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November 2007

November 30, 2007

November 29, 2007

ActionAlert:SupportFarmWorkers'FightAgainstBurgerKing

DearKITLACFriendsandCIWSupporters:
TheCIWneedsourhelplocally! ThisFriday,November30,thousandswilldescendonMiamiwhereBurgerKingstockholderswillmeet. TheCIWdemandswillbebroughttothemeetingasstockholderaction. SeveralKITLACmemberswillbeamongthemarchers.
Meanwhile,CIWhasinformedus(seeinformationbelow)thatBurgerKingisplayingmuchdirtierthanYumorMcDonaldsandisworkingdirectlywiththegrowerstothreatenalltheprogressmadebythefarmworkers. 
Locally,insolidaritywithactionsinMiami,KITLAChasmailedtheattachedlettertoall21arealocationsofBurgerKing.
CouldyouaddpowertothisactionandpersonallydeliveracopyoftheattachedlettertoamanagerinaBurgerKingnearyou? Allyouneedtodoisprintouttheletter,lookatthealsoattachedlistofLouisvillelocations,gotherestaurant,askforthemanageronduty. Youdon'thavetosaymuch,justvoiceyoursupportforthefarmworkersandnotethatyouarepayingattention.
Thanksforyoursupportandparticipation. Pleaseletusknowifyoudeliveraletteranditslocation.
DavidHorvathandtheBoardofKITLAC
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LastweekitwasrevealedthatBurgerKinghasjoinedforceswiththemostconservativeelementsoftheFloridatomatoindustrytolaunchanaggressiveassaultontheCIW'sgroundbreakingagreementswithfast-foodleadersYumBrandsandMcDonald's.Thisweek,editorialpagesacrossFloridahavetakennotice,andawaveofharshcriticismofthefast-foodgianthasfollowed.

Thelatestop/edtoexcoriateBurgerKingcameintoday'sPalmBeachPost,oneofBurgerKing'shometownpapers.CallingBurgerKing'swillingnesstoaccedetothegrowers'attackontheagreements,"anotherexampleoftheself-servingindifferencethathasfosteredabuseoffarmworkersfordecades,"theeditorialconcludes,"AtBurgerKing,consumersarebuyingintointimidationandthecontinuedexploitationofcheaplabor."

Youcanfindtheeditorialinitsentirety--andallthelatestnewsasweprepareforthisFriday'shistoricmarchonBKheadquarters--attheCIWwebsite,http://www.ciw-online.org

Wearealsoincludingitherebelow.Thanks,andseeyouinMiami-
CoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers
________________________________

"Pennyforbadthought"

PalmBeachPostEditorial

Wednesday,November28,2007

IttookyearsfortomatopickerstonegotiateadealwithTacoBellandMcDonald'sforhigherwages.Now,agrowersgroupwantstoreplacenegotiationwithintimidation.

TheFloridaTomatoGrowersExchangeisthreateningmemberswith$100,000finesiftheyparticipateinthewagedealswithpickers.TheCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkershasagreementswithMcDonald'sCorp.
andTacoBellparentcompanyYUMBrandsInc.topayapennymoreperpoundforFloridatomatoes,withsupplierspassingontheextracenttothefarmworkers.Pickerscanearnabout45centsper32-poundbucket.

Thegrowersexchangesaysthedealsmayviolateantitrustlawsbutwon'tsaywhyorhow.ExchangespokesmanReggieBrownsaysthatit's"un-American"tohavewagesinfluencedbyathirdparty,suchastheImmokaleecoalition.Mr.Brownsaystheexchangeisa"voluntary,privateenterprise"thatdoesn'thavetocommentonthe$100,000fines,butTheAssociatedPresshasthreesourceswhosaythethreatofpenaltiesisreal.

TheexchangehasanallyofconvenienceinBurgerKing,whichhasrefusedtojoinMcDonald'sandTacoBellinthepennydeal.BurgerKing'spositionisthatithasnobusinesstellinggrowerswhattopaytheirworkers-anotherexampleoftheself-servingindifferencethathasfosteredabuseoffarmworkersfordecades.Garmentmakerswhoreliedonchildlaborinoverseassweatshopsusedthesamedefense.

Mr.Brownmaintainsthatpickers"earnanaverageof$12.46perhour,morethandoublethefederalminimumwage"andbenefitfrom"freeorinexpensivegovernment-inspectedhousing."That$12.46perhourfigure,however,isbasedonasnapshottakenduringabusyweek,notayearlongpictureofintermittentworkandirregularhours.A2006surveybytheU.S.DepartmentofLaborputtheaveragepickers'annualearningsatbetween$10,000to$12,000,lessthanhalfwhatMr.Brown'snumbersimply.Workersreceivenoovertimepayorbenefits,andsafetyproblemswiththeirhousinghavebeenchronic.

ConsumerswhotaketheirbusinesstoTacoBellandMcDonald'sarecontributingtofairtreatmentofFlorida'sfarmworkers.AtBurgerKing,consumersarebuyingintointimidationandthecontinuedexploitationofcheaplabor.

