Faith Moves Mountains: Clergy Speak
"Local Christian Leaders Support Farmworkers"
Op/Ed in the Sarasota Harold Tribune, 11/12/2011
By Rev. Clay Thomas, First Presbyterian Church; Rev. Fausto Stampiglia, St. Martha Catholic Church; Rev. John Walker, Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Rev. Celestino Gutierrez, St. Jude Catholic Church; Rev. Steve Winemiller, Faith Lutheran Church; Rev. Phil Garrison, St. Andrew United Church of Christ; and Rev. Andrea Taylor, St. Boniface Episcopal Church.
| Excerpt: "Paradoxically, Publix-brand coffee makes the case for corporate responsibility and Fair Trade. The Publix Greenwise coffee label reads, 'We're proud to say that this coffee is Fair Trade. Why? Because Fair Trade prices help small farmers provide employees with livable wages and work conditions. Which fosters the same values we do: community, well-being, and a nicer world.'
It appears Publix is happy to use Fair Trade ethics as a marketing tool, but not to apply those same principles in our backyard. Publix is a much-loved corporation in Florida, but that status does not entitle Publix to profit on the backs of "the least of these" and to dodge corporate responsibility." Read More… |
The Rev. Les Singleton, "Penny gives farmworkers a living wage," Op/Ed, Ocala Star Banner, 10/30/2011:
| Excerpt: "In my faith tradition, at the end of time, Jesus, the son of man, comes to judge humankind, dividing the sheep and the goats. Everyone is surprised at the criteria of judgment. It has to do with feeding the hungry, water for the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked and visiting the imprisoned (Matthew 25:31-46). I suspect if Jesus spoke today, he would include: Be fair to the farmworker: Pay the penny a pound.
What Publix does affects me. One life affects all others.." Read More… |
The Rev. Dr. Jack Barnes, "The Publix Guarantee is at Risk," Op/Ed, Bradenton Times, 8/31/2011:
| Excerpt: "The leaders of the fast-food and foodservice industries are on board to do this, resulting in landmark gains for the workers. Yet, in the words of Reggie Brown of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, 'Everybody in the system has to be invested for it to work' and Publix’s continued rejection of these advances truly threatens to undermine them, setting a dangerous example for the rest of the supermarket industry. Which is why 'The Publix Guarantee' is at risk, the famous vow to customers that, 'we will never knowingly disappoint you.' The company’s indefensible refusal to support the best hope for more ethical standards in Florida’s tomato fields is nothing if not disappointing." Read More… |
