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Coalition of Immokalee Workers

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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
June 26, 2023 at 1:24 PM

Powerful new report out of Harvard Law School hails Fair Food Program as model for human rights in the 21st century

"With WSR, workers define and claim their human rights to fair pay, freedom from abuse, safe working conditions, and dignity due to all who work hard." New report from Harvard Law School Center for Labor and a Just Economy: "With WSR, workers define and claim their human rights to fair pay, freedom …
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
June 7, 2023 at 2:05 PM

Nearly 7,000 residents join Unidos Immokalee, Florida Immigrant Coalition at Immokalee rally for justice, safety in protest against horrifying Florida anti-immigrant law

"We sustain the country’s economy.”Karla Correa, Immokalee resident: “Our state relies on immigrants, our community is made up of immigrants… There is unity here in Florida…” Nearly 7,000 residents of Southwest Florida flood the streets of Immokalee in protest of SB 1718, Florida’s virulent anti-imm…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
May 23, 2023 at 1:25 PM

Read what a farmworker had to say to Wendy’s shareholders at their annual meeting

"I also know first hand how necessary this Program really is. I first started working in the fields at age 11."CIW staff member Gerardo Reyes Chavez to Wendy’s shareholders: “I also know first hand how necessary this Program really is. I first started working in the fields at age 11.” “Inside the Fa…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
May 16, 2023 at 3:03 PM

National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ), CIW Announce Trailblazing Partnership

"We know firsthand how powerful this model can be for uprooting long-standing abuses,"Dennis Parker, NCLEJ Executive Director: “We’re incredibly excited to work with the CIW to fight for humane wages and conditions for workers.” Lucas Benitez, Co-founder, Coalition of Immokalee Workers: “We’re honor…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
May 11, 2023 at 1:31 PM

Have you ever dreamed of working on the cutting edge of human rights?

Now is your moment!Join the movement for Fair Food as an intern with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers!  Big news out of Immokalee: Today, we invite the Fair Food Nation to help us spread the word that we are looking for interns for this summer!  As we look toward the future and the growth of the F…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
May 8, 2023 at 4:02 PM

Unsolved mystery: CNN, NPR investigations into disappearance of two local men in Collier County Sheriff Deputy’s custody bring new life to maddening cold case

“Lucas Benitez, a founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, likened police officers in Immokalee to the US Army occupying Iraq.”Doug Molloy, former US Assistant Attorney: “It is my belief that they were killed because of their color.” “Lucas Benitez, a founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Work…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
May 2, 2023 at 2:35 PM

“We are making history”: Week-long visit to birthplace of Fair Food Program by Chilean delegation helps fuel FFP expansion

“When I first heard about the Fair Food Program it was like – this blew my mind."“We are making history,” said Angel Garcia, Human Resources Manager at Pacific Tomato Growers/Sunripe Certified Brands.  “Now we have people coming from other parts of the globe to absorb that history.”  “When I first h…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
April 19, 2023 at 2:13 PM

John Oliver segment on farmworkers, Fair Food Program garners millions of views!

“This story brought tears to my eyes. My 72 year old father is still out there to this day picking lettuce." The latest segment on Last Week Tonight hosted by John Oliver focuses on the plight of farmworkers in this country, and champions the Fair Food Program as a successful model of human rights p…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
April 17, 2023 at 3:07 PM

John Oliver champions the Fair Food Program!

“While we claim [farmworkers] are essential, we sure don’t treat them like it.” Last night, John Oliver’s HBO show Last Week Tonight, took an in-depth look at the historic and ongoing exploitation of farmworkers in this country... outside the Fair Food Program. Beginning his analysis of farm labor …
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
April 12, 2023 at 2:46 PM

BREAKING: New York City Council officially — and resoundingly — calls on Wendy’s “to join the Fair Food Program and support farmworkers’ human rights”!

"Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on Wendy’s to join the Fair Food Program and support farmworkers’ human rights." Yesterday, in the early afternoon, members of the New York City Council – representing over eight million residents of the vibrant Big Apple – gathered in histor…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
April 5, 2023 at 1:43 PM

Final wrap-up from last month’s March to Build a New World

“You are shouldering the globe this week and we are all the better for it.”Now you can read the solidarity statements from allies around the country, like these two below, that buoyed marchers’ spirits on the 5-day trek through Florida’s vast sugar plantations and bustling coastal cities: Wendy Ake,…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 31, 2023 at 1:22 PM

Fair Food Program’s international expansion, cut flower partner Bloomia, featured in the industry press!

“To Bloomia’s immense credit, they have seized the leadership position on human rights in the cut flower sector,"Flower Power Daily: “All it takes is one person in power to change the status quo and make it fairer.” Werner Jansen, Bloomia CEO: “If a company as large and successful as Bloomia can par…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 28, 2023 at 1:32 PM

Florida media highlights 5-day, 50 mile farmworker march from Pahokee to Palm Beach championing the Fair Food Program

"Gonzalo... lived in fear of speaking up. But one day, it was just too much. She asked for some water. "WGCU: “Gonzalo… lived in fear of speaking up. But one day, it was just too much. She asked for some water.  She was told to drink from the ditch. This is why Lupe Gonzalo marches.” Palm Beach Post…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 21, 2023 at 4:41 PM

DAY 5: Video report, media round-up from massive grand finale of March to Build a New World!

"We have to eat to stay alive and we should make sure these workers are paid fairly and in just conditions."Check out the video, photos , and media round-up from the grand finale of the Build a New World March!  Democracy Now: “We’ve come here to demand that Publix and Kroger — which is directly con…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 20, 2023 at 6:43 PM

DAY 5: Marchers quintuple in number on final day of March to Build a New World, take Palm Beach by storm with message of farmworker freedom!

“What you have done, and what you will do, is just the beginning of a better and brighter future for us all." Nearly 600 workers, allies come together on final day of March to Build a New World to celebrate decade of human rights progress, call on Wendy’s, Kroger, and Publix to do their part to help…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 18, 2023 at 2:39 PM

DAY 4: From labor camps to luxury yachts, modern-day slavery to latter-day robber barons, marchers travel across 48 miles, 2 worlds, in quest for farmworker freedom...

"This fight is to create a new model with human rights for all, in which workers are treated as human beings." Washington Post (AP): "Now workers enjoy the right to complain without fear of retaliation. Workers also have water and shade as part of these agreements,” said Gerardo Reyes Chavez, a coal…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 17, 2023 at 12:12 PM

Day 3: Support for farmworker freedom swells as marchers inch closer to the coast; YOU can still join us for the grand finale, Saturday, 3/18!

"This fight is to create a new model with human rights for all, in which workers are treated as human beings." Check out the video, photos, and media round-up from Day 3, of the Build a New World March!  La Jornada (Mexico): [translation below] Una marcha de cinco días de decenas de jornaleros de la…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 16, 2023 at 12:44 PM

Day 2: Rain, cold fail to dampen marchers' spirits as farmworkers, allies move one day closer to march goal, one giant leap closer to new world of farmworker freedom!

“I think we have to respect where our food comes from and to (give) justice to the people that harvest it for us." Check out the video, photos, and media round-up from Day 2, of the Build a New World March!  Palm Beach Daily News: “Over 80% of farmworker women in this country report experiencing sex…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 15, 2023 at 2:18 PM

DAY 1: Over 100 workers, allies launch 5-day march to celebrate decade of human rights progress, Build a New World of farmworker freedom!

