This Wednesday, March 5, our friends at the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and their allies will embark on the ten-day, ten-city “Now is the Time” Tour to urge fast food giant Wendy’s and Florida-based grocery retailer Publix to join the Fair Food Program. Wendy’s is the last major U.S. fast food chain still holding out from joining the program, which guarantees human rights and a fair wage to farmworkers in Florida’s tomato industry. The tour will rally in Wendy’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio, on March 8-9, and circle back to Publix headquarters in Lakeland, Florida, on March 14-15. Following the landmark success of Walmart’s joining the Fair Food Program in January, the CIW tour will send the clear message that “now is the time” for these two retailers to join the most comprehensive Program for social responsibility in US agriculture and uphold the rights and dignity of farmworkers in their supply chain.
Running from March 5-15, the tour will stop in ten major cities for vigils, presentations, rallies and more. Check out the full schedule and register to attend an event on the CIW tour schedule page. Caravans from the Northeast region will depart on Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8, to meet the tour at Wendy’s flagship store in Columbus. See the caravan’s Facebook event page to reserve a seat.
