LAKELAND (Florida) LEDGER

April 19, 2010

Protesters Pressure Publix to Sign Deal

Farmworkers want grocery chain to pay extra penny per pound for tomatoes.

By Jeremy Maready
THE LEDGER

LAKELAND | Protesters marched on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland on Sunday protesting Publix Super Market's refusal to sign an agreement that would provide an additional penny per pound for tomatoes purchased by the grocery chain.

Sunday's protest began at Southgate shopping center, proceeded north on South Florida Avenue into downtown Lakeland and ended in a rally at St. Joseph's Catholic Church.

Organizers of the protest estimated 1,500 marchers from Florida, Illinois, Texas, California, Minnesota, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Georgia, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island participated.

The line of protesting marchers stretched for several city blocks, halting traffic along South Florida Avenue for a brief time. Lakeland police officers escorted the group for safety.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has said it wants Lakeland-based Publix and other food retailers to pay an additional penny per pound for tomatoes from Florida and to break ties with suppliers who abuse workers.

Publix officials said Sunday that if Florida's tomato workers want higher wages, they need to talk to the suppliers, not the Lakeland-based grocery company.

"They don't work for us," said Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous, adding that the prices are set by the growers or packers. "If (prices) went up 10 cents a pound, we'd gladly pay it."

Company officials said Publix does not purchase tomatoes from companies that violate human rights.

But CIW members contend that Publix is ignoring human-rights issues that face tomato pickers throughout the state.

"A question for Publix is on which side of history do they want to be," said Gerardo Reyes, a tomato picker and CIW member. "Do they want to be on the side where abuses (of tomato workers) are the norm or do they want to be part of the solution?"

"The reality is that they benefit from the cheaper price," he continued.

The group has protested at several Publix store locations throughout the state. Sunday's protest was the finale of a three-day march that included stops in Tampa and at Publix's corporate headquarters in Lakeland.

After failing to earn the support of Publix, the group began a series of demonstrations at Publix stores last year and held a protest in Lakeland on Dec. 6 that drew 500 people.

The CIW has reached agreements with McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Yum Brands and Whole Foods. Most recently, the CIW reached an agreement with Aramark, who contracts with The Lakeland Center.

But Publix has declined to reach an agreement with CIW members.

Officials have said that the company no longer buys tomatoes from Pacific Tomato Growers and Six L, two farms where worker abuses lead to the conviction of four individuals on slavery charges in December 2008.

Although company officials haven't said why the company no longer buys from those growers, they did say Publix is buying tomatoes from East Coast Growers, which is the grower the CIW suggested it use.

On Sunday, protesters, chanted and sang as they walked the streets of downtown Lakeland, voicing their displeasure with the Lakeland-based company.

A few of the signs read, "Slavery has no 'Fair Market Price,'" "Publix Prefers Pickers Poverty," and "Fighting for Fair Food."

Andrew C. Dries of Lakeland came to the downtown rally to support Publix. He held a green, yellow and red sign and wore a sombrero with a Minuteman and Border Patrol hats attached.

"I feel for them (the farmworkers), I do," Dries said. "But I feel in this particular issue, Publix doesn't want to get involved. This is just another example of the union getting a group riled up to make Publix a scapegoat."

Dries stood quietly with his Publix support sign in the middle of Munn Park as protesters passed and continued to their rally, which lasted several hours and featured a traveling slavery museum and music.