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Florida tomato agribusiness giants plead guilty to enslaving Mexican and Guatamala...
"The successful prosecution of five Immokalee residents on slavery charges is satisfying, but the brutal details of their treatment of farm workers show how warped the agricultural labor system is...
This is among six slavery cases the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has helped prosecute, freeing more than 1,000 people. Coalition member Gerardo Reyes asked Tuesday, "How many more workers have to be held against their will before the food industry steps up to the plate and demands that this never - ever - occur again in the produce that ends up on America's tables?"
Also, click here to read the US Department of Justice press release announcing the convictions.
UPDATE #1: US Sen. Bernie Sanders issues a statement on the convictions! Here's an excerpt:
"... I applaud U.S. Attorney Doug Molloy and his staff for successfully prosecuting this case. I also want to congratulate the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) for their on-going efforts to protect some of the most exploited workers in our country...
... As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee I intend to introduce legislation in the very near future which will end a loophole in current law which enables growers to avoid taking responsibility for what happens on their fields when workers are being enslaved.”
September 3, 2008: Yesterday, at federal court in Ft. Myers, FL, farm bosses from Immokalee pleaded guilty to "numerous charges of enslaving Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants, brutalizing them and forcing them to work in farm fields." ("Five to plead guilty on charges of enslaving immigrant laborers," Ft. Myers News Press, 9/2/08).
According to the News-Press report:
"The 17-count indictment in the case -- one of the largest slavery prosecutions Southwest Florida has ever seen -- was released in January. It alleges that for two years, Cesar Navarrete and Geovanni Navarrete beat agricultural laborers, chained them up, locked them in boxes and trucks on the family property while keeping them in ever-increasing debt.
Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Molloy has called it "slavery, plain and simple."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What words are there in the English language or any language to describe the disgust for this? This is America? I am very disturbed at not knowing what has transpired to get food to my table!
The CIW issued the following statement to press about the convictions:
"The facts that have been reported in this case are beyond outrageous -- workers being beaten, tied to posts, and chained and locked into trucks to prevent them from leaving their boss. How many more workers have to be held against their will before the food industry steps up to the plate and demands that this never -- ever -- occur again in the produce that ends up on America's tables?"
"What's most frustrating is that there is a solution. As US Senator Bernie Sanders said when he visited Immokale, 'Slavery is the extreme. The norm is a disaster.' If we can improve the norm -- guarantee fair wages and humane conditions for all Florida farmworkers -- then we can eliminate the extreme. And there are now several retail food industry leaders who have agreed to do their part to promote social responsibility in Florida agriculture. Yet the leaders of Florida's tomato industry -- who are holding their annual meeting this week at the Ritz Carlton in Naples -- continue to stand in the way of progress. The FTGE needs to start working with Yum Brands, McDonald's, Burger King, and the other major tomato buyers who want to put an end to exploitation in Florida's fields."
Unconscienable... but do Americans on the whole care? "The successful prosecution of five Immokalee residents on slavery charges is satisfying, but the brutal details of their treatme... more -
Inquiry finds under-age workers at meat plant
tate labor investigators have identified 57 under-age workers who were employed at a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, and have asked the attorney general to bring criminal charges against the company for child labor violations, Dave Neil, the Iowa Labor Commissioner, said on Tuesday.
“The investigation brings to light egregious violations of virtually every aspect of Iowa’s child labor laws,” Mr. Neil said in a statement announcing the results of a seven-month investigation at Agriprocessors, the nation’s largest kosher meat plant.
In a raid in May, 389 illegal immigrant workers were detained there in the largest immigration enforcement operation ever at a single workplace.
Mr. Neil said that investigators had found multiple child labor law violations for each under-age worker at the plant. They included employing minors in prohibited occupations, exposing them to hazardous chemicals, and making them work with prohibited tools like knives and saws, he said.
...
