Tag: Walmart

RadioActive 1/23/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Walmart signs Fair Food Code of Conduct

Key Discussion Points:
a) Over the past 2 decades, the Coalition of Immokalee has worked tirelessly to change the abusive labor conditions and poverty wages experienced by farm workers in the tomato fields of Florida.
b)After years of organizing, public campaigns, direct action, and negotiations with retailers and growers, the CIW has facilitated the comprehensive implementation of the Fair Food Program, with it’s Code of Conduct for participating growers and its “penny per pound” premium for participating buyers.
c) On January 16th, Walmart became the 12th retailer to sign onto the Fair Food Program. It says it looks toward expanding the standards into other states and other crops. Of the five largest restaurant chains, Wendy’s still has refused to sign on. A number of grocery store chains have also refused to, including the Florida based Publix chain.

Guests:
A) Silvia Perez, farm worker and organizer with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
B) Gerardo Reyes Chavez, farm worker and organizer with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers

www.ciw-online.org

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/01/17/walmart-joins-fair-food-program

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/16/news/companies/walmart-farm-labor/
Immokalee: a story of slavery and freedom : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBc4cOg9-ks

RadioActive 6/2/11

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Today we talk with Bangladeshi labor activist Kalpona Akter, who along with two of her colleagues were arrested last summer following their involvement in a movement to raise the minimum wage for garment workers in Bangladesh. The garment factory managers who have leveled charges against the three activists are major suppliers to Walmart.
Kalpona Akter, Babul Akter and Aminul Islam, all from the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, could face long prison terms, or even the death penalty, for some of the charges. A major international campaign has targeted Walmart to take responsibility for the labor conditions in the factories they outsource to, and to pressure the factory owners to drop charges against the activists advocating for better working conditions in these factories.
We also speak with Bjorn Skorpen Claeson, director of Sweatfree Communities, a campaign on the International Labor Rights Forum. www.sweatfree.org. www.change.org
Walmart declined an interview.