A message from the Farm Labor Organizing Committee:
“I’m excited to report to you that over the last few months over 5,000 people have taken action to call on Kangaroo to support justice for farmworkers. Consumers sent faxes, made calls, and delivered petitions directly to Kangaroo stores to encourage Kangaroo —the largest convenience store chain in the Southeast that sells tobacco products including Reynolds— to use their power and influence to ensure Reynolds does the right thing.
Well it worked. Kangaroo COB Holman still says he won’t visit the fields, but we’ve been told that Kangaroo took an even bigger step and weighed in directly with Reynolds executives last weekend. We know that the Kangaroo actions got Reynolds’ attention and we know they’re really feeling the pressure.
But Kangaroo’s not off the hook until Reynolds works with FLOC to develop a written agreement that guarantees freedom of association and collective bargaining to tobacco farm workers to ensure that workers have a voice within the Reynolds supply chain. We’ll be watching what happens over the next couple of months to make sure that Kangaroo keeps advocating for tobacco farmworkers and that Reynolds keeps moving forward and working with FLOC.
We’re coming up on a big turning point as we look ahead to the next meetings with Reynolds where we will see whether they came to the table just to talk or if they are ready to take action to make sure every farmworker in their supply chain has safe and healthy working conditions.
Your dedication to this campaign is making a difference. Thank you so much for your continued support.
Hasta la Victoria!”
Baldemar Velasquez
President FLOC
