Turning Decades of Conflict into Partnership: Addressing Climate Change

Introduction

• Speakers: Haro (farm worker) and John (farmer)
• Context: Sharing the journey from conflict to partnership to tackle climate change and improve workers' conditions in South Florida.

Personal Stories

Haro’s Story

• Background: Started working 14 years ago harvesting watermelons near Alabama.
• Incident: Best friend collapsed due to heat stress; severe dehydration, ambulance arrival delayed by poor reception.
• Impact: Driving force behind his commitment to improving field conditions.

John’s Story

• Background: Grew up working in packing houses and farms; struggled with addiction; found recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Self-awareness: Recognized his own ‘blindness’ to workers' conditions and need for change.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)

• Established: 25 years ago by Haro, a human-rights organization based in Immokalee, Florida.
• Campaign for Fair Food: Initiative to get corporations to sign legally binding agreements protecting workers' rights.
• Fair Food Program (FFP): Launched in 2010, promotes human rights enforcement for farm workers.

Fair Food Program (FFP)

• Partnership: Brought together farm workers and farmers after nearly two decades of conflict.
• Market Power: Leveraged the buying power of 14 large retail food corporations to enforce workers’ rights.
• Impacts: Significant reduction in abuses (e.g., wage theft, sexual harassment, forced labor, heat stroke).

Achievements and Recognition

• Awards: Called the best workplace environment in American agriculture by The New York Times.
• Heat Standards: Enforced heat stress prevention and response plans, praised as America’s strongest workplace heat rules by The Washington Post.

Challenges Outside FFP

• Conditions: Farm work remains hot, backbreaking, and dangerous with inadequate pay and protection.
• Worker Vulnerability: Fear of retaliation prevents workers from speaking up about exploitation.

Collaborative Success Stories

• First Meeting: Overcame long-standing conflict through initial discussions, despite challenges such as NDA negotiations.
• Hurricane Irma (2017): Workers showed exceptional commitment, helping to recover and replant the farm quickly post-disaster.
• Program Expansion: Interest from global workers (e.g., Scottish and Chilean fishermen) in replicating the FFP model in various sectors.

Moving Forward

• Climate Change: The world is getting hotter; proactive measures (e.g., breaks, shade, electrolytes) help keep workers safe.
• Global Reach: FFP model being adapted in other industries and countries (e.g., Bangladesh, South America).
• Call to Action: Encouraging more people to join their collaborative efforts to create a humane working environment globally.

Conclusion

• Vision: Transforming conflict into collaboration across industries for a more humane world.
• Gratitude: For the opportunity to work together and create meaningful change.