Rights Groups to Protest New Vilano Publix Grand Opening

By Rhonda Parker

Vilano Beach, Florida – The public has been invited to attend the Grand Opening of a new Publix Supermarket in the Vilano Beach Town Center, but local rights groups have issued invites for picketing the grocery store chain and for a march to draw attention to the plight of farm workers providing produce to chain stores in the state.

Members of the local IWW (Industrial Workers of the World http://www.iww.org/), Occupy St. Augustine, Fair Food Jacksonville, and Gainesville's Interfaith Action for Immigrant Justice plan to meet at 12 Noon on January 14th at the Vilano Beach Pier Pavilion and march to Publix for a solidarity/educational picket in support of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) struggle for fair food and justice in the fields.

According to march organizer, IWW and Occupy St. Augustine member Terry Buckenmeyer, what rights groups are asking is that Publix, a grocery store chain founded in Lakeland, Florida, is to step up and “Do the Right Thing”, in keeping with the CIW’s current campaign against farmer worker abuses.

While information provided by CIW lists other Florida chains, Buckenmeyer said the only chain boycotted during CIW’s 2011 campaign was Taco Bell, and at this time they are not asking for a boycott, but only hope to increase public awareness of the plight of farm workers. They also hope that people will pick up and sign the CIW’s “Manage Letters”, which customers may sign and present to their local Publix management team, or postcards they can mail to Publix CEOs asking that the grocery store chain join the CIW’s campaign for “fair food” and to improve conditions for farm workers.

“We want people and Publix to remember that the success was built on the backs of the working poor and that the tomatoes (and most of the food) we enjoy is available only because of the back-breaking work of people who live below the poverty level,” Buckenmeyer said.

According to information provided by Buckenmeyer and CIW, since the 1990's the the CIW has been struggling for fair wages and humane treatment for the farm workers in Immokalee, Florida who pick the tomatoes we eat every day. Farm workers earn the same money as they did in the late 1980's and a penny a pound more would bring them up minimum wage.

CIW has provided information showing there have been 10 prosecuted cases of illegal “servitude” or slavery in the fields in Florida – with one in St Johns County, and one in Alachua: http://www.ciw-online.org/slavery.html

National Geographic article on 21 Century Slavery mentioning Florida: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0309/feature1/

Yum Foods, Subway, MacDonald's, Burger King, Whole Foods, Aramark and other Florida chains have already signed on to guarantee that farm workers are treated fairly and get one penny a pound more for the tomatoes they pick,” Buckenmeyer said.

A US St. Department report from 2010 shows that farmer workers continue to be victims of human trafficking, with women and children also being sexually exploited and sold: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/

Publix has issued a response to the CIW “Do the Right Thing Campaign: Put it in the price

In part, the statement reads:

“Most recently, Publix congratulated the Tomato Growers and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers for reaching a resolution. We assume that the resolution addressed farm worker pay in Florida. We viewed the agreement to increase the workers pay by an additional penny per pound, in addition to the federal minimum wage the workers currently earn on their harvests as a confirmation of the industry’s commitment to act ethically, responsibly and in the best interests of their employees. We applauded both parties for successfully reaching this agreement, as from the beginning, we urged the parties to come to the table and seek resolution.

We suggest that whatever the impact of their negotiations, they put the cost of the tomatoes in the price they charge the industry for the goods. We are confident that customers will make their own purchasing decisions. Simply stated, Publix is more than willing to pay a penny more per pound or whatever the market price for tomatoes will be in order to provide the goods to our customers. However, we will not pay employees of other companies directly for their labor. That is the responsibility of their employer. “

A recent press release invites the public to come down and get a “sneak Peak” of the 29,000 square-foot store on Thursday as the Vilano Main Street group plans to host a pre-opening reception from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

The new grocery store will open its doors for shoppers on Saturday at 8 a.m., and according to management, will employ more than 100 people.

“This Publix Town Center project is a significant milestone in the Vilano Beach Main Street community that has been the focus of economic development revitalization for the past 14 years,” St. Johns County Commissioner Ken Bryan also said in a statement.

Concerning Saturday’s protest March, Bryan commented, “Everyone is entitled to their right to freedom of speech. They are making a statement that will resonate through the community, and as long as it’s peaceful, I have no objections.”

Bryan made clear he was not promoting either side or any political agenda, but that economic development for the county was part of his job as a commissioner.

“I’m just trying to do my job to bring in economic development and jobs to the area, which I view as very important for our citizens,” Bryan added.

CIW answer to Publix release: http://ciw-online.org/put_it_in_the_price.html

Other links documenting slavery in the U.S. and abuse of Farm laborors' rights:

eye-opening slide show by photographer Scott Robinson documented life in the fields: http://www.ciw-online.org/inthefields.html

• "Human trafficking: Not someone else's problem,"CBS News, 6/15/10

• "Rolling museum casts light on current-day forced labor,"New York Times, 8/4/10

• "Modern-day slavery museum reveals cruelty in Florida's fields," St. Petersburg Times, 3/21/10

• "Politics of the plate: The price of tomatoes," Gourmet Magazine, 03/09

• "Slave labour that shames America," The Independent (UK), 12/19/07

• "Slave labor in, yes, America," Glamour, 12/07

• "21st-Century Slaves,"National Geographic, 09/03

• "Nobodies: Does slavery exist in America?" The New Yorker, 4/21/03