"I feel like it's an honor to walk.  Paying people a living wage and having them work in dignity, it's just a no-brainer." Check out the video, photos, and media round-up from Day 1 of the Build a New World March!  Fast Company: “Lupe Gonzalo had been harvesting tomatoes, blueberries, sweet potatoes…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 13, 2023 at 1:07 PM

One day before we launch our 5-day trek, national media are celebrating the CIW's March for Farmworker Freedom

"There are few human rights achievements that are so universally celebrated today as the farmworker-led Fair Food Program."Truthout: "There are few human rights achievements that are so universally celebrated today as the farmworker-led Fair Food Program "Civil Eats: "Created 10 years ago, the progr…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 10, 2023 at 8:43 PM

Archbishop Wenski: “Your efforts to shed light on this egregious [forced labor case in Pahokee] through the Build a New World March are God’s work”

‘In this long march of ours, there is no tiredness. You may feel tired, your feet may be tired, but you’re not tired for seeking justice, for seeking a better life for all our brothers & sisters.'Archbishop Thomas Wenski: “Even as I extend my congratulations, it is with a heavy heart that I must…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 7, 2023 at 4:05 PM

Florida students visit Immokalee to celebrate booting Wendy’s from campus, mobilize for the Build A New World March!

"We continue to keep our end goal in mind: an end to exploitation and abuse in our food system.” UF Student/Farmworker Alliance on booting Wendy’s from campus: “While it’s important we celebrate our victories, the fight for fair food is never over! We continue to keep our end goal in mind: an end to…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
March 3, 2023 at 10:28 PM

New academic article offers scientific modeling of how FFP, WSR can stop modern-day slavery in global supply chains

"[The Fair Food Program] is unique in the sense that it has been developed and deployed by the workers themselves..."Academic Study: “Over 50 million people in the world live in a situation of modern slavery, the most extreme form of labour exploitation…” “[The Fair Food Program] is unique in the se…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
February 28, 2023 at 7:25 PM

Three ways to participate in the upcoming “Build A New World” March!

1. Join us on March 18 in Palm Beach! 2. Donate to help with the costs! 3. Send us letter of support! 1) Join us for the 2-mile grand finale on March 18 at 10:30am in Palm Beach, FL! 2) Donate to help offset the cost of transportation, supplies, art creation and meals for an action of this magnitude…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
February 21, 2023 at 3:45 PM

REGISTER TODAY: Take part in the 2023 “Build A New World” March!

We’re less than three weeks away from the highly-anticipated Build A New World March, taking place from March 14-18 Farmworkers have announced a five-day march to celebrate the extraordinary success of the Fair Food Program, and to demand holdouts Wendy’s, Publix, and Kroger finally join the Fair F…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
February 15, 2023 at 6:21 PM

US Department of Labor Awards $2.5 Million Grant to Fuel Fair Food Program’s International Expansion

"The award to the Fair Food Standards Council... seeks to expand the program internationally." Department of Labor Award "to assess and expand the successful Fair Food Program model with a pilot project to promote human and labor rights focused on cut flower farms in Chile, Mexico and South Africa.…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
February 13, 2023 at 6:35 PM

PRESS RELEASE: CIW announces march to celebrate 10+ years of progress under Fair Food Program, calls on holdouts Wendy’s, Kroger, and Publix to help finish the job of eradicating forced labor

The march will begin outside a labor camp in the small, agricultural community of Pahokee. FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE  Farmworkers Announce 5-day March to Celebrate Fair Food Program, Demand Wendy’s, Publix, Kroger Join in Light of Recent Forced Labor Case  Immokalee, FL - On March 14th, farmworkers and …
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
February 6, 2023 at 3:16 PM

BREAKING: US Department of Labor press release on latest forced labor prosecution names buyers, including Fair Food Program holdout Kroger

Make no mistake, forced labor is a profitable business for corporations like Kroger, and it is on the rise today. US Department of Labor press release: “Los Villatoros Harvesting LLC employed workers to harvest watermelons for Carlton Farms Inc., operating as Sun Fresh Farms Inc. in Wauchula, Flor…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
January 23, 2023 at 6:25 PM

SAVE THE DATE: Farmworkers and Allies to Launch 5-day March to Palm Beach, FL, for Farmworker Freedom!

