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NEWS & LETTERS, October 2002
Immokalee worker speaks
Memphis, Tenn.--I came here to the U.S. because Guatemala
is a country where the people live in extreme poverty. There wasn't a better way
to survive. I arrived with a mindset of going to a developed country, where
there wouldn't be suffering like in Guatemala, and I could find some work for
myself. But when I got to Florida to work in the tomato fields, I
saw that this is a country with a lot of exploitation and discrimination. While
I was there I found out about the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), an
organization to help workers fight the companies and ranchers. (See CIW's
boycott campaign against Taco Bell.) What the group makes is given out equally. If there are
comrades that for some reason can't go to work because they're sick, or
something has happened with their family they are paid half of what is earned.
If we earn $80, we give the worker who couldn't come because of sickness or
family reasons $40. If we earn $100, we give the worker $50. Taco Bell is acting like they won't respond to us. But
they're going to answer, we are sure of that. We're not going to stop fighting
until we have the benefits that we want. We have to keep growing; there are lots
of students, people in solidarity. Maybe I myself won't be here the day these
benefits are given. But many comrades that are here now will be here in the
future and take advantage of that. To all the people that are reading what we're talking
about, I would wish that they don't only think about themselves. Many people
have a good life. But they don't know about their fathers and mothers in the
past that suffered the same way that we are suffering now. I wish for them to think of the many people here in this
country that are totally screwed over, discriminated against, and living in
inhuman conditions--people that are penned up somewhere, and can't even leave or
communicate with their family. I would wish that people reading this think about
all these things, and keep fighting with us against Taco Bell. That they help us
to be able to carry on this fight. --Edwin, CIW For more information about the CIW and the Taco Bell
boycott, visit their website at: www.ciw-online.org |
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