by John Kawakami
Thursday, Mar. 04, 2004 at 11:19 PM
Day 1 of the 3 day long trek from East LA to Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine.
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The Taco Bell Truth Tour hit LA on the 2nd, with a long parade of picketers. These photos were taken in front of the Taco Bell on Rosemead in Pico Rivera near SFS. (No confrontations happened between the march and the Taco Bell.)
The strikers work for companies that contract with Taco Bell to provide tomatos. The CIW has been active since the 1990s, uncovering "sweatshops in the fields" where people existed in conditions of virtual slavery. Because of their work, they've gotten national recognition and numerous awards. The agricultural workers are demanding a 1c per pound raise so that they can have a living wage, and improved work conditions in the fields.
The boycott against Taco Bell has been well established at college campuses, where student-managed food concessions are being displaced by fast-food outlets like Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Pizza Hut. They're the privatized soup kitchens of the ivory tower: help wanted, apply within.
The tour winds up on the 5th, with a huge rally featuring Tom Morello and Boots Reilly, Dolores Huerta, and many other performers and speakers. See the link for details!
www.ciw-online.org
