you in the streets,
Lauren
For More info on the conference:
Pl Email conference (at) sweatfree.org or call 413-586-0974 to find out more or to register. Visit www.sweatfree.org/conference for online registration and updates.
http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/2007conference.html
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007
Hola Fair Foodistas,
WE WON!
We are extremely excited to announce that McDonalds has indeed signed an agreement stating that they will work with the CIW to meet all three demands! A press release and message from the SFA are below. Now more than ever it’s important to mobilize in Chicago to show McDonalds that we’ve still got our eyes on them, and to tell Burger King and the rest of the fast food industry “You’re Next!”
Two buses full of New Yorkers will be travelling to Chicago this weekend to show our support for the CIW in this historic moment of grassroots organizing. The CIW will also be announcing the next target this weekend so whether you’re in Chicago physically, spiritually or cyberly, stay tuned to the next phase in what is proving to be a monumental campaign.
Love,
Fair Food NYC
* Campaign surges forward with Burger King in its sights!*
Today at The Carter Center in Atlanta, the CIW and McDonald’s announced a landmark agreement to work together to improve the wages and working conditions of the farmworkers who pick Florida tomatoes. After two years of escalating pressure by the CIW and its allies, McDonald’s has agreed to all of the CIW’s demands and more .
The incredible victory demonstrates once again the effectiveness and clout of the alliance between Florida’s farmworkers and students and youth throughout the U.S.
Building off the tremendous momentum, the Campaign for Fair Food now surges ahead at full speed – this time towards Miami-based Burger King.
This weekend’s mobilization in Chicago – where Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine have just confirmed they will perform together – takes on new significance. Join the CIW, SFA and thousands of allies in Chicago as we take the fight for fair food to exciting new heights!
Check the and SFA sites for analysis and continuing updates on this historic victory and the latest logistical information for this weekend in Chicago.
In solidarity,
Student/Farmworker Alliance
sfalliance.org
ciw-online.org
–
Fair Food NYC
www.fairfoodnyc.org
http://www.myspace.com/fairfoodnyc
www.ciw-online.org
www.sfalliance.org
Consciousness + Commitment = Change