CIW to Crist: End Slavery

At The Nation we've written a lot about the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The CIW is a worker's organization comprised chiefly of Latino, Haitian and Mayan Indian immigrants who work in Immokalee, Florida, largely as tomato pickers.

Founded in 1993 as a "community-based worker organization" by a small group of discontented fruit pickers in low-wage agricultural jobs throughout Florida, the organization has won unexpected victories, achieved international notoriety and established fruitful collaborations with an array of grassroots groups, notably the Student-Farmworker Alliance.

Nation Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel has followed the organization closely with blog posts like this, this and this.

In the March 21, 2007 issue of The Nation Adam Doster explained the group's origens: "Its initial organizing campaign coalesced in 2000 when CIW was able to raise the tomato-picking piece rate in Immokalee back to pre-1980 levels, a price that had dropped for two successive decades. This limited triumph came at no small cost; workers in Immokalee struck on three separate occasions, six daring pickers endured a one month-long hunger strike and members marched 230 miles to raise awareness about their plight."

CIW's most notable triumph came in the spring of 2005 when Yum! Brands -- the corporation that owns such food giants Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Long John Silver's -- decided to respond to pressure by legitimately addressing sweatshop conditions in Florida farms. After a four-year boycott that included a 10-day hunger strike and two media savvy, cross-country "Taco Bell Truth Tours," the corporation agreed to all of the CIW's demands, most importantly a one penny per pound increase in the wages of tomato pickers and worker collaboration on the drafting and enforcement of a code of conduct.

More recently, Christopher Hayes has written about the continuing campaign to expose exploitation in Florida's tomato fields, where farm laborers still toil for a meager 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they harvest, as well as the more shocking fact that some migrants are living lives best described as modern slavery.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers' Lucas Benitez has testified about seven-day workweeks, debt bondage, and armed crew bosses that beat workers who attempt to leave with impunity. In fact, Abel Cuello, a man convicted in 1999 for enslaving at least 30 migrants in Florida and South Carolina, was able to readily find work again upon leaving prison with Ag-Mart Produce, one of Florida's largest tomato growers.

Just this past December, federal prosecutors from the Department of Justice wrapped up a farm labor slavery case that the Chief Assistant US Attorney called one of Southwest Florida's "biggest, ugliest slavery cases" ever. This became the seventh such slavery case in the state in ten years, involving a total of more than 1,000 workers.

Now the CIW has set its sights on Florida's governor's mansion, a place whose three straight occupants have spurned the CIW's efforts to convince the state's chief executive -- who wields tremendous public and political influence over the state's agricultural industry -- to condemn these most egregious human rights violations. (Click here for details on the violations.)

The CIW is reaching out to Governor Charlie Crist to take the field in the fight against slavery. In the wake of the governor's spokesman's recent comments seeming to diminish the farm labor slavery problem, the CIW is calling on Gov. Crist to commit the full power of his office to combat modern-day slavery in Florida.

Add your voice to this anti-slavery call today by clicking here, where you can learn more about the petition campaign, send an email or fax to the governor, and forward the information to friends.

Comments (28)

1. Seriously Peter, what can Govenor Crist do that the laws in FL have not already done? Condemnation stops nothing.

   Posted by ACook at 01/27/2009 @ 8:29pm

2. Well, PETER, they should have a friendly Labor Department onboard now...right?

   Posted by Mask at 01/27/2009 @ 8:38pm

3. MASK -- That should certainly help.

   COOK -- I try to never underestimate the power of a moral suasion!

   Posted by Peter Rothberg at 01/27/2009 @ 8:52pm

4. oh no, worker collaboration to collectively bargain to get something they want!

   don't let LL see this, he'll have a fit!

   how dare the worker improve his lot!

   Posted by urmygyro at 01/27/2009 @ 9:26pm

5. Ex-president Paulson Laments Not Having Included Tomato Pickers in Bailout Plan.

   "God told me I was going south, if you know what I mean, if I didn't help 'em out"

   "They're only spics I said"....

