THE PACKER

May 30, 2005

LABOR GROUP SEEKS DEAL WITH EATERIES

By Bob McClure

Eastern Editor

IMMOKALEE, Fla. – First Taco Bell, now the rest of the fast-food world.

That’s the goal of a group of farmworkers called the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, who recently successfully forced Yum Brands Inc., Louisville, Ky., to agree to pay a penny more per pound for Florida tomatoes and sever ties with suppliers that the group says commit abuses against farmworkers.

Now the 3,000-member group is targeting Burger King, McDonald’s and Subway to follow Taco Bell’s lead.

Laurie Schalow, spokeswoman for Taco Bell, said the company’s decision was an approach to get all fast-food restaurants to join in the effort.

“If they don’t, we’ll design another action plan,” said Lucas Benitez, a leader of the coalition.  “Anything is possible.”

Benitez said the agreement came in March following a four-year boycott against Taco Bell by farmworkers.  It will result in an increase of about 25 cents for a standard 25-pound carton of tomatoes.

The money will be passed through the growers that employ them.

Last year, Taco Bell purchased 10 million pounds of Florida tomatoes, whish is less than 1% of the state total.  At that rate, the chain will spend an additional $100,000 for Florida tomatoes next season.

Benitez admitted it isn’t a large sum of money but said for the workers it means a lot.

“It’s like a ray of sun in Immokalee,” he said.

According to Sean Sellers, national co-coordinator of the Immokalee-based Student-Farmworker Alliance, field workers for Florida-based tomato companies earn about 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they harvest.  At that rate, farmworkers would have to pick about 3,550 pound of tomatoes to earn $50.

The alliance, which has members at 350 universities and high schools, and the coalition are urging supporters to send letters to top management in the fast food industry urging a similar stance as Taco Bell.

In a response issued to the coalition, Chicago-based McDonald’s Corp. said “our independent suppliers are currently reviewing and assessing these recent developments.”

McDonald’s says it already has a code of conduct for suppliers that includes not using forced child labor and demands that workers receive fair compensation.

Spokesmen for Burger King and Subway could not immediately comment.