Farm workers protest in front of Publix

[teach1st]

Source: St. Petersburg Times

ST. PETERSBURG — For 9-year-old Jalen Dixon and his mother, Teneka Dixon, a Sunday trip to the supermarket turned into a teaching moment about labor disputes.

When the mother and son pulled into the Publix parking lot on 54th Avenue S about 3 p.m., more than 100 protesters were marching along the sidewalk, shouting in English and Spanish: "No more slaves, pay the minimum wage," among other provocative slogans.

The protestors were backing the Coalition of Immokalee workers, a community group made up of farm workers from Southwest Florida. In the past, the group has pressured large companies like McDonald's and Whole Foods to pay more for tomatoes harvested by migrant workers.

Now, the Coalition has moved on to Florida's largest supermarket chain.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/agriculture/farm-workers-protest-in-front-of-publix/1051989

[senseandsensibility]

1. The ninth rec and first comment?

I'm sure the OP appreciates all the recs, but please take a couple of seconds to kick this so that more people see it.

[SandWalker1984]

2. I have one question

Why are these people not protesting in front of the Super Wal-Marts in Florida too?

[elleng]

4. Smart people pick their fights.

[abq e streeter]

3. k&r

[DesertDiamond]

5. Right on to people like this, fighting the good fight!

[SandWalker1984]

6. Not so fast.

I live in Florida and happen to know that Publix is well liked by the majority of it's workers for their fair treatment and job opportunities to move up into management. (And no, I do not work at Publix.)

Wal-Mart is known for neither of those. Wal-Mart is also known for cheaply priced produce.


I'm just saying, before you pat these people on their backs, you might want to look deeper into the reasoning behind picketing the Publix grocery stores but not the Wal-Mart superstores.

[EFerrari]

8. Did you read the article? It says Publix is the largest supermarket chain.

And this group has been more successful than any other in redressing terrible, terrible working conditions in FL. Do you live in Florida? It's surprising you've never heard about them. They are national heroes who have rescued people from actual slavery in Florida.

[Frosty cupcake]

9. They will probably

have better luck targeting a much smaller entity like Publix than they could ever hope to take on with Walmart.

As for the relative merits of Publix:

They are as anti-union as any other supermarket chain in the nation. Most of their campaign contributions go to the GOP.
I shop there and I wish there was some union alternative, but there isn't.
The one person I know who worked there felt overworked and underpaid and she left as soon as she could.

So I wish them all the best.

[EFerrari]

11. Welome to DU, Frosty.

[Frosty cupcake]

27. Thanks!

I've been lurking around here for about two years now. I read a lot. I just rarely post.

[EFerrari]

37. How do you lurkers manage? When I first read DU

it looked scary as hell. And an hour later, I was posting.

lol

:hi:

[DissedByBush]

19. I have a feeling most organizations are anti-union

Even unions like the SEIU are anti-union when it comes to their own bottom line.

[bitchkitty]

14. Somehow, I suspect

that the experiences of a cashier, stock clerk or manager would be different than that of farm workers.

[EJSTES2005]

16. Publix is the best place to shop here in Florida

For a lot of reasons. Not least of which is that they give away presciption drugs to anyone for free. Not all drugs but almost all antibiotics and most common drugs.


http://www.publix.com/wellness/pharmacy/Home.do


At the Publix Pharmacy, you can always count on us to surpass your expectations through our helpful and knowledgeable pharmacy associates; the quality products we offer; and value-added services that will keep you coming back.

We offer prescriptions at more than 700 pharmacies throughout five different states. Your local Publix Pharmacy is available to help with your questions and other wellness needs. Let our pharmacy associates make health care easier for you!

Now the Publix Pharmacy makes you feel even better with FREE oral antibiotics.

Publix wants to help you with your health-care costs, so we're happy to be able to give you a great deal on certain generic antibiotics doctors often prescribe. New or current customers: bring in your prescription for one of the generic oral antibiotics listed below to your neighborhood Publix Pharmacy and receive it FREE, up to a 14-day supply. There are no limits on the number of prescriptions you can have filled. And they're FREE to you regardless of your prescription insurance provider.
Amoxicillin
Cephalexin (capsules and suspension only)
Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP)
Ciprofloxacin (excluding Ciprofloxacin XR)
Penicillin VK
Ampicillin
Erythromycin Stearate and Ethylsuccinate
Doxycycline Hyclate (capsules)

[L0oniX]

26. They were sued for discrimination not too long ago ...and they lost. I stopped going to Publix.

<snip> At least a half-dozen former employees of a Publix Super Market in Tampa have accused the Lakeland grocery chain of racial discrimination in formal complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The federal commission has dismissed all but one of the complaints by the former employees, all of them African-Americans who worked until recently at a Publix on Bayshore Boulevard. The dismissal means the former employees have the right to sue Publix, a move several said they plan to pursue.

