Media Advisory: SUBWAY Restaurant Promotes Fair Food, Interviews Available

MEDIA ADVISORY
December 8, 2008

Farmworkers Bring Campaign for Fair Food to NYC

At a time of spreading hunger and economic downturn, farmworkers celebrate agreement with the Subway Restaurant Chain and educate consumers about the value of fair food

As hunger worsens in the U.S. and abroad, the COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS, a Florida-based farmworker organization, says it is part of the solution. This week its leaders will come to New York City as part of a growing Campaign for Fair Food and to celebrate a landmark labor agreement with the SUBWAY restaurant chain. The agreement will help over 1,000 farmworker families eat --the very families who themselves harvest food for the rest of us, says the Coalition.

The labor victory, the group notes, coincides with the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes the right to eat.

Farmworkers will be in New York City from December 9th through the 10th, speaking to students, people of faith, and community members about the recent victory and its plans.

Events culminate when the Coalition and Lucas Benitez, one of its many co-founders, are honored at the annual Small Planet Fund’s gala at Colors Restaurant in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday December 10th. Colors is owned by its workers, formerly of the 9-11-destroyed Windows on the World.

For interviews, please contact Julia Perkins of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers at 239-986-0891 or Julia@ciw-online.org, or visit www.ciw-online.org. For more about the Small Planet Fund gala, contact Anna Lappé, anna@smallplanet.org.

DATES: December 9-10, 2008

WHO:
Farmworker members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers

WHAT:
Campaign For Fair Food Northeast Tour, with events throughout NYC, including the Small Planet Fund gala

WHEN:
December 9th through 10th in New York City

December 10th: 7:00pm, Colors Restaurant, Small Planet Fund Gala
http://www.smallplanetfund.org/events

WHERE:
Various locations throughout New York City.
http://www.ciw-online.org/Northeast_tour_actions.html

and

Small Planet Fund Event
Colors Restaurant: 417 Lafayette Street, below Astor Place


Launched in 2001, the Campaign for Fair Food, as an extension of the community-based work of the Coalition, has convinced five large corporate buyers of tomatoes to take responsibility for addressing longstanding violations of farmworkers’ basic rights, including the right to a fair wage, to work free from slavery, and to associate freely. On average, tomato pickers today receive the same wages as paid in 1978.

So far Campaign for Fair Food has succeeded in reaching agreements with Taco Bell, Yum Brands, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Whole Foods; and on December 2nd, just as the Coalition’s Northeast Tour left Florida, the Subway restaurant chain joined these companies. It agreed to work in partnership with the Coalition to help improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers.

Contact Information

Julia Perkins

Director of Communications

Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Contact via E-mail