Investigators delving into new claims of farmhand abuse

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Sat, Dec. 06, 2003

FARM LABOR
Investigators delving into new claims of farmhand abuse
Federal officials are investigating new allegations that Florida farmworkers have been criminally abused by labor bosses.
BY RONNIE GREENE
[e-mail]

LAKE PLACID -- The ragged compound is just off U.S. 27 in this Central Florida outpost. Unimposing from afar, it was terrifying up close for the farmworkers abused and enslaved here. Three crew bosses went to prison.

Today, the case serves both as a snapshot of the mistreatment Florida farmworkers suffered and as a sign of tougher enforcement that is likely to come.

Federal investigators and prosecutors are now probing new allegations that other farmworkers have been criminally abused in the nation's second-richest agricultural state.

''Our office is committed to the investigation of allegations of farmworker abuse,'' said Douglas Molloy, managing assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Myers, who has prosecuted two farmworker slavery cases and is investigating others. (snip)

(snip) In five cases since 1996, a dozen Florida farm-labor contractors, smugglers and their associates have been sent to prison for enslaving and exploiting farmworkers.(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/7426603.htm

[whatelseisnew]

1. Heard of the Taco Bell Boycott?

http://www.ciw-online.org/tz_site-revision/home/home.html

"The CIW is today spear-heading the Taco Bell boycott. But before we launched the national boycott in April of 2001, we had been organizing locally for many years in an effort to modernize labor relations in Florida's fields, improve wages and working conditions for our members, and eliminate modern-day slavery."

(much, much more info about the organization, labor rights and the fast food industry)

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has done an amazing job of organizing to fight farm worker/slave conditions. They were at the Miami FTAA protest (only one of many they've been involved with) and they inspire other "voiceless" workers that not only does something need to be done - something CAN be done.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Thanks for linking that site, whatelseisnew!

Very important. Glad to hear about the Robert Kennedy Human Rights award, too.

Al Hunt, commentator on CNN's weekly "Capital Gang," had this to say for his "Outrage of the Week" (Nov. 30): "Last week, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was given to three farmworkers in the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. These South Florida migrants are a last vestige of neo-slavery in America -- below poverty wages, and brutal working conditions. This is possible only because of enablers: gutless politicians, greedy growers, and huge purchasers like Taco Bell, which repeatedly refuses requests from Immokalee to help negotiate better conditions. In a week when so many of us have so much to be thankful for, let's not forget these vicitms... and villains." Al Hunt was the mc at the RFK Human Rights Award ceremony and, clearly, was moved by the stories he heard that day from the laureates.

[whatelseisnew]

3. It's a critical issue affecting a huge and important part of this nation.

Thanks for bringing it to the forum and for following up. I wish more people cared.