The workers' complaints that they were unfairly disciplined, fired and passed over for promotions and pay raises echo those issues raised in a class-action discrimination lawsuit against Publix settled two years ago.

http://www.sptimes.com/2002/12/06/Business/Tampa_Publix_accused_.shtml

I stopped going to Publix because of this.

[sasquuatch55]

18. Walmart produce is also low quality at premium prices.

nt

[ChiciB1]

34. Walmart Produce IMO Is Not As Good As Publix & Many Times Costs More!

I live in Florida and have shopped more at Publix because of the recent "buy one- get one free" items! Other than that you REALLY need to watch Walmart and their prices!! They really are higher sometimes! I do shop at Save A Lot, but don't know much about them. One thing for sure... I WON'T buy meat at Walmart, it's always so slimy! My neighbor agrees with me too.

I always TRY to buy produce from local produce stores. Getting harder and harder to find and during the summer the one I use closes down completely because of the heat and how much produce it ruins.

The ones that stay open during the summer around my area are higher, but I'm sick of "mushy" tomatoes that you get in grocery stores. And yes, I've tried home gardening during the summer, bugs, worms, birds etc. got me down!

My mother-in-law worked for Publix and many of their relatives, but then Publix was a high end job for them. Other grocers didn't pay as well. As with all things, times change. However I've known people who worked at Walmart and couldn't wait to find something else! Walmart is an employee abuser from most I've talked to.

And regarding Unions... Florida isn't a Union state from all I've seen! Fortunately my husband did work for a Union company, but then CWA is down here, so we were lucky. My daughter & her husband have wanted to belong to a Union for nurses for many, many years but hospitals are notorious for locking out unions here!

[axollot]

40. Yes it is one of the better employers of it's kind. I know this first hand

I have worked for Publix in the past (2001-2002), and left on my own terms for a position in IT - for me is was a job while looking for a job.

The starting pay is well over minimum wage. Benefits, such as health insurance including stock in the entirely employee owned company, for part-time employees. Everyone has the opportunity to move into management within the company and a career at Publix can span a life time without being based in poverty.

With that said, they could very well be buying produce from unscrupulous growers/farmers they are not the only one and attention like this should be put on all companies that practice it - honestly, starting at Wal-Mart where even their clothing we know is made by slave labour and/or child labour in China.
Cheers
Sandy

[Oldtimeralso]

7. K & R and proud to help union solidarity n/t

[EFerrari]

10. COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS

http://www.ciw-online.org/

Anti-Slavery campaign:



http://www.ciw-online.org/slavery.html


These are some very fine people.

[PJPhreak]

12. K&R I spent a winter in Naples,

And if you have ever been to Immokalee Fla. its very easy to support them...Immokalee Fla. is by far and away more Third World than the "Boonieville" that I live in!

Considering that our Post Office is a converted FEMA Trailer That says a lot.

[ChiciB1]

35. And Then There's ARCADIA!! What A Town???? n/t

[Vidar]

13. K&R

[Heathen57]

15. Something our children learned early

was that I wouldn't ever cross a strike line and they knew why. This to me is the same thing since the workers don't have a union, these folks seem to represent them.

Our Union stores here are still negotiating AFAIK and I hope they don't go out because we would have to resort to Wally world or drive 100 miles to shop.

[eagertolearn]

21. Good for you! Teaching your kids about this by example is the best way.

[nashville_brook]

17. i love publix, but i did my shopping at Target this weekend.

between target and the farmers market, i can manage without publix.

[Vidar]

20. More power to 'em.

[AlphaCentauri]

22. What a surprise "shouting in English and Spanish"

it's a plain miracle the anti latino coalition had not appear here yet to shout the english only meme.

[madville]

23. I kind of agree with Publix here

They don't employ these workers, they probably buy produce through a broker or distributor at the market price. Of course if the workers were protesting XYZ Tomato Brokers, Inc it wouldn't make the news. I have lived in rural areas of Florida all my life and have experience around the farms. The workers I knew averaged $400-700 a week depending on what they were doing and that was over 10 years ago. They worked many hours, probably 60-70 a week but also got paid in cash as well so tack another couple of hundred on those totals for what would have been their true gross income if taxes had been paid.

