The nationwide Taco Bell Truth Tour was canceled after the events of Sept. 11, but the struggle to get the fast-food giant to stop the exploitation that produces its tomatoes continues. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers contends that if Taco Bell were willing to pay just one penny per pound more for their tomatoes, the workers who pick them could earn a better wage. Taco Bell executives refuse to consider the possibility, and a national boycott is in effect until they change their minds.
This week, the Student/Farmworker Alliance is spearheading the National Days of Action with three days of protests in support of the Taco Bell boycott. Protests are planned everywhere from Gainesville to Irvine, Calif.
Organizers in the Tampa/St. Pete area are looking for a few righteous people to help them halt the sale of sweatshop-produced faux Mexican fare. Here's what you can do:
Thursday, Nov. 29: Call Taco Bell headquarters (1-800-TACO BELL)
Friday, Nov. 30: E-mail Taco Bell headquarters (go to the Coalition Web site at www.ciw-online.org to send an e-mail)
Saturday, Dec. 1: All-day action at the Taco Bell in St. Petersburg at 34th Street and Fifth Avenue South. Sign up for a two-hour shift to pass out fliers or take part in the larger protest from 5 to 6 p.m. If you can make it, contact the Student/Farmworker Alliance at sfw_alliance@hotmail.com or Call Brian Payne at 727-723-9741.
—Rochelle Renford
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2001.