AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Friday, August 10, 2018

This summer, the Fair Food Nation turns up the heat on Wendy’s and Publix in Florida!

March for Our Lives students marched alongside farmworkers during the kick-off summer Fair Food protest in St. Petersburg, Florida last weekend.

This week, the CIW and the Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) are announcing a series of Florida summer protests to turn up the heat on Wendy’s and longtime Fair Food holdout Publix Supermarkets ahead of the fall season! Today, we bring you the AFF report from last weekend’s kick-off action in Sarasota, and the schedule for the rest of the summer (including a protest in Orlando this Sunday!) from the Alliance for Fair Food.

The summer action season started off with the first-ever joint protest by March for Our Lives Tampa Bay and the Fair Food Movement, drawing hundreds of supporters this past Sunday:

ACTION REPORT: March for Our Lives Tampa Bay teams up with Fair Food movement in St. Pete for Publix and Wendy’s protest!

This past weekend, in the full heat of CIW’s Florida Summer of Action, 150+ farmworkers and allies gathered at Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, to call on Publix and Wendy’s to join the Fair Food Program. True to form, Tampa Bay – which has long been home to some of the Fair Food movement’s liveliest Florida actions – did not disappoint!

Pastor Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church, where the 1-mile march began, gave a blessing to ground us, “Let us pray. Oh God of many names . . . We call on Publix and Wendy’s to do the right thing and come to the table. God, give us strength and courage to be in solidarity with each other that we might together find our liberation. Amen.”

Farmworkers and their families were joined by students from March For Our Lives Tampa Bay, connecting the workers’ movement to end violence in the fields with the students’ organizing to end gun violence in society. Students with March for Our Lives are continuing to demand that Publix honors its commitment to withhold political contributions to candidates back by the National Rifle Association. In the words of March for Our Lives Tampa Bay’s co-presidents Alyssa Ackbar and Macy McClintock: “After actions taken by the national March for Our Lives organization, Publix promised to stop endorsing NRA-backed politician Adam Putnam. Today, we march in solidarity with you . . . We are so proud to be here today marching with all of you and to be fighting against the injustice of violence that companies like Publix and Wendy’s continue to ignore every day. Human rights can’t be ignored.”…