Poster by Ahmed Resistol.
Click to enlarge.

This month, a first for Labor Notes: A video on the music page. To watch, scroll down and click the screen.

As we reported last month, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) just announced an agreement with McDonald's to improve wages and conditions for farmworkers supplying tomatoes to restaurants. McDonald's suppliers will increase the piece rate, establish worker participation, and allow third parties to monitor field conditions and investigate workers' claims.

This marks the second major victory for CIW in their campaign to improve the livelihood of farmworkers. In 2005, CIW won a similar victory against Taco Bell's parent company, Yum Brands.

CIW member Lucas Benitez said:

Today, with McDonald's, we have taken another major step toward a world where we as farmworkers can enjoy a fair wage and humane working conditions in exchange for the hard and essential work we do every day. We are not there yet, but we are getting there, and today's agreement should send a strong message to the rest of the restaurant and supermarket industry that it is now time to stand behind the food they sell from the field to the table.

The CIW will now set its sites on Burger King, who rejected a CIW partnership offer in February and instead suggested CIW members should consider getting jobs at Burger King restaurants.

Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello at the Concert for Fair Food. Photo: Proyecto Autogestion.

The CIW campaign relied not only on their own organizing work, but also the organizing of student allies across the country through the Student Farmworker Alliance and widespread community support. At the time of the announcement, the CIW and the SFA were in the midst of the McDonald's Truth Tour 2007 and were visiting communities around the country to build support for the campaign.

CIW originally planned to host a massive convergence in Chicago on April 14. But it turned into a victory celebration. CIW members got together with 2000 of their closest friends for a "Concert for Fair Food."

Speakers and performers included the Hot 8 Brass Band, John Sweeney, Yvonne Strafford, Student/Farmworker Alliance, Jose Oliva, JamOne, Las Krudas, Carolina Gaete, Domingo Jacinto, Mathieu Beaucicot, Gerardo Reyes, and Lucas Benitez.

Supporters of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers celebrate in Chicago after McDonald’s victory. Photo: Proyecto Autogestion.

Headlining the evening were Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha, formerly of Rage Against The Machine. The band broke up in 2000 and this was their first time together since then. The reunion was highly touted in the music media. Morello began with a set from his solo act as The Nightwatchman. De La Rocha joined him onstage for the "And Now What? duet. De la Rocha wrote it especially for the occasion. They ended with a set of Rage standards.

Morello said later:

It was very exciting for everybody in the room, myself included. I mean, the place was just packed to the rafters and even the stage was packed with this ring of 25 photographers two feet away from us while we were playing, so it was kind of a trippy, you know, way to do our first show. But it was a great cause and we were happy to be a part of the Immokalee farmworkers.

Videographer: Proyecto Autogestion.

Morello is a member of the AFM Local 47.

Sources: Media Mouse: Grand Rapids Independent Media, Labor Notes, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Truth Tour.

