Burger royalty may be endangering the price paid to farmers in the fields. According to an Associated Press article published this weekend, Burger King is teaming up with the Florida Growers Exchange to oppose deals that would have fast food corporations pay a penny more for Florida tomatoes. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers was successful in winning deals with McDonald's Corporation and Taco Bell owner, Yum Brands. Burger King and the Growers Exchange are preparing to fight the workers with an antitrust suit, but have yet to explain the grounds and have simply called the wage increase agreements "un-American".

By Doug Cunningham

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers deals with Taco Bell and McDonald’s to pay workers more money for harvested tomatoes could be in trouble. The Florida Tomato Exchange, a grower group that controls 90 percent of tomatoes shipments from Florida, is urging its members not to honor the labor deal that puts a penny more per pound of tomatoes harvested into workers’ pockets.

By Doug Cunningham

The AFL-CIO has generated nearly 125,000 letters to McDonald’s and Chipotle executives calling on them to improve wage and working conditions for workers harvesting tomatoes in Florida. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers took on another giant company and won when they launched a campaign at Taco Bell to get that fast food giant to agree to pay more for tomatoes so the harsh working conditions of tomato workers could be improved. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney visited Immokalee in April. The AFL-CIO says it’s just the beginning of its participation supporting Immokalee workers in the McDonald’s campaign.

By Doug Cunningham

The Student Farmworker Alliance is a national network of activists currently working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers on a campaign to get McDonald’s to pay more for tomatoes in order to improve farm worker wages. The SFA is commemorating the labor legacies of Caesar Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Farmworker Alliance organizer Sean Sellers says the organization supports legalization for all undocumented workers.

[Sean Sellers 1]: “A position of amnesty or legalization is win-win situation for all American workers. As long as there are workers out there receiving such little wages it’s going to give employers the opportunity to drive down all workers’ wages.”

A three and a half year struggle between the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Taco Bell has finally ended with the corporation vowing to work for the betterment of workers rights throughout the industry. The company promises to pay a penny-per-pound of tomatoes surcharge and to help raise farm labor standards by lobbying other major fast food players alongside the coalition. In return, the coalition has said they will end their boycott.

[Perkins1]: It represents immediate change, but it also represents hope for the future.

Taco Bell has not been invited back to the student union of Cal State San Bernardino. The fast food giant will not be returning next fall, after students launched a campaign saying that Florida tomato pickers are underpaid and mistreated. A national boycott led by the Student Farmworker Alliance and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has resulted in 21 colleges removing Taco Bell from their campus. According to the coalition, the pickers are paid roughly $55 for every two tons of tomatoes they pick. Also most pickers receive no health insurance, sick leave, vacation. Taco Bell officials insist that they buy less Florida tomatoes than any other fast-food company. The company has also sent a check to the coalition for $110,000 and has offered to assist them in lobbying for changes to Florida labor laws.