Boycott Wendy’s Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts -- James 5:4 For ten years the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a farm-worker organization based in Immokalee, FL, has been asking Wendy’s, the fast-food chain, to join the Fair Food Program. This partnership among growers, farm workers, and retailers, ensures respect for farm workers’ human rights, raises the workers’ pay, and improves conditions in the fields. But for ten years, Wendy’s has refused to join the FFP. So in March, 2016, the CIW called a consumer boycott of Wendy’s. The farmworkers ask consumers to not buy from Wendy’s until the firm joins the FFP. In May 2016, the United Church of Christ Board of Directors endorsed the boycott of Wendy’s. Background The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a 23-year-old organization of farmworkers based in Immokalee, FL., who primarily harvest tomatoes. Farmworkers endure difficult and dangerous conditions in the fields, very low pay, and few benefits, and must deal with sexual harassment, racial discrimination and even slavery. The CIW has had remarkable success in combating these ills. Today, 14 major food retailers participate in the Fair Food Program including Wendy’s major competitors: McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, and Chipotle. The FFP has eliminated modern-day slavery and sexual violence in the Florida tomato fields, improved farmworker wages for the first time in decades, and guaranteed basic protections for workers. Participating retailers agree to purchase exclusively from suppliers (growers) who meet a worker- designed Code of Conduct which includes a grievance procedure and a zero-tolerance policy for slavery and sexual harassment. Retailers also pay a “penny-per-pound” premium which is passed down through the supply chain and paid directly to farm workers by their employers. Biblical and Theological Foundations God’s concern for the poor is at the heart of our Christian ethic of economic justice. Our biblical heritage teaches us that caring for the poor, the least among us, and the stranger are central to our understanding of God’s mercy and our willingness to welcome Christ among us. God envisions a world where all God’s people have everything they need to thrive, live lives of wholeness, and have the opportunity to be the people they were created to be. To make God’s vision a reality, God calls the Church to action, to “loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke” (Isaiah 58:6). We are called to answer God’s call to be co-creators with God of a world “where justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). What You Can Do • Do not buy at Wendy’s. • Pray for farmworkers and all workers who face low wages, harsh conditions and abuse on the job. • Educate others about the need to boycott Wendy’s. Lift up these workers in prayer or in a Mission Moment during worship. Inform others about their struggle during a youth or adult education time. • Visit a local Wendy’s – either alone or with one or two others – and deliver a letter to the manager stating that you are boycotting the business and why. A sample letter is available on the UCC Wendy’s Boycott page, www.ucc.org/boycott_wendys . Learn more at the UCC Boycott Wendy’s webpage www.ucc.org/boycott_wendys Order free buttons (see above) at http://tinyurl.com/justice-buttons Comments, questions? Contact Edie Rasell, UCC Minister for Economic Justice, at [email protected] or 866-822-8224, ext. 3709

Wendys Handout B&W[1]uccfiles.com/pdf/BoycottWendys.pdfBoycott Wendy’s Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries

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BoycottWendy’s

Listen!Thewagesofthelaborerswhomowedyourfields,whichyoukeptbackbyfraud,cryout,andthecriesoftheharvestershavereachedtheearsoftheLordofhosts--James5:4For ten years the Coalition of ImmokaleeWorkers, a farm-worker organization based in Immokalee, FL, hasbeenaskingWendy’s,thefast-foodchain,tojointheFairFoodProgram.Thispartnershipamonggrowers,farmworkers,andretailers,ensuresrespectforfarmworkers’humanrights,raisestheworkers’pay,andimprovesconditions in the fields. But for ten years,Wendy’s has refused to join the FFP. So inMarch, 2016, theCIWcalledaconsumerboycottofWendy’s.ThefarmworkersaskconsumerstonotbuyfromWendy’suntilthefirmjoinstheFFP.InMay2016,theUnitedChurchofChristBoardofDirectorsendorsedtheboycottofWendy’s.

Background TheCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersisa23-year-oldorganizationoffarmworkersbasedinImmokalee,FL.,whoprimarilyharvesttomatoes.Farmworkersenduredifficultanddangerousconditionsinthefields, very lowpay,and fewbenefits,andmustdealwith sexualharassment, racialdiscriminationandevenslavery.TheCIWhashadremarkablesuccessincombatingtheseills.Today,14majorfoodretailersparticipate

in the Fair FoodProgram includingWendy’smajor competitors:McDonalds, BurgerKing, Taco Bell, Subway, and Chipotle. The FFP has eliminatedmodern-day slaveryandsexualviolenceintheFloridatomatofields,improvedfarmworkerwagesforthefirst time in decades, and guaranteed basic protections for workers. Participatingretailersagreetopurchaseexclusivelyfromsuppliers(growers)whomeetaworker-designedCodeofConductwhichincludesagrievanceprocedureandazero-tolerancepolicy for slavery and sexual harassment. Retailers also pay a “penny-per-pound”premiumwhich is passeddown through the supply chain andpaiddirectly to farmworkersbytheiremployers.

BiblicalandTheologicalFoundations God’sconcernforthepoor isat theheartofourChristianethicofeconomicjustice.Ourbiblicalheritageteachesusthatcaringforthepoor,theleastamongus,andthestrangerare central to our understanding of God’s mercy and our willingness to welcome Christ among us. GodenvisionsaworldwhereallGod’speoplehaveeverythingtheyneedtothrive,livelivesofwholeness,andhavetheopportunitytobethepeopletheywerecreatedtobe.TomakeGod’svisionareality,GodcallstheChurchtoaction,to“loosethebondsofinjustice,toundothethongsoftheyoke,tolettheoppressedgofree,andtobreak every yoke” (Isaiah 58:6).We are called to answer God’s call to be co-creators with God of a world“wherejusticerollsdownlikewatersandrighteousnesslikeaneverflowingstream”(Amos5:24).

WhatYouCanDo• DonotbuyatWendy’s.• Prayforfarmworkersandallworkerswhofacelowwages,harshconditionsandabuseonthejob.• EducateothersabouttheneedtoboycottWendy’s.LiftuptheseworkersinprayerorinaMission

Momentduringworship.Informothersabouttheirstruggleduringayouthoradulteducationtime.• VisitalocalWendy’s–eitheraloneorwithoneortwoothers–anddeliveralettertothemanager

statingthatyouareboycottingthebusinessandwhy.AsampleletterisavailableontheUCCWendy’sBoycottpage,www.ucc.org/boycott_wendys.

LearnmoreattheUCCBoycottWendy’swebpagewww.ucc.org/boycott_wendysOrderfreebuttons(seeabove)athttp://tinyurl.com/justice-buttons

Comments,questions?ContactEdieRasell,UCCMinisterforEconomicJustice,[email protected],ext.3709