Farmworkers Slam Taco Bell: Photos and Report

Report From the Road

Taco Bell Truth Tour, Day 2, March 3, 2004

As we drove into Bloomfield Park, we were greeted by Boycott Taco Bell banners strung across buses and cars. In the distance was a sea of blue: farmworkers and their supporters in CIW T-Shirts. Sprawled on the park lawn, with placards and puppets strewn around, Bloomfield Park was a brief stop before the marchers embarked on the next long 10 miles of the Taco Bell Truth Tour.

Food First staff drove down from the Bay Area to join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to march towards the headquarters of Taco Bell located in Irvine, California. Over the last two years Food First has been proud to join the CIW and demand justice in the farm fields of America.

Immokalee, in South West Florida, is one of the most important agricultural areas of the United States, producing tomatoes and other vegetables, used by the fast food companies like Taco Bell. Immokalee is also home to thousands of farm workers, displaced from their native countries like Mexico, Haiti, and Guatemala. Displaced from their land, these former small family farmers, have made their way to the U.S., in hopes of finding jobs with dignity, but instead have been forced into slavery and sweatshops in the fields.

The CIW have aided the Dept. of Justice in prosecuting four slavery operations in Florida. For example, a South West Florida operation held 400 people captive, forcing them to work 10-12 hour days under armed guard, six days a week, paying them a mere $20 a week.

Immokalee farmworkers have not seen a wage increase since 1978. Currently they are paid 40-45 cents per 32 pound bucket. CIW is demanding an additional one cent per pound of tomatoes. If this was funneled directly to the workers, the piece rate for workers will nearly double! Taco Bell, owned by Yum! Brands, the world's biggest fast food restaurant owner, is the largest purchaser of Florida tomatoes. While reaping over $25 billion in annual receipts, Taco Bell has shamelessly refused CIW's demands, claiming that they do not involve themselves in labor disputes.

Taco Bell's greed has mobilized thousands of farmworkers and their supporters across the country. This was evident as we marched through the streets of Los Angeles County into Orange County. Walking alongside the farmworkers were Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farmworkers Union and Todd Howland, director of the Center for Human Rights at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, members of the Miami Workers Center, unions, religious organizations and students from across the country.

Despite the massive show of solidarity, Orange County denied the marchers their basic right to take to the streets. Heavily surrounded by the police, who attempted to intimidate protestors with constant videotaping and by massively guarding each Taco Bell en route, the marchers were forced onto narrow sidewalks. Ignoring the distance of over 3,000 miles that the farm workers traveled to demand justice, Orange County police proved itself no different than Taco Bell, denying farmworkers their basic human rights.

Seven years old, the CIW is familiar with the heavy handed tactics of cities, counties, and armed guards. It will take more than the Orange County police force to bring down their resolve and fighting spirits! On Day three of the march, the CIW, accompanied by hundreds of supporters, will make their way past Disney Land through Anaheim into Irvine, to shake the foundations of greed at Taco Bell headquarters!

From the streets of Orange County,
Christine, Nick, and Anuradha