If the farm is employing illegal workers report them to INS, if the farm is underpaying legal workers report them to the state authorities. They get publicity by protesting a well known company but I do see Publix's point that it isn't really something under their control. Plus if they offer to pay more for tomatoes then the price will go up for the consumer to reflect that and they will also attract more groups, what about the watermelon pickers, or cucumber pickers, or squash pickers, etc, etc.

[Wednesdays]

25. True that, but

"They don't employ these workers, they probably buy produce through a broker or distributor at the market price."

But because of this protest, Publix would then be under pressure to deal only with brokers who pay fair wages. Word will get out if they don't do that, and then they'll be in the hot seat again.

[madville]

28. The problem is, what is a fair wage?

You can't pay someone $12 an hour to pick tomatoes, you have to pay them by the unit, or piece work. There is a balance that has to be maintained as well. The pay has to be enough to make it motivate production but it also has to be low enough to result in optimum performance.

If someone's goal is to make $600 a week there are many different scenarios:

They get $12 an hour with overtime and work 47 hours to equal $600 but because pay is determined by time and not production they average 12 crates an hour.

They get paid $0.80 a crate and need to pick 15 crates an hour to equal $12 an hour. They have to work 50 hours to equal $600.

They get $1 a crate and only need to pick 12 an hour to to equal $600 a week for 50 hours worked.


The biggest advantage to the farmer and the one resulting in the fastest/most efficient production is the scenario where the workers get the lowest piece work compensation. The pay should be fair but it also has to be balanced in order to motivate production as well.

[EFerrari]

29. Publix is making a profit on the backs of slave wage earners.

This is how it's changed. The INS nor the State can do that. You bet it's under Publix's control. They have the wallet.

[madville]

30. What are slave labor wages?

$8 an hour, $10, $12, $15? Just curious what you consider slave labor wages.

[EFerrari]

32. The union has a great site. I posted the link up thread. n/t

[dana_b]

38. see here:

September 26, 2009 "Compass will pay a penny and a half more a pound for all tomatoes it buys annually. One cent goes directly to the workers; the other half-cent covers administrative costs.
Tomato harvesters will now earn 82 cents for each 32-pound bucket they pick, up from 50 cents per bucket. The raise means their annual earnings could rise from about $10,000 to between $16,000 and $17,000." http://www.news-press.com/article/20090926/BUSINESS/90925067/1014

$16,000/52 = $307.6/wk or if they work 40 hours a week, it comes down to $7.69/hr. Doesn't sound like too much to ask for to me.

Also this sounds good except that Publix has decided not to buy from the growers who will participate in the new guidelines. Instead they are still buying from the people indicted in this article.
"Sixth Immokalee slavery case suspect arrested
Group accused of keeping beating, stealing from Immokalee laborers"
http://ciw-online.org/Slavery_plain_and_simple.html

"A Day without Slavery" hosted by Collier County Sheriff's Department in Immokalee... November 14, 2009
"The goal of the Publix protests is to forge a more humane agricultural industry by creating real market consequences for those growers who would continue to abuse their workers while ensuring that those who step up to higher labor standards are rewarded with increased demand from ethical retailers, companies like Compass Group, Whole Foods, and others. Yet despite the simple justice of the campaign's demands, Publix continues to purchase tomatoes from growers tainted by last year's brutal slavery prosecution, as they confirmed again just recently to the press. "
http://www.ciw-online.org/

[L0oniX]

24. I went past a Clearwater Publix and they were protesting there too.

Clearwater is in the same county as St.Petersburg.

[Uncle Joe]

31. You can tell by their book selection where their sentiments are.

If you can't find a Glenn Beck or Ann Coulter book anywhere else, you can find them at Publix.

On the other hand I never saw Al Gore's books displayed and rarely if ever any other progressive books in their book aisle.

[ChiciB1]

36. Walmart Too!!! Let's Face It... We The People Are Really At Their Mercy!

Whether it's Publix OR Walmart, neither get a good grade from me! But you need groceries, sooooooo!

I do try to get to BJ's, but then I'm sure there's problems there too!

What shall we do?? To fix problems here in America, WE ALL NEED to be PROTESTING a LOT more than just Publix!! It ain't gonna happen, but that would be my wish!

[DU GrovelBot]

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[pmorlan1]

39. K & R

K & R