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CREATED:20040203T182600Z
DESCRIPTION:Farmworkers and supporters cry: “We’d rather go hungry than eat 
 sweatshop tacos!”\n\nIRVINE, CA- On February 24, 2003, farmworkers from 
 the Coalition of Immokalee \nWorkers and the CIW’s student, religious, 
 and labor allies will begin a historic hunger strike.  The action -- a 
 hunger strike outside one of the world’s largest fast-food corporations 
 -- is a powerful contradiction that will dramatically highlight the 
 injustice of fast-food profits derived, in significant part, from 
 farmworker poverty.  The strike, which comes after a year of silence from 
 Taco Bell executives, will culminate in a national convergence at Taco Bell 
 headquarters on Friday, February 28.\n\n“We are asking that people send 
 representatives from their schools, churches, \ncommunity organizations and 
 unions to fast in solidarity with the Immokalee tomato pickers as well as 
 attend the demonstration on Friday, Feb. 28” says Francisca Cortez of 
 the\nCIW. “If people cant make it, they can still support our struggle by 
 holding solidarity fasts, teach-ins or rallies during the week in their own 
 cities.”\n\nsee: www.ciw-online.org\n\nHISTORY: Since 1997, tomato 
 pickers in Immokalee, Florida’s largest farmworker \ncommunity, have been 
 organizing for the right to join in talks with the state’s corporate 
 tomato growers to find ways to improve farm labor conditions and raise the 
 crop picking-piece rate.  Despite signature drives, three general strikes, 
 marches, and a 30-day hunger strike by six members of the Coalition of 
 Immokalee Workers (CIW) - ultimately ended by the intervention of former 
 President Jimmy Carter - the growers continue to refuse to meet with farm 
 worker representatives and have only marginally raised wages.  \n\nWhen 
 workers discovered that Taco Bell is a major buyer of the tomatoes they 
 pick, they informed company executives in January, 2000 of the deplorable 
 wages and working conditions in Florida’s fields and requested a meeting 
 to discuss possible solutions.  To date, Taco Bell has not addressed the 
 concerns of the CIW, and the CIW continues to call for a boycott of Taco 
 Bell. \n https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/02/03/14123.php
SUMMARY:Hunger Strike for Justice for Farmworkers
LOCATION:Taco Bell hq\n17901 Von Karman\nIrvine, CA
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/02/03/14123.php
DTSTART:20030224T200000Z
DTEND:20030301T200000Z
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