From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


NCC Hails End of Three-Year Consumer Boycott of Taco Bell


From "Carol Fouke" <cfouke@ncccusa.org>
Date Tue, 08 Mar 2005 17:25:08 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lucas Benitez, CIW/239-503-0133
For Immediate Release

NCC Hails End to Consumer Boycott of Taco Bell

March 8, 2005, NEW YORK CITY -- "This is really, really good news," declared
National Council of Churches USA General Secretary Bob Edgar in response to
today's announcement of the end of the three-year consumer boycott of Taco
Bell.

In a joint announcement, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which had called
the boycott and enlisted the support of the NCC and many other groups, and
Taco Bell confirmed their agreement to work together to address the wages and
working conditions of farmworkers in the Florida tomato industry.

Said the Rev. Dr. Edgar, "This is especially good news on the heels of the
disappointing vote yesterday in the U.S. Senate not to raise the minimum
wage. It's good news for another set of workers who have been exploited, and
for the religious community, which has been so active in the boycott.

"I know the NCC's President, Bishop Thomas Hoyt, Jr., who took this on as one
of his priority issues, is especially pleased. I hope this victory will
energize all efforts to provide working people with a living wage."

Dr. Edgar concluded by quipping, "Taco Bell and Mt. Olive Pickle Company
products go well together," a reference to another consumer boycott that
recently ended in a contract for farmworkers.

The joint CIW-Taco Bell statement follows.

NCC Media Contact: 212-870-2252 or 2227; cfouke@ncccusa.org

---

COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS, TACO BELL® REACH GROUNDBREAKING AGREEMENT

CIW to end Taco Bell boycott; Taco Bell to pay penny-per-pound surcharge
demanded by workers, will work with CIW to raise farm labor standards in
supply chain, across industry as a whole

March 8, 2005 (IMMOKALEE/LOUISVILLE) â?? In a precedent-setting move,
fast-food industry leader Taco Bell Corp., a division of Yum! Brands (NYSE:
YUM), has agreed to work with the Florida-based farm worker organization, the
Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), to address the wages and working
conditions of farmworkers in the Florida tomato industry.

Taco Bell announced today that it will fund a penny per pound "pass-through"
with its suppliers of Florida tomatoes, and will undertake joint efforts with
the CIW on several fronts to improve working conditions in Florida's tomato
fields. For its part, the CIW has agreed to end its three-year boycott of
Taco Bell, saying that the agreement "sets a new standard of social
responsibility for the fast-food industry."

"As an industry leader, we are pleased to lend our support to and work with
the CIW to improve working and pay conditions for farmworkers in the Florida
tomato fields," said Emil Brolick, Taco Bell president. "We recognize that
Florida tomato workers do not enjoy the same rights and conditions as
employees in other industries, and there is a need for reform. We have
indicated that any solution must be industry-wide, as our company simply does
not have the clout alone to solve the issues raised by the CIW, but we are
willing to play a leadership role within our industry to be part of the
solution," Brolick added.

Taco Bell has recently secured an agreement with several of its tomato-grower
suppliers, who employ the farmworkers, to pass-through the company-funded
equivalent of one-cent per pound directly to the workers.

"With this agreement, we will be the first in our industry to directly help
improve farmworkers' wages,â?? added Brolick, "And we pledge to make this
commitment real by buying only from Florida growers who pass this penny per
pound payment entirely on to the farmworkers, and by working jointly with the
CIW and our suppliers to monitor the pass-through for compliance. We hope
others in the restaurant industry and supermarket retail trade will follow
our leadership." Yum! Brands and Taco Bell will also work with the CIW to
help ensure that Florida tomato pickers enjoy working terms and conditions
similar to those that workers in other industries enjoy.

"We are challenging our tomato suppliers to meet those higher standards and
will seek to do business with those who do," said Jonathan Blum, senior vice
president, Yum! Brands. "We have already added language to our Supplier Code
of Conduct to ensure that indentured servitude by suppliers is strictly
forbidden, and we will require strict compliance with all existing laws.
Finally, we pledge to aid in efforts at the state level to seek new laws that
better protect all Florida tomato farmworkers," added Blum.

The Company indicated that it believes other restaurant chains and
supermarkets, along with the Florida Tomato Committee, should join in seeking
legislative reform, because "human rights are universal and we hope others
will follow our companyâ??s lead."

"This is an important victory for farmworkers, one that establishes a new
standard of social responsibility for the fast-food industry and makes an
immediate material change in the lives of workers. This sends a clear
challenge to other industry leaders," said Lucas Benitez, a leader of the
Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

"Systemic change to ensure human rights for farmworkers is long-overdue.
Taco Bell has now taken an important leadership role by securing the penny
per pound pass-through from its tomato suppliers, and by the other efforts it
has committed to undertake to help win equal rights for farmworkers," Benitez
added. "We now call on the National Council of Churches, Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights and other
organizations to join the CIW and end their boycott of Taco Bell, and to
recognize the Company by supporting its ongoing leadership in our fight
against human rights abuses. But our work together is not done. Now we must
convince other companies that they have the power to change the way they do
business and the way workers are treated."

Representatives from the Carter Center assisted the discussions and
resolution between the two organizations. "I commend the Coalition of
Immokalee Workers for their principled leadership in this very important
campaign. I am pleased Taco Bell has taken a leadership role to help reform
working conditions for Florida farmworkers and has committed to use its power
to effect positive human rights change. I now call on others in the industry
to follow Taco Bellâ??s lead to help the tomato farmworkers," said former
President Jimmy Carter.

Taco Bell Corp., based in Irvine, California, is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands,
Inc. and the nation's leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain
serving tacos, burritos, signature Quesadillas, Border Bowls®, nachos and
other specialty items. In 2004, Taco Bell purchased approximately 10 million
pounds of Florida tomatoes, representing less than one percent of Florida's
tomato production. Taco Bell serves more than 35 million consumers each week
in more than 6,500 restaurants in the U.S.

CIW is a membership-led organization of agricultural workers based in
Immokalee, Florida, that seeks justice for farmworkers and promotes their
fair treatment in accordance with national and international labor standards.
Among its accomplishments, the CIW has aided in the prosecution of five
slavery operations by the Department of Justice and the liberation of over
1,000 workers. The CIW uses creative methods to educate consumers about
human rights abuses in the U.S. agriculture industry, corporate social
responsibility, and how consumers can help workers realize their social
change goals.

Contact: Julia Perkins, CIW/239-986-0891; Lucas Benitez, CIW/239-503-0133

Laurie Schalow, Taco Bell/949-863-3915 or onsite at 949-637-1153


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