Support the tomato workers taking on the fast food giants
People & Planet recently met two representatives of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a worker led organisation of mostly Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian low-wage immigrant workers based in Southwest Florida. These workers toil from dawn to dusk under gruelling conditions to pick tomatoes for fast food giants such as Taco Bell, McDonalds and Burger King.
“In 2006, the bonuses of the top 12 Goldman Sachs executives [one of the private equity firms that own Burger King] exceeded $200 million —- more than twice as much money as all of the roughly 10,000 tomato pickers in southern Florida earned that year.” Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, in the new York Times
The tomato pickers struggle to survive on poverty wages, with no right to overtime pay, health insurance, sick leave, no paid holiday or right to organize in order to improve these conditions.
The Immokalee workers are supplying some of the largest companies in the world - who have used their their might to keep prices - and therefore wages - low.
However, sustained campaigning by an alliance of workers, student groups, and other grassroots organisations is beginning to achieve results.
“Serfs up, Kings down!…”: THe CIW marched on Burger King on 30 November
In 2005, after a four-year national consumer boycott, the CIW forced Taco Bell to the negotiating table, where they reached a landmark agreement that included an increase in wages, supply chain transparency, and workers’ participation in the protection of their own rights. In 2007 mounting pressure also persuaded McDonalds to sign an agreement.
They are now campaigning for Burger King to do the same. Yet so far, Burger King’s response has been to attempt to reverse the hard-won gains of the last few years by putting counter pressure on the growers already participating in agreements with workers.
The CIW recently organised a massive march to coincide with Burger King’s annual meeting, but Burger King still refuse to talk. Europe is an important market for Burger King, and the CIW believe international student support now would really help their campaign.
Read about the CIW’s campaign in our global links section , and take action to support their struggle.
The story hit news stands in the UK on Thursday 19 December. Read the Independent’s story.