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100 farmworkers protest low price for tomatoes
By JOSÉ PATIÑO GIRONA | The
TEMPLE TERRACE - More than 100 farmworkers protested this afternoon
outside a local Publix demanding the grocer pay higher prices for
tomatoes to help increase the wages of tomato pickers.
The men, women and children banged on makeshift drums, waved flags and
carried signs outside the Publix at 11502 N. 53rd St. The signs read,
"Exploitation: It's What's for Dinner," "Food is Necessary. So are Human
Rights" and "Publix: Do the Right Thing."
Gerardo Reyes, one of the protest's organizers, said Publix is one of
several large corporations that use its buying power to buy large
volumes of tomatoes at low prices.
The protesters want the Lakeland-based grocery chain to pay more for the
tomatoes it buys, Reyes said.
The protesters also want Publix to sign a contract with the Coalition of
Immokalee Workers stating that the additional amount the grocer pays for
the tomatoes would go directly to the workers, said Reyes, 32, a
coalition staff member who has worked the fields in Immokalee for 11
years.
In the end, the worker is the one who suffers when their compensation
doesn't increase at the rate of inflation, Reyes said.
"The buyers are the ones who have the power," Reyes said.
Protester and farmworker Silvia Perez, of Immokalee, said she wants
Publix to help change the situation for tomato pickers.
"As farm workers we want better working conditions and better pay in the
fields," Perez said through an interpreter. "We want Publix to sit at
the table and make an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee
Workers."
Publix spokeswoman Shannon Patten said it's the company's policy not to
be involved in labor disputes.
"We can't get involved in labor disputes between suppliers and their
employees," Patten said.
"Publix pays fair market value for the tomatoes," she said. "We don't
decide what the price is."
This week, Publix is selling vine-ripened tomatoes for $1.49 per pound –
a $1.20 drop from the previous week and the cheapest price Publix has
offered in past month and a half.
This year the farmworkers coalition has reached agreements with other
corporations, including McDonald's, Burger King, Yum Brands, Whole Foods
and Compass Group, Reyes said.
But there are companies that haven't increased what they pay for
tomatoes, including Sweet Bay, Wendy's, Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie and
Quizno's, Reyes said.
This month the coalition started its campaign against Publix and has
already protested outside its stores in
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