Protesters picket Publix’s Saturday grand opening over labor issues (in ALABAMA!)

[AlabamaLibrul]

DAPHNE, Ala.—Students from the University of West Florida and the University of South Alabama — along with members of the Worker’s Solidarity Alliance — stood along Highway 98 and protested the grand opening of Publix Supermarket in Daphne.

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The Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ campaign for Fair Food is requesting food retailers to pay 1 cent more per pound of Florida tomatoes to improve workers’ wages, and the alliance said Publix Supermarkets Inc. has not agreed to do so.

According to the CIW’s website, Florida tomato pickers work for 50 cents per 32-pound bucket of tomatoes with no benefits, and that rate has not changed since the 1980s. The website also states that most Florida farm workers earn less than $12,000 a year in wages.

http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2010/12/11/business_news/doc4d0447961c7af468635034.txt

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. GOOD, it has started

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Few things for people who do not know that area:

1.Publix is an upscale grocery store, and Daphne is an upscale area.
both Universities are within easy driving distance of the store, it sits near the Fla. line.
And three cheers for the students, in a very conservative state, for getting involved.

2. Brutal cold snap heading to Fla. next couple days. Those tomatoes may be doomed, pickers out of work.