   "God was not happy".

   Posted by frosty zoom at 01/27/2009 @ 11:19pm

6. ¡orale!

   an ad for taco bell on my java-enforced blog experience.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 01/28/2009 @ 12:57am

7. speaking of slavery...

   Why is it that so many rich people are tripped-up when they venture into politics because they haven't paid their house keepers and/or nannies?

   When you've got Caroline Kennedy's money why not pay your maid legally?

   Show us the way upper crust.

   STOP SOFT SLAVERY!

   Posted by bleedingheart at 01/28/2009 @ 07:15am

8. Sickening that in America 2009 this is even a discussion.

   Thanks for the link Peter.

   Posted by crabwalk at 01/28/2009 @ 07:38am

9. As shocked as we are all naturally inclined to be upon hearing about slavery in the USA 144 years after the passage of the 13th Amendment, I doubt anyone was surprised to learn it was occurring in Florida. With neocon hucksters like Jeb Bush and the ridiculous Charlie Crist at the helm, I'm sure corporate agribusiness felt they had a de facto green light to practice slavery, so long as they could keep it relatively quiet. And gosh dang it, they were right!

   Posted by KevinRiley at 01/28/2009 @ 08:43am

10. Posted by KevinRiley at 01/28/2009 @ 08:43am

    Are these "slaves" in Florida free to return to their hoime country or must they stay in Florida?

    The slave trade in Afica has never ended with the people being sold into slavery there are not allowed to leave..

    Many believe the Holloway girl was taken into the sex slave trade in VENZ where blond/blue eyes are prized...

    But, hey...people who come here, most likely illegally to pick tomatoes for less money than people who write article for the left believe, it is "fair" to demand what they believe is a right price to pay for tomatoes is the pressing issue? What about an article on the conditions at home and why these slaves left might be enlightening for the readers.

    Wow..I still say improve the economy in the home economy of the workers and they will be able to build prospeous lives in their own country..then they can request the left here to help them back home..might be a good place to stsrt.

    Even find a bailout for all the ACLU lawyers now out of work for lack of funding...can get hired in the home country..

    Posted by YourJomamma at 01/28/2009 @ 10:07am

11. hey john,

    HOW MANY BROHERS AND SISTERS DO YOU HAVE?

    Posted by frosty zoom at 01/28/2009 @ 10:19am

12. Wow..I still say improve the economy in the home economy of the workers and they will be able to build prospeous lives in their own country..

    Posted by YourJomamma at 01/28/2009 @ 10:07am

    well, stop fucking around with other countries.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 01/28/2009 @ 10:20am

13. Yes, John, it is the fault of the slaves that the convicted owners of the plantations kept the slaves.

    Remember NAFTA, and how it was going to eliminate the illegal alien traffic? What happened? Could it be that the "producers" you like to swoon over found that cheap labor is still available, and that it is better for the bottom line to keep people as chattel, rather than pay an American citizen a fair days pay for picking your food?

    I know, your answer, instead of paying people a living wage to pick our food, is to send those jobs to Mexico or South America, then pay Saudis and Chavez for petrol to bring those products to you. Then your answer to that is to "drill baby, drill" ...in five-10 years as the infrastructure becomes available.

    OR...

    you could be a human being and do what little you can to eliminate slavery conditions in America in 2009. Meanwhile, you can spout some slogans about "spreading freedom" in the Middle East.

    oops, time for you to go pray to Jesus. Maybe you could ask him to keep those damn aliens in Mexico.

    Posted by crabwalk at 01/28/2009 @ 12:25pm

14. Normally the cons would go with law enforcements opinion, but not if it means paying an extra penny for a Whopper. Given that burden, the cons put "slaves" in qoutes, even though the FBI, AG and local and state police in Florida say, and the courts agree, that slavery is the correct term.

