4th of July

Photo credit Tim Paynter

On the 4th of July 2011 I attended my first Solidarity Vigil, it was held this past Monday in front of the Detention center in Aurora. The Vigil was sponsored by Denver Fair Food, and it was an act of solidarity "...with all who are imprisoned, exploited or enslaved!" This vigil, which took place on the date of the independence of the United States, was symbolic beyond measure. The participants were of a diverse crowd with people from all ages, socio-economic classes and life paths. As we were making our way down the road there was this atmosphere that was charged with the intensity of the present, melancholic memories of the past and bittersweet hopes for the future.

The wind transported our loud, passionate and eager voices in all directions as we chanted "What do we want? JUSTICE, how do we get it? MELT the ICE". We were a sight to behold, because there was a lot of depth and symbolism accompanying the date we chose to go on that vigil. It was evident that we had acknowledged the progressive strides that have been taken in the America, but we also emitted a profound yearning for the amelioration of the conditions of those who have been and are still imprisoned, exploited or enslaved.

The vigil was also a very educational one; Denver Fair Food enacted a short skit that retraced the exploitative and enslaving roots upon which the American system was built, this skit provided us with enough knowledge to understand the gravity of the situation and prompt us to action. We were faced with the realities of America with all its flaws magnified.

The most moving parts of the day included the testimonies of the people, and the beautiful silence that was a silent cry of prayer. The people in the immigrant community who were bold enough to testify included a father, a mother of six who is forced to support her large family by herself, and another mother who has been deprived of her child. The only crimes that these victims can be accused of are the fact that they were born in another country and wanting to provide a better life for their children. Despite all these injustices, I strongly believe that these testimonies demonstrate fearlessness and bravery beyond measure and I wish I had half the courage and internal strength that these heroes have.

The first person who stepped up to speak was the Mexican father of two (a son and daughter) who had been detained in Montana and subsequently released. He tried to relay to us that he is not a criminal and that we need to keep on fighting; all he ever wanted is give a better life to his children and provide them with opportunities he never had. He mentioned how he can take them to the movies and those were things that he was not able to do while he was growing up. He explained the despicable conditions in these detention centers: in one room there were 70 detainees and they had to share five rolls of toilet paper, and they were reprimanded for pointing out that the toilet paper was not sufficient.

This inhumane treatment struck a chord in a Leticia, mother who has seen her son, Sharif only once in eight months, it caused her to wail in anguish and that was one of the hardest things I had to watch in helplessness. Her son was taken at 5:00 am in the Morning shortly after thanksgiving and he was taken to the GEO detention center. Last month he was transferred to Colorado Springs and has been detained there ever since. The third testimony was from a mother of six, two of which are sick and her husband has been detained in the Aurora detention center since March and she is struggling with taking care of her six children. She mentioned how she has been struggling to find a job and how it is hard to find day care.

My first vigil was nothing short of eye-opening and emotionally charged. I would have to say that my favorite part of the whole evening was when we were asked to get close to our neighbors and touch them, close our eyes and just take deep breaths. There was a cool breeze, the sun was setting and the beautiful silence that ensued felt like a silent victory and a promise that the best is yet to come.

- Written by: Fadima Gologo


The next Vigil: United Communities, Living in Freedom.
Monday, August 1st, 2011.
We will meet at 30th Ave & Peoria Street, Aurora, CO.
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Chipotle:Burrito with a Serving of Exploitation

On April 2nd, Coloradans for Immigrant Rights joined in a March and protest in downtown Denver.

What were we protesting? The conditions under which Chipotle's tomatoes are picked.

Link to audio

The conditions under which those who pick our tomatoes are heartbreaking and unjust. There are no holidays, sick days, retirement or other benefits. There is not even an attempt at paying the minimum wage. The workers are asking for one more cent per bucket of tomatoes picked.

photo courtesy of Jobs With Justice, Denver

McDonalds and Yum Brands both agreed over the last five years to pass along the extra cent to workers. Chipotle and Burger King are the only fast food giants left who refuse to support the workers.

Chipotle's slogan is that it is "Food with Integrity". You be the judge.
To take action:
http://www.ciw-online.org/

For More Information:
http://www.sfalliance.org/chiphq.html

Check out Alternet's Headlines

Alternet, a alternative news site, has 3, count 'em, 3, articles today about immigration and worker's rights.

Check out their website at: www.alternet.org You may have to search for the third article, which is specifically about Burger King.

