By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: MONICA LAUZURIQUE | FC
Quayneshia Smith, left, and Joleaha Dotter, sophomores at Barry University, take part in the march for farmworkers' rights.
CORAL GABLES | More than 100 students from four South Florida universities came together recently to demonstrate their support for higher wages for farmworkers.
Students from St. Thomas University, Barry University, Florida International University and the University of Miami joined members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers Nov. 22 for a viewing of the film “Food Chains” and a march for farmworker rights.
Photographer: MONICA LAUZURIQUE | FC
Showing the petition they would later present to a Publix manager, from left, Anthony Vinciguerra, of St. Thomas University's Center for Community Engagement, Paulina Sicius, a student at St. Thomas, Quayneshia Smith, a student at Barry University, Luis Castro, a student at FIU, and Cruz Salucio of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
The event at the Coral Gables Cinema marked the Miami premiere of the film, which was produced by actress Eva Longoria and Eric Schlosser (producer of “Food Inc.” and “Fast Food Nation”).
“Food Chains” chronicles the abuses of farmworkers in Florida’s agriculture industry, including hundreds of cases of modern-day slavery. The film then tells the story of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and their landmark achievements in convincing multibillion-dollar food retailers — including Subway, McDonald’s and Walmart — to end farmworker abuses by taking part in the Fair Food Program, an initiative the New York Times called “the best workplace monitoring program in the US.” (See trailer at www.foodchainsfilm.com).
Students from all of the Miami-area universities have worked with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in the past, and have supported their award-winning campaigns to end modern-day slavery in the fields.
After viewing the movie, the students walked through Coral Gables to the Publix supermarket at 2551 Le Jeune Road. Despite years of negotiations, and human-slavery cases in Publix’s own supply chain, Publix has yet to agree to take part in the Fair Food Program. Students submitted petitions to Publix, urging the company to sign on to the program and work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to ensure respect for those who bring food to Florida’s tables.
Photographer: MONICA LAUZURIQUE | FC
Farm workers from Immokalee demonstrate to convince Publix Supermarkets to take part in the Fair Food Program, which would pay them an extra penny per pound of tomatoes picked in Florida's fields.
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