Congratulations to Coalition of Immokalee Workers for obtaining a penny more per pound agreement with Trader Joe's
February 9, 2012
Trader Joe’s and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) announced today that they have signed an agreement that formalizes the ways in which Trader Joe’s will work with the CIW and Florida tomato growers to support the CIW’s Fair Food Program.
The Fair Food Program is a groundbreaking approach to social responsibility in the US produce industry that combines the Fair Food Code of Conduct which is a set of labor standards developed in a unique collaboration among farmworkers, tomato growers, and the food industry leaders who purchase Florida tomatoes, with a penny more per pound to help improve pickers' wages. Food First has long supported the Immokalee Workers goal of the Fair Food Program to promote a sustainable Florida tomato industry that advances the human rights of farmworkers while promoting the long-term interests of Florida tomato growers.
Gerardo Reyes of the CIW said “We are truly happy today to welcome Trader Joe’s aboard the Fair Food Program. Trader Joe’s is cherished by its customers for a number of reasons, but high on that list is the company’s commitment to ethical purchasing practices. With this agreement, Trader Joe’s reaffirms that commitment and sends a strong -- and timely -- message of support to the Florida growers who are choosing to do the right thing, investing in improved labor standards, despite the challenges of a difficult marketplace and tough economic times.”
About Trader Joe’s
With the opening of the Naples, Florida location, Trader Joe’s operates 367 neighborhood grocery stores across the nation. More information at www.traderjoes.com.
About the CIW
The CIW (www.ciw-online.org) is a community-based farmworker organization headquartered in Immokalee, Florida, with over 4,000 members. The CIW seeks modern working conditions for farmworkers and promotes their fair treatment in accordance with national and international labor standards. Among its accomplishments, the CIW has aided in the prosecution by the Department of Justice of six slavery operations and the liberation of well over 1,000 workers. The CIW’s Campaign for Fair Food has won unprecedented support for fundamental farm labor reforms from retail food industry leaders, with the goal of enlisting the market power of those companies to demand more humane labor standards from their Florida tomato suppliers.
A message from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
The CIW thanks the tens of thousands of Fair Food activists around the country who helped make this tremendous step forward possible, especially those who had planned actions in over 40 cities this coming weekend. Naturally, in light of today's great news, the CIW is calling off the actions planned for the new Trader Joe's store in Naples. Similarly, we ask that all other actions planned for this weekend be cancelled, and that organizers and consumers who were planning to attend instead take a moment to congratulate Trader Joe's for having joined the Fair Food Program.
The Coalition announced that now they will increase pressure on Publix and the rest of the supermarket industry to sign on to fair food.
