In Preparation for Mother's Day ...

Hello UUCA Community:

Please consider purchasing Fair Trade flowers for Mom this Sunday, or if not FT, look for locally grown flowers. Whole Foods has FT Gerber Daisies, and locally grown Peonies. Other locally-grown sources are the area Farmer's Markets, which will be in full bloom Saturday morning.
As you are shop this weekend, even if not for flowers, please read, then consider printing the letter below and taking it with you this weekend to leave with any appropriate retailer.

Best--
Laura Dely

Date: _____________________

Dear Store Manager,

In preparation for Mother’s Day, I would like to share my concerns as a

consumer about purchasing fresh cut flowers. In conjunction with the

International Labor Rights Forum’s (ILRF) “Fairness in Flowers”

campaign, I wanted to deliver this letter to you in hopes that you will read

it and share with the person in charge of ordering cut flowers.

The majority of flowers sold in the US on Mother’s Day are imported from

countries, such as Colombia and Ecuador, where the cut flower industry

consistently violates workers rights and environmental standards.

Because of the high demand around Mother’s Day, many workers are

forced to work up to 20 hour days to meet production quotas, with no

overtime pay and in unsafe conditions. Harmful pesticides are often used

on the flowers, which lead to health problems for many workers. In most

cases, workers earn less than poverty-level wages, and are often fired for

trying to improve working conditions through unions. Furthermore, agroindustrial

flower cultivation drains and pesticide use pollutes the local

water supplies of communities around the world.

As a consumer that shops at your store, I urge you to consider the

conditions under which the flowers you sell are produced. Flower

workers want jobs where they can support their families with decent

wages and job security. As a business that sells flowers, you have the

opportunity to support cut flower suppliers that grow flowers in a

sustainable way and respect workers rights, health, and safety. I

encourage you to consider purchasing flowers where workers’ rights and

environmental rights are respected from companies that sell VeriFlora

and Fair Trade Certified flowers.

For more information on workers’ rights in the cut flower industry, go to

ILRF’s website at www.laborrights.org/creating-a-sweatfreeworld/

fairness-in-flowers-0. I look forward to hearing from you about how

your business will protect flower workers around the world.

Sincerely,

Name: ____________________________

Address: ____________________________________