Hey everyone -- Here is the latest from the Taco Bell Boycott:
1) Cardinal Roger Mahoney of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor join the fight!
2) Get your Taco Bell postcards here -- make your voice heard by
sending a postcard to Emil Brolick, CEO, supporting the boycott.
Cardinal Roger Mahoney, a long-time, staunch supporter of farmworkers
and labor in general, Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Orange in
California, and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, an
extremely powerful voice for labor both in California and on the
national level, all joined the growing list of people and
organizations calling on Taco Bell to meet with the CIW and help
improve wages for the farmworkers who pick their tomatoes. You can
see the full text of their letters and/or endorsements on the CIW web
site at www.ciw-online.org.
Here is an excerpt from Cardinal Mahoney's September letter to Taco
Bell: "For some thirty-six years now I have been very closely
involved with efforts here in California to improve wages, benefits,
and working conditions of the countless numbers of people who labor
day and night in the fields, orchards, and vineyards of our country.
I am writing you at this time to plead with you to exercise the
leadership of the Taco Bell corporation in protecting and enhancing
workers rights in the tomato industry, especially in Florida, where
the Taco Bell Corporation receives so much of its tomato product..."
And this is from the LA County Federation's formal endorsement in
October: "... THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Los Angeles County
Federation of Labor endorses the nationwide boycott of Taco Bell
called for by the CIW, and urges all of its affiliated unions and
members to refrain from patronizing Taco Bell Restaurants in
observance of this boycott;
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the LCFL urges all of its affiliated
unions and members to join in the planning of and participate in the
protest against Taco Bell in Los Angeles and endorses the protests at
the Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, California."
The importance of the LCFL's endorsement and the letters from
Cardinal Mahoney and Bishop Soto cannot be overestimated. These
nationally recognized voices bring a powerful moral authority to the
campaign, and, on behalf of the members of the CIW, we extend our
deepest gratitude to Cardinal Mahoney, Bishop Soto, and the LCFL for
their support. We are stronger today for having them by our side in
this fight.
The second piece of news is the launching of a new initiative in the
boycott -- a postcard campaign that we need your help to get out to
as many people as possible around the country.
You can see this powerful new card, front and back, on our website
(again, www.ciw-online.org!). You can choose to either use the text
on the back of the card to send your own letter to Taco Bell, or --
if you think you have some family, friends, co-workers, or members of
your church that might be interested -- we would be happy to send you
10, 20, 50, or even 100 cards that you could help get signed and into
the mail to Taco Bell. It's a great -- and convenient -- way to
send a message to Taco Bell, so email us now if you think you could
use some cards in your school, church, union, or community.
Finally, there is more good news just around the corner as the
campaign is picking up steam again following the postponement of the
Truth Tour in September. Soon we will have dates for both a National
Day of Action and the re-scheduled Truth Tour (sometime in early
Spring). And a shareholders' action is just getting underway,
promising to be an important new front in the campaign. As soon as
we can get some information out about the shareholders' plans,
including how you can get involved, we will let you know!
I am sick of these whining mexicans. Like anyone else, if they do not like their wages or labor conditions, get an education or another job. I'll eat where I want!
Yes, eat where you want. Feel free to eat crappy food picked under crappy conditions. You're getting the best of American food--faceless corporations exploiting culture, humans, and the environment, all for the bucks that ignorant fucks like you hand over like the morons that you are.