PHOTO REPORT: National Day of Action puts Wendy's on blast with over 20 actions in 14 states!
From Washington State to Washington DC, nearly two dozen Wendy’s Boycott demonstrations build up the drum beat for CIW’s major mobilization in NYC on November 18 in just two weeks!
Despite Wendy’s attempts at distracting consumers from national protests over the company’s refusal to respect farmworkers’ human rights, including launching a new table-top RPG to rolling out plans for a new breakfast menu at a whopping $20 million, the Fair Food Nation came together this week to declare that the only thing consumers want from Wendy’s is a Fair Food commitment! Students, community allies and faith-based groups took to the streets during the Wendy’s Boycott National Day of Action on October 28 to coordinate over 20 demonstrations in 14 states, from Washington State to Rhode Island to South Florida. These local acts of solidarity, which included marches, pickets, banner drops, teach-ins, and letter delegations, set the stage for the CIW’s upcoming march on Nov. 18 in NYC, calling on Wendy’s to stop hiding from its responsibility to protect farmworkers in its supply chain against sexual assault and forced labor through the Fair Food Program.
Below are a few photo highlights from this week’s National Day of Action:
MIAMI, FL
Dozens of farmworkers from Immokalee and their children, students and South Florida allies kicked off the National Day of Action early on Saturday with a lively 150-person march! The march made its way to a local Wendy’s on Calle Ocho, where the crowd jam-packed the sidewalk, bringing Wendy’s disdain for farmworkers’ rights tot he attention of hundreds of Miami residents. Over six Florida universities were represented during the vibrant action as students from Barry University, St. Thomas University, Miami Dade College, the University of Miami, Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of South Florida — came together to denounce how Wendy’s spends millions on advertising to youth while actively denying farmworkers in its supply chain a voice in addressing labor violations.
LACEY, WA
The mighty Student/Farmworker Alliance chapter at Saint Martin’s University dropped a powerful banner at Harned Hall. As the banner dropped, SFA leaders led chants and directed fellow SMU students to learn more about farmworker exploitation and the Wendy’s Boycott, and how the Fair Food Program’s unparalleled human rights protections are cleaning up the U.S. agricultural industry once and for all.
BOSTON, MA
Students from Brandeis University’s Labor Coalition and Northeastern University, community members and faith organizers reignited the Fair Food movement in Boston last week. In the nation’s college capital, nearby students from Berklee College of Music and other passersby took note of the picket outside of the Wendy’s on Mass Ave, stopping to talk with protesters and even signing up to Boycott Wendy’s on the spot!
After the rally and letter delegation, protesters joined Northeastern University Law students for a screening of “Food Chains” with a talk back video conference by CIW’s Nely Rodriguez. Next step for Boston? Joining the Northeast caravan to NYC to protest alongside farmworkers and consumer allies for the major “What are you hiding Wendy’s?” March on Nov. 18!
TAMPA, FL
Tampa Bay Fair Food and University of South Florida students organized a vibrant and high-energy picket to send the message to Wendy’s that farmworkers’ rights are human rights! Allies traveled from all around the Tampa Bay area to join for the action and closed off the picket with a message for Wendy’s: We’ll keep coming back until you join the Fair Food Program!
WASHINGTON, DC
In the nation’s capital, DC Fair Food organized a lively picket on busy Georgia Avenue during high-traffic hour. Students across DC, son jarocho collective Son Cosita Seria, and longtime community allies joined the action, educating passersby about the growing Wendy’s Boycott and spreading the word about the DC mobilization to NYC later this month!
From the streets to social media, the pressure is on for Wendy’s to do right by farmworkers…
UNC Chapel Hill Student/Farmworker Alliance members spent the Day of Action engaging students on campus about UNC’s complicity in farmworker exploitation by continuing to do business with Wendy’s and documenting students’ stories about why they #BoycottWendys and want UNC to #BootTheBraids!
Less than a week before their own Day of Action in the Milk with Dignity campaign, farmworker leaders with Migrant Justice in Vermont organized a picket and letter delegation to Wendy’s in solidarity with tomato pickers in Florida:
Check out more photos from reports that came in from across the country after the Day of Action, and stay tuned as we announce more details about the upcoming Wendy’s march in NYC on November 18!