Music Archives

	November 2009 Francisco Herrera Trabajo en el Hotel Francisco Herrera Photo: David Bacon
	October 2009 Kathy Mattea Blue Diamond Mines Jean Ritchie, Bill Monroe Photo: Unknown
	September 2009 Rich Trumka Raise Your Voice And Be Heard Rich Trumka Photo: Labor Heritage Foundation
	August 2009 Professor Louis Hurricane Professor Louie Watercolor: Ricardo Levins Morales
	July 2009 Special Get Ready To Strike Ray and Rachael Rodriguez Riley Wallace Photos: CWA
	June 2009 Billy Edd Wheeler Coal Tattoo Billy Edd Wheeler Photo: Earl Dotter
	May 2009 Joe Jencks Adonde Pertenezco Joe Jencks Photo: Scott Robinson
	April 2009 Rabble Rousers Card Count Bill Collins Photo: Corbis Bettmann
	March 2009 Dan Hall Lake Seaman's Union Men Dan Hall and David Norris Photo: Lee Rowe
	February 2009 Pete Seeger Talking Union Almanac Singers (Millard Lampell, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger) Photos: Unknown.
	January 2009 Los Lobos, Santa Isabel School Children's Choir De Colores Traditional Cover: Domingo.
	December 2008 Steve Earle Christmas In Washington Steve Earle Photo: Jim West.
	November 2008 Emma's Revolution Coast of Maine Sandy O, Pat Humphries Photo: William B. Folsom.
	October 2008 Bev Grant & Dissident Daughters In America Bev Grant, Bruce Markow Photos: National Park Service, Russell Lee, Marion Post Wolcott
	September 2008 Jon Fromer Little One Jon Fromer Photo: Emily Kunstler
	August 2008 DC Labor Chorus Picket Line Songs Andries vanTonder, Susie Rucks, Traditional Photo: Unknown
	July 2008 Tayo Aluko Go Down Moses Traditional Photo: NARA
	June 2008 Anne Feeney How Long? Anne Feeney Photo: Dick DeMarsico
	May 2008 Pat Wynne When Rats Dream Pat Wynne, Bernard Gilbert Photo: NHGRI
	April 2008 George Mann Rest, Papa Rest George Mann Photo: Howard Goldbaum
	March 2008 Lynn Marie Smith Rebuilding The Union Movement Lynn Marie Smith, A Taste Of Honey Photo: Jim West
	February 2008 Dropkick Murphys Worker's Song (Handful of Earth) Ed Pickford Photos: Jim West, Fred Askew
	January 2008 Joe Uehlein Artists See The World In A Different Light Joe Uehlein, Dave Alvin Photo: FBI
	December 2007 Finest Kind Homeless Wassail Ian Robb Photo: Unknown
	November 2007 Guy Carawan Which Side Are You On? Florence Reece Photo: Harlan County Library
	October 2007 Paul Robeson Water Boy Avery Robinson Photos: Alan Lomax, Joseph John
	September 2007 Billy Bragg The Internationale Eugène Pottier, Pierre Degeyter, Billy Bragg Lithograph: Unknown
	August 2007 Si Kahn Go To Work On Monday Si Kahn Photo: Earl Dotter
	July 2007 The NewLanders The Altoona Freight Wreck Fred Tait-Douglas, Carson Robison Photo: Unknown
	June 2007 Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello And Now What? Zack de la Rocha Poster: Ahmed Resistol
	May 2007 Coco Brown I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night Alfred Hayes, Earl Robinson Oil: M. Baer
	April 2007 Ry Cooder Strike! Traditional, new verses by Ry Cooder Drawing: Vincent Valdez
	March 2007 Teresa Healy, Tom Juravich Bread and Roses James Oppenheim, Tom Juravich Painting: Ralph Fasanella
	February 2007 Detroit Cultural Workers and Artists Caucus Walking 500 Days Bob Vasseur Photos: Pat Beck, Daymon Hartley
	January 2007 New York City Labor Chorus Ode To Workers Friedrich Schiller, L. V. Beethoven, Jeff Vogel Photo: Unknown
	December 2006 Charlie Bernhardt Children Of Abraham John McCutcheon Photo: Jerry Anderson
	November 2006 Ted Warmbrand Who's The Criminal Ted Warmbrand Photo: Mizue Aiseki
	October 2006 Woody Guthrie Buffalo Skinners Woody Guthrie Painting: Neil Waldman.
	September 2006 Freedom Song Network Rockin' Solidarity Ralph Chaplin, David Welsh Painting: Irving Fromer.
	August 2006 Seattle Labor Chorus Torn Screen Door David Francey Photo: Eric Nelson
	July 2006 Emma's Revolution Bound For Freedom Pat Humphries, Sandy O Puppet: SOAW Puppetistas
	June 2006 David Rovics Used To Be A City David Rovics Photo: George Waldman
	May 2006 Len Wallace Leaving The Fishing Behind Len Wallace Drawing: H. W. Elliott, J. W. Collins
	April 2006 Marc Blitzstein The Nickel Under The Foot Marc Blitzstein Photo: Unknown
	March 2006 Judy Gorman Step By Step American Miners Association, Waldeman Hille, Pete Seeger Cartoon: Mark Hurwitt
	February 2006 John Handcox The Planter And The Sharecropper John Handcox Photo: Evelyn Munro Smith