Get ready Fair Food Nation! Farmworkers are organizing a 5-day march from Pahokee, FL to the billionaire enclave of Palm Beach MARCH 14-18: Get ready Fair Food Nation! Farmworkers are organizing a 5-day march from Pahokee, FL, home of Florida’s most recent federal forced labor case, to the billiona…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
January 17, 2023 at 3:16 PM

Lessons learned from Immokalee’s fight against COVID-19: New study on community health highlights importance of building trust

"The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected migrant farmworker communities in the United States in case rates and deaths." "Trust has been undervalued in health systems, but the Immokalee experience shows that it may increase participation in community health efforts through operationalizing…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
January 12, 2023 at 3:26 PM

Produce Industry Journal “The Packer” seeks CIW opinion on latest Florida-based forced labor operation

“The truth is, modern-day slavery remains a systemic problem in agriculture." “This is not the first federal prosecution for forced labor that the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has uncovered and helped investigate, but the thirteenth,” CIW co-founder Lucas Benitez told The Packer. “The truth is, mo…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
January 6, 2023 at 4:24 PM

Report from the Frontlines of FFP Expansion: A ‘Fair Fish Program’ for Migrant Fishermen in the UK?

"All agree as well that workers lack a meaningful voice." “The level of agreement on fundamental issues that we encountered across the course of our stay was nothing short of remarkable. While there may be some disagreement on how widespread labor abuse is in the industry, no one dismisses its exis…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 31, 2022 at 7:28 PM

LAST DAY OF 2022: Can you make a gift before our end-of-year deadline?

As the sun sets on 2022, and the new year dawns with all its own challenges and opportunities yet to be revealed, we count on you for your continued support... Charles Dickens, on the holiday season: “It is a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; when men and women seem by one consent to open…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 30, 2022 at 5:53 PM

BREAKING: Forced Labor Ringleader Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Federal Prison

“Using coercive, deceptive and fraudulent practices to exploit individuals’ immigration status to engage in a pattern of forced labor for financial gain is appalling,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. United States District Court in Tampa sentences Bladimir Mor…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 28, 2022 at 4:33 PM

A donation today helps workers build the future. Here’s how...

There is no more important work in the world of business and human rights today than the continued expansion of the Worker-driven Social Responsibility model. John —  As the clock winds down on a tumultuous 2022, we here at the CIW are nearing the end of our year-end campaign to raise $100,000 doll…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 23, 2022 at 3:57 PM

A generation with a fighting spirit is ready to build the future

Today, thanks to the Fair Food Program, because our human rights are protected at work, we can have more dignity and calm at home  – because fear no longer governs our lives. Dear John,  Many of our children have had to grow up watching their parents suffer the challenges of work in the fields, and…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 21, 2022 at 4:22 PM

At nine crops and counting, the Fair Food Program is a lot more than “just tomatoes”!

Your gift today will help us keep growing that list, and expanding the Fair Food Program’s desperately needed protections to tens of thousands of more workers in the months and years ahead. Dear John,  Across the United States (and beyond!), new farms are lining up to join the Fair Food Program. Wha…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 19, 2022 at 8:33 PM

FFSC Director Judge Laura Safer Espinoza: “We have taken the first steps on the road to international expansion”

The Fair Food Program now protects workers in Chile. With your support, we can go even further. John,  As part of our “Build The Future” fundraising drive to raise $100,000, we are sharing stories from the broader Fair Food Nation.   Today, Fair Food Standards Council Executive Director Judge Laura …
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 16, 2022 at 2:41 PM

A special message from CIW's Lupe Gonzalo

Your support can help us mobilize powerful actions in the streets, with our voices raised and heads held high, to demand justice. John,  The first time I left the town of Immokalee – and it wasn't to look for work in agricultural fields up north – was for a Campaign for Fair Food action with the CIW…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 14, 2022 at 4:08 PM

“With the Fair Food Program, we are protecting ourselves against the worst effects of climate change...”

