BONITA DAILY NEWS April 24, 2006 Calling for actionActivists tour poverty-stricken Immokalee, lending support to poor farmworkers and campaigning for their rights Monday, April 24, 2006 As temperatures climbed to the mid-80s Sunday afternoon in Immokalee, Ethel Kennedy and a posse of human rights activists wiped puddles of sweat from their faces and clamored for spots in the shade as community leaders spoke. Nearby, shirtless men and children flocked to a passing popsicle cart in hopes of cooling off as they rested beneath the blistering sun. It was far too hot to be packed inside their concrete, closet-sized homes, which lack any form of air conditioning. As they peeked inside one of the dirty, cramped efficiencies, which house about six Hispanic migrant workers apiece, Kennedy and others let out an audible gasp as Lucas Benitez, a staff member with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, revealed the cost of living in such conditions. "It costs $160 to $275 — (dramatic pause) — per week," Benitez said. "Criminal!" cried out Ellen McNally, president of Call to Action of Southwest Florida, a Catholic group advocating justice for all. Lowering her voice slightly, McNally continued, "It's terrible that they have to live like this, but to have to pay that much to live like this..." The rest of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Poverty Tour continued in the same fashion. Tour members listened as community leaders explained the plight of the 3,000-plus migrant workers who occupy the dingy, dilapidated streets of Immokalee. Immokalee was selected as the first stop on the resurrected poverty tour. The tour originated 40 years ago, when U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy personally addressed the hardships facing impoverished farm workers in Delano, Calif. Immokalee workers "know they're poor," said Julia Perkins, a staff member with CIW. "There's a saying in Immokalee: We're not even poor. We're screwed." Following Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1968, during his campaign to become president of the United States, his wife, Ethel Kennedy, and John Sweeney formed the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to aid impoverished workers throughout the country. "I just love farm workers," Ethel Kennedy said. "That's all there is to it." After witnessing the devastation in various areas caused by hurricanes in 2005, the AFL-CIO group was bombarded with phone calls, asking that the tour be reinstated, said Sweeney, who serves as the president of the organization. The group kicked things off with a tour of Immokalee, followed by a rally for workers in the community, and a Catholic Mass. Kennedy, Sweeney and others will also visit New Orleans next month to meet with hurricane victims. "Whenever workers are struggling, we're usually lending support however we can," Sweeney said. "We're here (in Immokalee) to see how we can help workers in organizing, and hopefully, improving their lives." 'I'm Not Loving It' In 2001, CIW workers and the AFL-CIO organized a boycott of Taco Bell, hoping to raise wages for tomato pickers, and to give migrant workers a place in wage negotiations. Their campaign was successful, and, after four years, Taco Bell, along with Yum! Brands, raised wages by several thousand dollars per worker. Now, the human rights groups have set their sites on a new fast food giant, who, they said, refuses to allow workers a voice in their industry. Kennedy and Sweeney rounded out the day Sunday by signing letters to executives at McDonald's and Chipotle Mexican Grill demanding a 1-cent increase in wages per tomato basket, on behalf of the migrant workers. "We're trying to convince McDonald's to give the workers a fair wage and a code of conduct to follow," Kennedy said. "It's our way of paying back the people who put food on our tables." About 300 Immokalee workers crowded around tents Sunday afternoon to hear the rally cries their community leaders issued. Leaders decorated the small stage with protest signs reading: "No me encanta!" (I'm not loving it!), and "Nuestro sudor no es gratis!" (Our sweat is not for free!) "Today we know we are not alone in this struggle," Immokalee worker Francisca Cortez called out to the cheering crowd. "This problem of low wages and disrespect...is not just the problem of migrant workers. We are here, working hard for the economy of the United States, and the people above us need to respect us." Although McDonald's is not the only fast food chain neglecting the needs of workers, they have been vocal about not raising wages, Perkins said. Perkins said the CIW isn't calling for a boycott of McDonald's — yet. "Right now, we're calling for action with protests," she said. "McDonald's has taken the action to push workers under the table. "A boycott may be the next step, but we hope not." Todd Howland, director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, said the 1-cent increase will cost affected companies about $100,000 per year. "We'll keep pushing them until they realize the investment to benefit workers is so small that it's crazy not to do it," he said. "The way this campaign is going, I think there will be enough pressure to make employers see the light of day," Sweeney added. Seeing it forward As the sun began to dip below the trees, activists and workers prayed together for change. "I don't know how soon they'll do it, but they have to do it," Sweeney said. "Whatever we can do to assist (workers) and improve lives, we're going to do." Kennedy and Sweeney smiled shyly as protest organizers showered them with praises. The pair promised to do their best to help the workers, and the workers, in turn, had hope. Kennedy "has marched with us. She has seen the reality of Immokalee," Benitez called out to the crowd. "We know something is going to happen, because she will see this forward."
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