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The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has signed an agreement with a major food service company to improve working conditions for the some of the most exploited farm workers in the United States. The CIW advocates for fair labour standards and the end of forced labour conditions. Working in terrible heat and humidity endangers workers and has led to only the most vulnerable members of society working in the tomato fields. Lack of immigration status ("illegal aliens"), isolation, and outright tyranny by employers has led to brutal exploitation of farm workers in the Florida tomato industry. Organizing has been effective because of a broad coalition and the targeting of food service companies (fast food). The most recent agreement arose with Bon Appétit Management Company and the CIW.
Gerardo Reyes of the CIW: "The future of a fairer
tomato industry is being written today, and this agreement is a rough
draft. It's not a final product, and it's not meant to be. But it is a
great first cut at building a relationship between farmworkers and
their employers based on a genuine appreciation for the value of
farmworkers' labor - something that has been absent since the birth of
the agricultural industry in Florida - and driven by a vision of
universal human rights. We see this as a golden opportunity for
Florida's smaller, family-scale farmers to gain access to a market that
has traditionally been beyond their reach, and to help elevate
Florida's agricultural industry in the process."
Fedele Bauccio, CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company:
"America's agricultural workers do jobs that are far more difficult and
dangerous than the average retail or restaurant worker, yet these jobs
are critical to our entire food chain. When I met with workers in the
fields and saw first-hand how difficult their lives are, I knew that I
could not, in good conscience, contribute to such a system. We buy
almost 5 million pounds of tomatoes a year. I decided to use that power
to make a real difference in the supply chain."
Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder, UFW:
"We congratulate Bon Appétit Management Company for their support of
the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to bring humane treatment to those
that bring the food to our table. This historic partnership between the
food industry and farmworkers can end the slavery and slave-like
conditions that farmworkers are subjected to in Florida and other
states. ¡Si Se Puede!"
CIW background from a presentation at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), special conference "on trafficking for labour exploitation focusing on the agricultural sector," :
... When the CIW began in the early 1990s, we did not set out to be an
anti-slavery organization – it was formed as a labor and human rights
organization, fighting for better wages and dignity for farmworkers.
But in the course of our work, we came across first one forced labor
case, then another, then another, and it became clear that the initial
cases were not anomalies, but rather that an all-too significant
percentage of the overall farm workforce is being held against their
will.
The agreement provides for higher wages and better working conditions, and incentives for continuous improvement:
- A "Minimum Fair
Wage" - Workers will be paid a wage premium
that reflects the unique rigors and uncertainty of farm labor.
- An end to
traditional forms of wage abuse -
Through standards requiring growers to implement time clocks and to reconcile
wages paid with pounds harvested, workers will be paid for every hour worked
and every pound picked.
- Worker empowerment - Workers will be informed of their rights through a system
jointly developed by the growers and the CIW. Growers will also collaborate
with the CIW and Bon Appétit to implement and enforce a process for workers to
pursue complaints without fear of retribution.
- Worker safety - A worker-controlled health and safety committee will give
farmworkers a voice in addressing potentially dangerous working conditions,
including pesticide, heat, and machinery issues.
- Third-party
monitoring- Growers will permit third-party
monitoring that includes worker participation.
Full Press Release
More on Farm Worker Organizations
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