Burger King Agrees to Better Wages, Conditions for Tomato Workers

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/05/24/burger-king-agrees-to-better-wages-conditions-for-tomato-workers/

by Mike Hall, May 24, 2008

Florida farm workers who harvest tomatoes for the Burger King system will see improved wages and working conditions following an historic agreement announced yesterday between the Coalition of Immokalee Workers(CIW) and the fast food giant.The agreement follows a more than year-long drive that mobilized union members, students, religious and community activists and lawmakers in marches, rallies, congressional hearings and petition drives demanding justice for the workers.

Says CIW organizer Lucas Benitez:

The events of the past months have been trying. But we are prepared to move forward, together now with Burger King, toward a future of full respect for the human rights of workers in the Florida tomato fields. Today we are one step closer to building a world where we, as farm workers, can enjoy a fair wage and humane working conditions in exchange for the hard and essential work we do everyday.

Burger King has agreed to pay an additional net penny per pound for Florida tomatoes to increase wages for the Florida farm workers who harvest tomatoes. Burger King also joins other fast-food industry leaders and the CIW in calling for an industry-wide net penny per pound surcharge to increase wages for Florida tomato harvesters.

Together, CIW and Burger King have also established zero tolerance guidelines for certain unlawful activities that require immediate termination of any grower from the Burger King supply chain. The agreement also provides for farm worker participation in the monitoring of growers’ compliance with the company’s vendor code of conduct.

In April 2007, McDonald’s signed an agreement with CIW after a two-year battle. That deal followed an earlier agreement with Yum! Brands—parent company of Taco Bell and fast food chains. But Burger King refused to go along and joined the Florida tomato industry in a bitter campaign against the CIW.

FULL story at link.

K&R

to your post for those who have never seen this up close and personal...

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/hp/content/moderndayslavery/index.html

Just taking a holiday break. :-)