Fisher Island: Activists Take "Private" Beach Public

Off the coast of Miami Nov. 17th, decorated boats ferried more than 100 activists as close as possible to the shore of the ultra-wealthy and until now thought to be off-limits beaches of Fisher Island to protest discriminatory and abusive treatment of the workers that clean, maintain, and protect the island. Activists then swam to shore. Check out Miami Herald and Times of London coverage, SEIU's video on YouTube, and more at OneMiamiNow.org.

The history-making landing put a public face on Fisher Island's "separate, but equal" mentality regarding the workers who service the island and the public. "Because they are so isolated, Fisher Island residents think they can wall themselves off from the poverty they create," said SEIU Local 11 Political Director Hiram Ruiz. "We set out to make a point, that there should be only one Miami, not one Miami for the wealthy and another for the rest of us."