A week ago, students sat down to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with their loved ones. But many of the people responsible for producing that meal have not been able to enjoy the company of their families for many years.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers - which seeks to improve conditions for a Florida farming community - last Friday gave a presentation in Irvine Auditorium that illustrated the plight of these laborers.
Gerardo Reyes, an immigrant worker who spoke through a translator on behalf of the Coalition, lauded CIW's recent agreement with Subway, in which the corporation pledged to help improve wages and conditions for the workers who pick their tomatoes.
The Coalition was organized in 1993 by tomato harvesters in Immokalee, a large farming community in Florida.
Reyes explained that CIW has recently turned its attention to the fast-food companies, which are among the largest tomato-buying industries in the nation.
CIW's Fair Food Campaign has successfully pressured several companies - including Taco Bell, McDonald's and Burger King- into pledging to only buy tomatoes from approved growers and to pay growers a price increase of one penny per pound. On Dec. 2, CIW chalked up another success when Subway signed a similar agreement.
But despite the strides CIW has made, Reyes said there is still plenty of work to be done.
"At the end of the day, the goal is to allow the farmers to have their families and their humanity," he said. "But many things still need to be done to reach this point."
Reyes described the grim conditions that workers face.
He explained that laborers toil for 10 to 14 hours and are expected to pick two tons of tomatoes a day for $50.
"There have been several ... cases of stolen wages, physical violence and even modern-day slavery," he said. "The leaders of these farms are dehumanizing workers."
These conditions led Immokalee workers to organize CIW, which has helped improve pay, obtain more humane treatment and recover over $100,000 in stolen wages.
Reyes urged his audience to question the origin of their food.
"When we don't think about where our food comes from," he said. "We turn into accomplices without even knowing it."
Lindsey Scott, a College sophomore, said she was very affected by Reyes's talk.
"Hearing about the suffering that goes into making what we eat really makes you aware of the importance of your choices," she said. "I know I'm going to think a lot more about what kind of food I choose to buy in the future."