After the raid, many of the young workers said they felt they had nothing to lose in speaking out about their work at the plant. In interviews, they said they were forced to work long hours on night shifts, sometimes up to 17 hours a day, and were not paid all of their overtime. They said they were put to work on racing production lines using knives to cut meat and poultry with little or no safety training. tate labor investigators have identified 57 under-age workers who were employed at a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, and ... more -
Feminists shut down London Underground... with milkshakes
Feminists reportedly brought chaos to London Underground stations when they 'milkshaked' escalators in support of the tube cleaners' strike during rush hour this morning.
Activists from Feminist Fightback poured the milky concoctions (chocolate, strawberry or vanilla, I wonder?) onto the escalators, forcing a close-down until the mess could be cleared up, in an attempt to highlight the crucial role that cleaners play in keeping the underground running.
They were acting in support of cleaners on the underground who've been on strike since Tuesday evening, after TfL failed to respond to the cleaners' one day strike last week.
London Underground cleaners - the majority of whom are women and people from ethnic minorities - are demanding:
• A wage of £7.20 per hour, the minimum London living wage as determined by the GLA last year
• Sick Pay
• Decent pensions
• 28 days' annual leave
• An end to third party sackings
Last Friday Feminist Fightback activists invaded London Underground Headquarters. Armed with feather dusters, brooms and mops, they set about helping Transport for London 'clean up their act' until they were forcibly removed.
Do you support the demands of the men and women who mop up your sick and clear away your newspapers every day? )
Were you at Bank or Tottenham Court Road stations earlier today? Did errant dairy products ruin your journey, and mess up your morning?
Or was the protest just a drop in the (milky) ocean (do you see what I did there?) of the tube's everyday disruptions? Feminists reportedly brought chaos to London Underground stations when they 'milkshaked' escalators in support of the tube c... more -
Plight of migrant workers blemishes Dubai's image
The unfair treatment towards south Asian immigrant workers is coming to light, albeit late in the day. Dubai showcases itself as a global economic forerunner, when in reality it still has a long way to go before any substantial social or economic reforms are established. The unfair treatment towards south Asian immigrant workers is coming to light, albeit late in the day. Dubai showcases itself as a gl... more
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Last year's 5-4 vote PROVES Alito and Roberts appointments were not about Roe...
The Senate is hearing testimony on the issue of the statute of limitations for workers to file wage discrimination law suits against their employers.
This and things like this decision PROVE that the Alito and Roberts nominations were never about Roe v. Wade. The evil twins, Rove and Cheney, with the appointment power of the Idiot-in-Chief, duped the Religious Right again by playing the reasons for these appointmentsclose to the vest.
Even Democrats were fooled into thinking Alito, Roberts and Miers were being put forward in some veiled attempt to solidify Christian Conservatives and to make a run at Roe v. Wade.
However, all the time, it was the evil genius of Rove and Cheney using the Pseudo-Christian, Bush, to set up the court to protect the Fascist state they are still forming. The Senate is hearing testimony on the issue of the statute of limitations for workers to file wage discrimination law suits against t... more -
Breakthrough in striking writers' talks
The striking writers and Hollywood studios have reached a breakthrough! YAY! A tentative agreement might be released as early as next week. Apparently they finally bridged the gap on the largest of issues: compensation for online distribution of content.
YAY! Let's get our TV shows back. I've actually been using my brain instead of wasting it away with the ol' boob tube. The striking writers and Hollywood studios have reached a breakthrough! YAY! A tentative agreement might be released as early as nex... more -
To pull a thorn from the side of the planet
A vast majority of cut flowers sold in the United States, 79 percent, are imported, mostly from countries with mild climates, like Colombia and Ecuador. But only a small minority of flower farms have adopted environmentally friendly methods, like banning toxic chemicals for pest control, said Nora Ferm of the International Labor Rights Forum, an advocacy organization where she is the program director of a “fairness in flowers” public education campaign that began a few years ago.
