You are currently subscribed to the PCUSANEWS
email list of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
========================================
This story and photo available online at: http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2007/07210.htm
07210 April 10, 2007
Immokalee workers, McDonald's reach agreement
Fast-food giant agrees to 'penny a pound' deal brokered by Carter
by Jerry Van Marter
LOUISVILLE * The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and fast-food giant McDonald's announced an agreement yesterday that will double the wages and improve working conditions for tomato pickers in Florida who supply McDonald's with tomatoes.
The agreement, brokered by Atlanta's Jimmy Carter Center, came on the verge of the CIW's latest "Truth Tour" [http://www.pcusa.org/fairfood/truthtour.htm] to call attention to wages and working conditions in Florida's tomato fields. The southern and Midwestern tour was scheduled to conclude this weekend with a massive peaceful demonstration at McDonald's headquarters in suburban Chicago.
After reaching a 2005 agreement with YUM! Brands * the parent company of Taco Bell * the CIW turned its attention to McDonald's.
The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) * which was an instrumental supporter of the CIW in the Taco Bell boycott * hailed the agreement with McDonald's.
"In 2005, YUM Brands laid the foundation for socially responsible purchasing in the fast-food industry by being the first in the industry to reach an agreement with CIW, which went far to improve the wages and working conditions of the men and women of Immokalee," Kirkpatrick said in an April 9 statement. "Now, McDonald's has followed suit. This important agreement today just may be the tipping point for the entire fast-food industry in a real move toward human rights and fair food for everyone."
According to a joint statement issued by Lucas Benitez of the CIW and William Whitman of McDonald's, the hamburger giant will pay a penny per pound more for tomatoes picked by Florida farmworkers and will insure that the extra wages are paid by its suppliers directly to the tomato pickers.
The CIW and McDonald's produce suppliers also agreed to work together to develop a new code of conduct for Florida tomato growers as well as increase farmworker participation in monitoring supplier compliance. Farmworkers will also participate in investigating worker complaints and dispute resolution. Additionally, the CIW and McDonald's produce suppliers will work together toward developing and implementing a credible third-party verification system.
"I welcome McDonald's commitment to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve the lives of the workers who supply their 13,000 U.S. restaurants with tomatoes," said President Carter. "This is a clear and welcome example of positive industry partnership. It demonstrates also McDonald's leadership in social responsibility and CIW's importance as a voice for farmworker rights. I encourage others to now follow the lead of McDonald's and Taco Bell to achieve the much needed change throughout the entire Florida-based tomato ndustry."
Benitez concurred. "Two years ago, our agreement with Yum Brands marked the first step toward a distant dream of ensuring human rights for workers in Florida's fields," he said. "Today, with McDonald's, we have taken another major step toward a world where we as farmworkers can enjoy a fair wage and humane working conditions in exchange for the hard and essential work we do every day. We are not there yet, but we are getting there, and today's agreement should send a strong message to the rest of the restaurant and supermarket industry that it is now time to stand behind the food they sell from the field to the table."
"We have always respected the CIW's commitment to enhancing conditions for the workers," said J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, McDonald's senior vice president for supply chain management. "We've made progress with our suppliers through our existing Florida tomato grower standards, which hold the growers accountable to standards higher than the industry, but that was only the beginning. We believe more needs to be done. McDonald's produce suppliers are required to purchase tomatoes only from those growers that have adopted our standards."
========================================
You are currently subscribed to the PCUSANEWS
email list of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to
mailto:PCUSANEWS-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org.
To update your email address, send your old email address and your new one to mailto:PCUSANEWS-owner@halak.pcusa.org.
For questions or comments, send an email to mailto:PCUSANEWS-owner@halak.pcusa.org.
To learn more, visit http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202 (888) 728-7228