Coalition of Immokalee Workers responds to McDonald's This past week, many people who emailed McDonald's in December asking the fast-food giant to take serious measures to clean up human rights abuses in Florida's tomato fields received a "Dear Valued Customer" email from McDonald's. In the email, McDonald's and a group of Florida growers announced what they are calling "rigorous new practices" to supplement the previously announced (and roundly criticized) "SAFE" initiative.
The CIW has responded to McD's latest announcement, and you can find the full text of our response on the CIW website at www.ciw-online.org. Here below is an excerpt: "None of what has been announced addresses the fact that farmworkers still desperately need immmediate economic relief, a raise in wages so that they can meet their basic needs and live free of the degradation that has been the shame of Florida agriculture for so long... ... McDonald's approach as announced deflects the entire burden -- and cost -- of social responsibility onto its suppliers. Yet McDonald's bears at least some of the responsibility for farmworkers' poverty. Why? Because through its high volume purchases, McDonald's has been able to extract the lowest possible prices for tomatoes from its suppliers -- and in so doing exert a downward pressure on farmworker wages -- for decades. In short, McDonald's profits from farmworker poverty, and so needs to contribute to its alleviation. Yum Brands has now clearly recognized this and is today paying a fairer price for its tomatoes so that workers who pick those tomatoes can receive a fairer wage. No new strategy for social accountability will be complete until McDonald's recognizes its own responsibility and contributes its share to help raise farmworkers' unconscionably low wages, too." You can find the whole statement on our site or by clicking on the following link: www.ciw-online.org/CIW_Response_to_Mcds.html Thanks - Coalition of Immokalee Workers -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.14.23/240 - Release Date: 1/25/2006 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
