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Half of all farm workers earn less than $7,500
a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and
60 percent of their households fall below the poverty
line. A Florida farm worker's life is essentially the
same as it was 30 years ago.
The state's growers say they face fierce competition
from foreign products -- the North American Free Trade
Agreeement is a constant source of complaints -- and
are tormented by Florida's fickle weather: flash floods,
drought and cold weather have plagued recent growing
seasons. All that is true, but it does not justify the
industry's rejection of collective bargaining. Nor does
it condone wages that are shamefully low.
Not many new ideas have come to bridge the gap between
market forces and morality. With appeals for government
intervention ignored, one group of tomato pickers is
taking its cause to the college campuses.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers protested with students
Saturday in Gainesville at the University of Florida.
It was the beginning of a six-week demonstration camaign
that also will visit other universities, including Miami,
Florida State and South Florida. The pickers and students
will target Taco Bell restaurants, one of the largest
buyers of Florida tomatoes. The idea is to persuade
Taco Bell to use its influence to start meaningful talks
between growers and workers.
The protesters also want Taco Bell to voluntarily pay
1 cent more per pound for its tomatoes, which are selling
for about 40 cents per pound. If the growers then would
pass that penny along to the pickers, their wages would
double to a livable level. The cost to consumers would
be less than one half-cent for each chalupa or taco.
The growers would benefit from having a stable, motivated
work force, and Taco Bell would reap public relations
rewards as a company with a social conscience.
The farm workers have reason to turn to the colleges.
Student activism played a signifiacnt role in persuading
Nike to crack down against sweatshop labor. And the
18-24 year-old age group is Taco Bell's targeted market.
So far, the company has declined to respond to the pickers'
requests. So has Gov. Bush. After intervening in wage
talks during his campaign for election two years ago,
Gov. Bush since has refused to get involved, calling
it "inappropriate".
Today, the best hope for improving life
in the fields is on the campuses and at the counters
of fast food restaurants.
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