Climate justice is farmworker justice! Dear John,   Over the next few weeks, as a part of our “Building The Future” fundraising drive to raise $100,000, we will be sharing a series of posts written by farmworker leaders themselves, with messages drawn from their own experiences as workers and as org…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 12, 2022 at 5:22 PM

Farmworkers on the Frontline of Climate Change

Our goal is to raise $100,000 by year’s end in order to respond to the next climate crisis in Florida. Are you able to contribute $3 toward our campaign today?  Dear John,   On September 24 of this year, Hurricane Ian slammed into Southwest Florida.  A Category 4 storm, Ian devastated communities fr…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 9, 2022 at 6:15 PM

BREAKING VIDEO: CIW Headlines UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva

“What the Coalition has created is a gold standard for the protection of human rights in our supply chain." Theme of 11th annual forum: “Rights Holders at the Centre: Strengthening Accountability to Advance Business Respect for People and Planet for the Next Decade”  UN gathering, Fair Food Program…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 5, 2022 at 4:21 PM

Help Us Build the Future of Human Rights

Our goal is to raise $100,000 by year’s end in order to strengthen our movement for farmworkers’ fundamental human rights. Are you able to contribute $3 toward our campaign today?  Dear John,   As 2022 winds to a close, we want to take a moment to reflect with you on 10 incredible years of unprecede…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
December 2, 2022 at 3:42 PM

Part Two: Daring Investigation Reveals Horrendous Working Conditions in EFI/FTUSA Certified Farms in Mexico

Combining worker interviews and cutting edge analysis, the article digs underneath the veneer of EFI and FTUSA certifications. Groundbreaking academic investigation into labor conditions on farms certified under the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) and Fair Trade USA (FTUSA) uncovers rampant abuse, …
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
November 29, 2022 at 2:30 PM

This Giving Tuesday, you can help write a new chapter in the history of human rights in the U.S.

As we enter the holiday season, we invite you to extend your thanks to the women and men who harvest the food for our tables. Dear John,   Every day, over two million farmworkers labor in U.S. fields to harvest the food we eat. Whether it is a fall feast or a New Year’s dinner party, we all rely o…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
November 21, 2022 at 4:12 PM

Part One: New Academic Article Highlights the Success of the WSR Model in Securing Dignity in the Fields

The emerging consensus among academics and human rights experts is clear: All certification programs are not created equal. Business and Human Rights Journal: “…WSR programs are better at enforcement than corporate-established initiatives, resulting in real-life improvements for workers.” “The Fair…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
November 16, 2022 at 4:11 PM

Forced Labor, Thousands of Deaths, Ahead of World Cup in Qatar Are a Reminder that Exploitation Knows No Boundaries

“6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded" Despite centuries of struggle to end the abhorrent practice, forced labor has evolved and survived, and remains a pillar of the global economy. Guardian (UK): “6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded…”  Assoc…
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
November 2, 2022 at 4:21 PM

BREAKING: DOJ Announces 3 Florida Farm Bosses Sentenced in Conspiracy Involving Forced Labor of H-2A Workers

“Their actions are unconscionable.” “These defendants exploited their victims’ vulnerabilities and immigration status, promising them access to the American dream but then turning around and confiscating their passports and threatening arrest and deportation if they did not endlessly toil away for …
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
October 28, 2022 at 2:35 PM

Fair Food Program on the podcast playlist

CIW’s Gerardo Reyes Chavez and Greg Asbed on building a successful human rights movement... Chutzpah! Fair Food Program (with Gerardo Reyes Chavez): “At the root of it, the lack of change from an entire industry was based on the lack of recognition of the humanity of their own workers.”  Fluent in …
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  Coalition of Immokalee Workers · [email protected]
October 20, 2022 at 7:30 PM

Neighbors helping neighbors: Immokalee mobilizes for hurricane relief in SWFL worker communities!

Two weeks ago, the second-deadliest storm to make landfall in the U.S. this century landed in Florida — and not just anywhere in Florida, but in Southwest Florida, Immokalee’s very own corner of the Sunshine State. Two weeks ago, the second-deadliest storm to make landfall in the U.S. this century…
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