|
200 Immokalee farmworkers protest at Capitol, ask governor to support
end to slavery
By MICHAEL PELTIER
TALLAHASSEE
— Farmworker advocates and a crowd of 200 gathered in Tallahassee on
Monday hoping to meet with Gov. Charlie Crist on conditions in Florida’s
agricultural industry that have led to repeated federal slavery
convictions over the past decade.
But like previous times they’ve tried to meet with a sitting
Instead, the audience that included, farmworkers, students, state
employees and passersby heard speeches and watched as farmworkers
re-enacted a scene from a 2008 federal slavery case in which workers
were intimidated, beaten and chained up at night.
Notably absent, organizers say, was the governor.
“Either, Gov. Crist, you will do everything in your power to support
this movement of farmworkers, consumers and corporations that has the
ability to put an end to slavery ... or you will choose to tolerate
these horrific abuses that have plagued the Florida fields for too
long,” said the Rev. Noelle Damico, national coordinator of the
Presbyterian Church-sponsored Campaign for Fair Food.
Caught up to at a Florida Hospital Association speech given at a nearby
hotel a few hours later, Crist told reporters he would meet with
representatives of the organization.
“I’m happy to meet with anybody,” Crist said.
Crist’s comment came hours after speakers voiced frustration over
efforts over the past 18 months to meet with him to discuss a slate of
issues. Representatives on Monday met with George Sheldon, secretary of
the Department of Children and Families.
Following the meeting, the group held a public demonstration on the
steps of the
“Many people may think that the problem is the slavery cases
themselves,” Gerardo Reyes-Chavez, a Coalition member, told a crowd of
about 200 outside the Old Capitol on Monday. “But in reality, the
problems facing farmworkers are much deeper than that.”
Despite national and international accolades for their work to combat
modern day slavery, Crist is the latest
Past Governors Jeb Bush and Lawton Chiles also refused to meet with the
group.
Over the past few years, coalition and student groups have forged deals
with major fast food vendors including Taco Bell, Burger King and
McDonald’s to pay a penny more for each pound of tomatoes they purchase
and require a code of employer conduct from their suppliers.
Missing from that group of partners, however, are tomato growers and
Crist’s predecessors, who have said they do not want to get in the
middle of a labor dispute between workers and growers.
“(Crist’s) silence does not mean neutrality,” said Coalition of
Immokalee Workers member Greg Asbed. “Every time he doesn’t speak he is
saying to growers that he’s got their back.”
|