Pictures from the Chipotle Fair Food Launch!

Protesters Ask Chipotle to Put its Money Where the Burrito Goes

Many many thanks to Kate Bernuth!
Protesters Ask Chipotle to Put its Money Where the Burrito Goes
http://www.coloradoconfidential.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3176
by: Kate Bernuth
Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:20 AM MST
The hometown fast food joint, Chipotle Mexican Grill, has built a reputation for preferring naturally raised pork purchased from family farms. Activists would like to see the company take a similar interest in improving the well-being of farmworkers in its supply chain.
Kate Bernuth :: Protesters Ask Chipotle to Put its Money Where the Burrito Goes
A local coalition formed in support of Florida farmworkers is turning up the heat on Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill to live up to its slogan of "food with integrity" by agreeing to pay tomato pickers an extra penny per pound.
Local groups allied with a farmworker alliance based in Immokalee, Fla., staged a protest Saturday outside the Chipotle restaurant on 16th and Blake streets, just blocks from the company headquarters. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has targeted fast-food chains in its quest to raise wages and improve working conditions for migrant farm laborers who harvest tomatoes in south Florida.
"We think 'food with integrity' is a great idea," said Jordan Garcia, of Coloradoans for Immigrant Rights, a member organization of the Denver Fair Food Committee. "The reason we have chosen Chipotle is because they have said very clearly that they believe in honest food."
Chipotle, which at one point purchased about 20 percent of its tomato supply from Florida for 12 weeks a year, has responded to the CIW claims of farmworker abuse by ceasing to buy Florida tomatoes. But that's not acceptable for those who want to see the company incorporate the fight against farmworker exploitation into its mission of "food with integrity."
"We're asking Chipotle to take a stand," said Seth Donovan of Prax(us), an anti-human trafficking organization in Denver and ally of the CIW. "Fast-food chains have such huge buying power, they are in a position to pressure farmers to raise wages and protect workers."
The CIW negotiated hard-fought penny-per-pound deals with McDonald's Corp., and Taco Bell owner Yum Brands, Inc. - agreements that, if adopted industrywide, would essentially double wages for farmworkers. But those deals are in danger of collapsing under pressure from Miami-based Burger King, which has refused to sign on, and a tomato growers group that is threatening $100,000 fines against any farmer that participates. A spokesman for the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange called the penny-per-pound deals "un-American" because they allowed a third party to set wages. The growers also claim the deals are in violation of anti-trust laws but have so far offered no specifics.
Given the precarious future of these deals, Colorado organizers say it's more important than ever that Chipotle, with its focus on humanely raised livestock and organic produce, become an industry leader in the struggle to improve the lives of farmworkers. Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold did not return repeated calls for comment. In a short e-mail Arnold wrote, "We certainly respect their right to protest, but we don't buy any Florida tomatoes at all. We are reviewing practices among Florida tomato growers, but don't have any plans in place to begin buying Florida tomatoes." Arnold did not specify where Chipotle purchases its tomatoes. Florida supplies roughly 80 percent of the nation's fresh tomatoes between November and February.
Farmworker advocates say Chipotle's move does nothing to address the problem as the sub-poverty wages and abuse suffered by Florida pickers are well-documented and endemic throughout the tomato growing industry.
Migrant laborers - many of them illegal immigrants - have long been among the nation's most impoverished and most exploited workers. Over the past 10 years, the Justice Department has prosecuted six cases of farmworker slavery in Florida. There, the backbreaking job of harvesting tomatoes takes place in hot, pesticide-laced fields, where the workers must stoop to pick and haul tomatoes for 10 to 12 hours a day. They earn a piece-rate of about 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket. That can mean up to $10 an hour for those who can fill more than 200 buckets a day - 6,400 pounds of tomatoes. But the work is not guaranteed, and tomato pickers get no health insurance and receive no overtime pay.
"Chipotle preaches 'food with integrity,' but if they're not going to step up and protect the rights of human beings, I don't see much integrity in that at all," said Scott Kwasny, executive director of Colorado Jobs with Justice. His comment was in reference to Chipotle's well-publicized efforts to buy all its pork and some of its chicken and beef from "free range" farms, seen as more humane, where the animals are allowed to roam rather than kept in small cages.
Sarah Gill, a Denver resident who came out for Saturday's protest downtown, also said she'd like to see Chipotle's practices fall in line with its rhetoric.
"If you say you care, I want to hold you accountable."