    Posted by crabwalk at 01/28/2009 @ 12:28pm

15. uh, that's the "correct" term.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 01/28/2009 @ 12:47pm

16. The issue of rich people not paying housekeepers or nannies is more complicated than it first appears. I have had secretarial employees who told me they had to pay for child care in cash with no receipts because the caregiver didn't want to pay income taxes on such earnings. I have been approached by repairmen who have quoted me two prices: one if payment was by check or credit card, another (less) if by cash with no receipt and no record. One master electrician (I didn't hire him) told me what he made in cash was his "walking around money." Others refer to cash payments as "free money." From what I have seen and heard, I think this type of thing is quite usual.

    Posted by jsens at 01/28/2009 @ 4:28pm

17. hey john,

    HOW MANY BROHERS AND SISTERS DO YOU HAVE?

    Posted by frosty zoom at 01/28/2009 @ 10:19am | ignore this person | warn this person

    I have answered you silly question a week ago..

    1 brother.

    Posted by YourJomamma at 01/28/2009 @ 7:45pm

18. well, stop fucking around with other countries.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 01/28/2009 @ 10:20am

    Ah, you ,too....

    Posted by YourJomamma at 01/28/2009 @ 7:47pm

19. Posted by jsens at 01/28/2009 @ 4:28pm

    A friend of mine gave a homeless man a hamburger awhile back. The man threw it out into the street. I've heard of this sort of thing happening before. You know, insults, accusations of attempted poisoning etc.

    My guess is that the homeless are therefore the most egregious as far as insisting on or at least preferring cash. We've got to be fair & balanced.

    Posted by Sorelish at 01/29/2009 @ 12:09am

20. Retrospectively, all I can say is that the homeless can sometimes be very taxing.

    Posted by Sorelish at 01/29/2009 @ 12:22am

21. I have answered you silly question a week ago.. 1 brother. Posted by YourJomamma at 01/28/2009 @ 7:45pm

    good.

    my point is this:

    in 1800 the fertility rate in the u.s. was 7 kids/lady.

    now it is 2.

    birth rates are only moderately associated with religion.

    give people (women (and men, too)) a good education and they'll have fewer kids.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 01/29/2009 @ 02:17am

22. frosty: "my point is this: in 1800 the fertility rate in the u.s. was 7 kids/lady. now it is 2. birth rates are only moderately associated with religion. give people (women (and men, too)) a good education and they'll have fewer kids."

    condoms and birth control pills may have something to do with the "fertility rate"

    Posted by urmygyro at 01/29/2009 @ 04:06am

23. Posted by urmygyro at 01/29/2009 @ 04:06am

    Try telling that to the spiritual heirs of the recipients of complimentary copies of Mein Kampf, be they under the sheets or steel pots.

    I promise this will be my only resort to Godwinism for at least the next thirty days.

    Posted by Sorelish at 01/29/2009 @ 2:04pm

24. sorelish - i have no idea what you're post means. translate please.

    Posted by urmygyro at 01/29/2009 @ 3:30pm

25. Posted by urmygyro at 01/29/2009 @ 3:30pm

    give people (women (and men, too)) a good education and they'll have fewer kids."

    No problem, urmy The question to the answer is-

    What if you educate people to have more kids so they can fuel the military industrial,reichstag congress?

    Posted by Sorelish at 01/29/2009 @ 4:03pm

26. Make that comlex not congress.

    Posted by Sorelish at 01/29/2009 @ 4:12pm

27. I think you're mis-attributing a quote to me. The give women and men good education line was frosty zoom's. I was responding to it. You seem to be responding to it too, but thinking it's from me.

    Posted by urmygyro at 01/29/2009 @ 4:53pm

28. Posted by urmygyro at 01/29/2009 @ 4:53pm

    Right. Sorry for the mixup.

    Posted by Sorelish at 01/29/2009 @ 7:34pm