LtGovernor-electDr.DanielMongiardoandGov-ElectSteveBeshearwillParticipateinTheWomen'sNetworkForum

TheWomen'sNetworkisthrilledtoannouncenotonlywillGovernorelectSteveBeshearjoinTheWomen'sNetworkforlunchonSaturday,December1butLt.Governor-electDr.DanielMongiardowillparticipateintheHealthPanelaswell...
ForumI...Voting:Protectingourrights!featuring:Dr.TracyCampbell,UniversityofKentucky,TeenaHalbig,President,LeagueofWomenVoters-KY,JeffersonCountyCountyClerkBobbiHolsclaw,JenniferBlackHans,KYAttorneyGeneral'sOffice,andGeorgeRussell,nationallyrecognizedVoterAdvocate.
ForumII...HealthCare:Arightorprivilege?featuring:Dr.GarrettAdams,NationalBoardmember,PhysiciansforaNationalHealthProgram,Dr.GilbertFriedell,Founder,HealthValuesInitiative,Dr.DanielMongiardo,Dr.SheilaSchuster,Foundingmember,FoundationforaHealthyKentuckyandRepresentativeJoniJenkins......
TheConferencewillbeonSaturday,December1,2007at8:30a.m.attheHolidayInn-Hurstbourne,Louisville.Theconferenceincludes:acontinentalbreakfast,2ForumsandluncheonwithGovernor-electSteveBeshear.Registrationisonly$35.00. ForLATEregistrationONLYemailVirginiaWoodwardat[email protected]
Don'tmissthisopportunitytoparticipateinthisgroundbreakingconferenceandhearthenextGovernorofKentuckysharehisvisionformovingKentuckyforward

KingExplainstheReasonforSeeingMcConnellfromMarkHebert'sBlog

JusttalkedtoKing.Headmitsiswas"dumb"and"politicallynaive"onhisparttowalkintoaMcConnellfundraiserwithabunchofIraqwarprotestorsoutfront.KingsayshetalkedtoMcConnellaboutpressingtheFAAtochangethemainrunwayatLouisvilleInt'lAirportfromtheeastrunwaytothewestrunwaysoplaneswouldflyoverindustrialareas,nottheAudobonParkandGermantownneighborhoodsinKing'sMetroCouncildistrict.McConnelltoldKinghewasn'tawareoftheissuebutwouldnowlookintoit.Kingsayshedidn'tcontributeanymoneytoMcConnellandplanstobackthedemocraticnomineeforU.S.Senatein'08.Healsosayshe'sanopponentofthewarinIraqanddidn'trealizehowhisappearanceattherepublicanfundraiserwouldlooklikeasnubtotheprotestors.

frommoreonthisstorygoto:http://www.beloblog.com/WHAS_Blogs/PoliticalBlogger/2007/11/demo_councilman_king_at_mcconn.html

November 28, 2007

DitchMitchKYReportsThatMetroLouisvilleCouncilDemocratCaucusChairJimKingAttendsMitchMcConnellFundraiser

ByJimPence,DitchMitchKY

Accordingtoagroupof25Anti-WarprotestersoutsideofLarryBisig’shouseonCherokeeTerracelastnightata$500aheadfundraiserforSenatorMitchMcConnellweretakenabackwhenDemocraticCouncilmanJimKingwalkedoutoftheFundraiser.AccordingtoShawnReillyHe,JimKing,wasobviouslystartledwhenherealizedthetheprotestersknewwhohewas.
IfinfactCouncilmanJimKingattendeda$500perpersonfundraiserforSen.MitchMcConnell,heJimKingneedstochangehispartyregistrationfromaDemocrattoIndependentorRepublicanandtheDemocraticPartyneedstocallhishand.
   TheDemocraticPartycan’texpectregularfolkstoknockondoorsandmanphonebanksforDemocratsthatgivemoneytoRepublicanslikeSenatorMitchMcConnell.
IsuspectthisshitisgoingonalloverKentuckyandthetimeforittostopislongoverdue!!!!! 

GREGSTUMBOANDMICHAELCASSAROATTENDAMERICA2000+MEETING.

ByJimPence,DitchMitchKY

   LastnightIhadtheopportunitytoattendanAMERICA2000+meetinginLouisville.ManythankstoDr.TedandOliviaFuchsforinvitingmetoattend.IwishIhadbroughtmycamcorder,becauseUSSenatorialcandidateMichaelCassaroandGregStumbo,whoiscurrentlyexploringapossiblesenaterun,weretheretospeak.
   MichaelCassarowasimpressive,isaverygoodcoherentspeakerandquickonhisfeet.MichaelCassaro,ifIunderstoodhimcorrectly,isaDoctorandalawyer.
GregStumbowasinrareformandIdomeanrareform,thisguycanspeak.Hedeliveredaverygoodcoherentspeechandkepttheaudiencelaughingagoodpartofthetime.
Bothmenansweredquestionsfromtheaudienceatlength.

HillaryClintonGarnersHighestFavorableRatingsAmongAfricanAmericans

Today,resultsofanationalsurveywereannouncedbytheJointCenterforPoliticalandEconomicStudiesthatfound83percentoflikelyAfrican-AmericanvotersviewHillaryClintonfavorably.Thatwasthehighestfavorablerating--bymorethan10points--ofanycandidaterunning.

Inresponsetothesurveyresults,HillaryClintonmadethefollowingstatement:

“IamgratefulthatAfricanAmericanvotersaresupportingmycandidacyforPresidentandseethiscampaignashopefortheirfuture.TheseresultsarearesultofmylongtermcommitmenttoequalityandbringingequalopportunitiestoAfricanAmericans.Ibelievethiscountrycandobetter,andwilldobetterinthefuture.Thefightforequalrightsneverends.”

“IamalsogratefulthatAfricanAmericanvotersrecognizethatIwillnevergiveuponthisbattle.Asacollegestudent,in1970,IspentmysummerinSouthCarolinaattheWashingtonResearchProjecthelpingimprovetheeducationandhealthofdisadvantagedchildren.Iwillneverstopadvocatingforthedisadvantagedinoursociety.Iamcommittedtoimprovingthequalityoflifeforthelessfortunate.Workingtogether,wecanmakeadifferenceforourchildren,forparents,forourfuture.”

--HillaryClintonforPresidentCampaign;courtesyofFrankLeidermann,AssociateEditor

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