	January 2006 Lynn Marie Smith U.N.I.O.N. Henri Belolo, Jacques Morali, Lynn Marie Smith Photo: Rebecca Cook
	December 2005 John McCutcheon Christmas In The Trenches John McCutcheon Drawing: Frederice Villiers
	November 2005 Davis Gloff, Michael Carluccio, Larry Schrock Radio, Guns, and Money Steve Jones Poster: W. DeLappe, Holly Syrrakos
	October 2005 Chris Chandler, David Roe The Pageant of the Paterson Silk Strike Chris Chandler, Lisa Stolarski John Henry's Slow Rag David Roe Poster: Robert Edmund Jones
	September 2005 Brooklyn Women's Chorus We Were There Bev Grant Ceramic mask: Geri Gventer
	August 2005 Anne Feeney Shut 'Cha Down Anne Feeney Photo: United Airlines
	July 2005 Francisco Javier Herrera La Tierra Eduardo Robledo Photo: Ellis Boal
	June 2005 Si Kahn He Lies In The American Land Andrew Kovaly / Pete Seeger Photo: It's All Relative
	May 2005 Luci Murphy, Pam Parker Mother's Day Peter Jones Publicity photos
	April 2005 Angel Martinez Memoirs of Bernardo Vega Bernardo Vega, Juan Flores, César Andreu Iglesias Photo: Unknown
	March 2005 Pam Parker We Speak Louder Than Machines Steve Jones Photo: Jim West
	February 2005 Maria Dunn Troublemaker Maria Dunn Photo: Glenbow Archives
	January 2005 The Troublemakers Troublemakers Theme Pauly Gailiunas Graphic: Ricardo Levins Morales
	December 2004 Joe Jencks Christmas In Mansfield Joe Jencks Painting: Ray Tapajna
	November 2004 Kelly Wideman A Capella Banjo Samuel Augustus Ward, Katherine Lee Bates, Earl Scruggs Photo: Jim West
	October 2004 Chris Bricker, George B, Utah Phillips, George Mann Hail To The Thief / Stupid's Pledge / I'm George W George Mann, James Sanderson, Utah Phillips, Stephen Foster Cover art: Quenton of rushlimbaughonline.com
	September 2004 Laurel Blaydes, Joe Jencks, Chapman Zon What Will I Leave Behind / If I Had A Golden Thread Si Kahn, Pete Seeger Photo: Jim West
	August 2004 Utah Phillips 1910 Spokane Free Speech Fight Utah Phillips Photo: Roger Leisner
	July 2004 Dave Lippman I Hate Wal-Mart Dave Lippman Photo: Jim West
	June 2004 Finland Station Unemployment Compensation Blues Les Pine, Jerry Silverman Photo: Dorothea Lange, Farm Security Administration
	May 2004 John McCutcheon What It's Like John McCutcheon Photo: Hormel Foods
	April 2004 Pete Seeger & Tao Rodriguez-Seeger A Little A' This 'N' That Pete Seeger
	March 2004 Charlie King & Karen Brandow Moving Day / We Shall Not Be Moved Fred Stanton / Traditional Photo: Unknown
	February 2004 Fruit Of Labor Solidarity Fruit Of Labor
	January 2004 Tom Juravich Ring Some Changes Tom Juravich Photo: Ellis Boal
	December 2003 Anne Feeney War On The Workers Anne Feeney Photo: Jim West
	November 2003 Rebel Voices Hospital Workers Paul McKenna Photo: Ellis Boal
	October 2003 Águila Negra El Mojado Flaco Jimenez Photo: Jim West
	September 2003 Joe Uehlein Jerusalem Steve Earle Photo: Ellis Boal
	August 2003 AFT Singers We're An On-Time Union Dottie Peoples, Gloria Britton-Ellis Photo: Michael Campbell
	July 2003 Jon Fromer, Francisco Herrera I Cannot Sleep Malvina Reynolds Photo: Ellis Boal
	June 2003 Pat Wynne Toxic Dreams Pat Wynne Photo: Pat Wynne
	May 2003 Susan Lewis, Janet Stecher, Luci Murphy Mean Things Happening / Roll The Union On Ain't You Got A Right John Handcox, Guy Carawan Photos: Labor Heritage Foundation, Highlander Center
	April 2003 George Mann & Julius Margolin If I Only Had A Brain Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, George Mann Photo: White House
	March 2003 Ray Korona The People Are In Charge Ray Korona Album cover: David Beyda
	February 2003 Charlie King One Puppet Town Charlie King Album cover: Mark Hurwitt
	January 2003 Pat Humphries No Sweat Bev Grant Graphics: Margaret Randall, Pat Humphries
	December 2002 David King Reindeer Games David King Doll: Linda Anderson
	November 2002 Bev Grant Labor Of Love Bev Grant
	October 2002 Charlie Ray Fetty III The Mobile Inspirational Charlie Ray Fetty III Colorado state fair parade float: USWA Local 2102
	September 2002 Joe Glazer The Mill Was Made Of Marble / I Ain't No Stranger Now Joe Glazer

Songs not otherwise attributed were recorded at the annual Great Labor Arts Exchange in 2001, 2003, 2004, or 2005 at the National Labor College/George Meany Center, Silver Spring, Maryland. Engineers: Bob Barnes, Ellis Boal, Charlie Ray Fetty III, Joe Jencks, Ray Korona, George Mann, Dave Sless, Isaac Wilson.

Listen in streaming RealAudio on a 56k modem or better.
Download a free RealPlayerSP.