The average migrant farmworker in the United States earns less than $10,000 a year, with no right to form unions or claim benefits. But after tireless campaigning by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, in May 2008, Burger King agreed to pay Florida tomato pickers a penny more per pound of tomatos, which adds up to a 71 percent increase in annual wages. This accomplishment is just the latest in a string of victories for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW).

Using a unique blend of citizen investigation, organizing and activism, the CIW advocates for thousands of Mexican, Haitian and Guatemalan immigrant workers in Southern Florida. Most of the people CIW represents are migrant workers who follow the tomato and citrus harvests. Their chief concerns include fair wages, respect from employers and companies, better and cheaper housing, the right to organize without fear of retaliation, and an end to indentured servitude.

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From Union of Concerned Scientists: Coal-fired power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide (CO2) — the primary cause of global warming — yet our country is poised to increase these emissions by building many new coal plants. Virtually all of these proposed plants lack carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which would capture a plant’s CO2 and store it underground so that it can’t contribute to global warming. However, the technology still needs testing. Please urge Congress to oppose the construction of new coal-fired power plants.

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