And few of those farms, Ms. Ferm said, bother with occupational health and safety measures for workers, who can suffer pesticide-related illnesses like headaches, rashes and birth abnormalities among their children. A vast majority of cut flowers sold in the United States, 79 percent, are imported, mostly from countries with mild climates, like Col... more -
Pearly King Jim
Through Jim we explore this continuing part of London's history that is synonymous with the birth of a more organized market trading and its informal Pearly/Coaster union leadership, well known for fighting for working class rights and charity work all with the good cockney spirit. Through Jim we explore this continuing part of London's history that is synonymous with the birth of a more organized market trad... more
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Fugitive Profiles # 2: Woravit "Kim" Mektrakarn
A "No Body" Murder.
Just before Christmas of 1996, Luis Osvaldo Diego Garcia disappeared from work under mysterious circumstances. The case sat dormant until 2004, when after further investigation a judge ruled that there was overwhelming circumstancial evidence to show that Luis had been murdered by his employer. The motive: To prevent Luis from talking to authorities about illegal hiring and labor practices.
The employer, Woravit "Kim" Mektrakarn fled to Bangkok, Thailand where he is believed to be living today. Although, there are arrest warrants for Mektrakarn in the United States and Thailand, he has yet to be arrested.
Luis body has never been found. His death is presumed, based on blood evidence and DNA. His remains may be somewhere between Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV, or may have been shipped to Thailand.
In this pod, Luis sister, Elizenda Diego Garcia, shares her thoughts of Luis, and her family's hopes for the recovery of his remains and his killer's arrest. A "No Body" Murder. ... more -
Trashed Labor
As belts are tightened at academic institutions around the country, it is no surprise that staffing cuts are being made at Ohio University. But who pays the true price for balancing the budget?
Union leaders, community members and students are up-in-arms at the unfair treatment received by the University's facilities maintenance staff in the face of rising salaries for university administrators. Quality of life is the first casualty in this battle of the budget.
This pod was created by:
RICHARD CHARNEY
MICHAEL GILLESPIE
LEON RUDZIN
EVAN SMITH As belts are tightened at academic institutions around the country, it is no surprise that staffing cuts are being made at Ohio Univer... more -
New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India
NEW DELHI Eight thousand miles from Manhattan, barefoot, shirtless, whip-thin men rippled with muscle were forging prosaic pieces of the urban jigsaw puzzle: manhole covers.
Nice Multimedia slide show in NYT article, or here: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/20071126_... NEW DELHI Eight thousand miles from Manhattan, barefoot, shirtless, whip-thin men rippled with muscle were forging prosaic pieces of... more -
That Sh*t Is Bananas
Sorry, that was old and easy but I couldn't help it. Anywho... Dole is going to pay its field hands 3.2 million dollars. Nicaraguan field hands won a lawsuit alleging that a pesticide used to boost banana production made the workers sterile. Sorry, that was old and easy but I couldn't help it. Anywho... Dole is going to pay its field hands 3.2 million dollars. Nicaragu... more
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writers can use the internets too !!!
surprising how easy it is to promote anything on the interwebs.
I wonder if the studios will want to get paid residuals from the WGA's youtube vlogs....
most of the videos do contain footage of studio lot property / buildings / signage.....so..... surprising how easy it is to promote anything on the interwebs. ... more -
Professional Writers, Amateur Signage
everyone's a critic when writers put their talent on the line
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Hand 'em over
WGA requests members turn unfinished scripts over to the studios by the end of the week.
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On the WGA Picket Line
Writers on the picket line explain their position on the current strike.
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Dubai Strikers to be Deported.
A senior official in the labor ministry says that 4,000 workers who went on strike are being deported for "acts of vandalism."
Dubai has had it's share of workers rights issues.
Do you think that this expulsion is justified? A senior official in the labor ministry says that 4,000 workers who went on strike are being deported for "acts of vandalism.... more -
Criminal Element
Has the Clean Air Act done more to fight crime than any other policy in American history? That is the claim of a new environmental theory of criminal behavior. Has the Clean Air Act done more to fight crime than any other policy in American history? That is the claim of a new environmental the... more
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Workers' Rights
