Tomato farm workers in Florida won their battle for higher wages and better working conditions thanks to a mass rally in March. Workers, union members and faith-based supporters converged at Yum! Brands' headquarters in Louisville, Ky., Taco Bell's parent company. The agreement ended a consumer boycott of Taco Bell which began in 2001.
The rally was organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, whose members pick tomatoes for Taco Bell products. In a joint announcement, the CIW and Taco Bell said they will work together to improve working conditions in the Florida tomato industry, and Taco Bell will pay the penny-per-pound surcharge demanded by workers. The CIW said the agreement "sets a new standard of social responsibility for the fast-food industry."
"This is really, really good news," said Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, a key supporter of the boycott. "I hope this victory will energize all efforts to provide working people with a living wage."
Edgar said the agreement is especially good news considering the recent U.S. Senate vote not to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25. The Presbyterian Church (USA), a member of the NCC, was among those supporting the boycott.
Yum! Brands is the world's largest restaurant company. Its five largest chains are Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silver and A&W. In 2004, Taco Bell purchased approximately 10 million pounds of Florida tomatoes, serving more than 35 million consumers each week in the U.S.
AM with files from ENI
