Burger King possibly buckling from CIW pressure
Burger King possibly buckling from CIW pressure
A Jan. 15 story from the Associated Press reported that Burger King may stop buying tomatoes from southwestern Florida because of pressure put on the company by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The coalition has campaigned for the past year to try to get Burger King to join Yum Brands (Taco Bell) and McDonald's in paying a premium on tomatoes from state growers.
According to the AP story, Steven Grover, vice president of Burger King, issued a letter to its suppliers stating, "In an effort to protect the "BKC" brand and supply system from disruption, we are developing contingency plans to assure our long-term supply of tomatoes."
In the letter, Mr. Grover also asked Burger King's growers to "submit contingency plans for the possibility that we would choose not to purchase tomatoes grown on farms in the Immokalee, Florida, region."
The coalition's agreements with Yum Brands and McDonald's require them to pay a penny more per pound for the tomatoes they buy from Florida farms. Producers would pass the extra money on to field workers. But members of the Florida Tomato Committee, based in Maitland, agreed to not participate in the assessment this season.
Despite the stand-down, the pressure on the Florida tomato industry by the coalition is great -- and not only because growers are not selling some customers. The coalition claims that workers are underpaid and often mistreated. It is these claims that have the Florida tomato industry distressed.
"A copy of the letter reached my desk last week," Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Committee, told The Produce News Jan. 22. "The letter implies that it is a contingency plan, and that is certainly within Burger King's parameters. We would strongly urge them to continue to buy our product. We have interest in every buyer, and we want to continue healthy relationships with existing customers."
Mr. Brown said that the coalition is engaged in activities that may in fact reduce worker jobs in the state. It is a domino effect: If tomato sales drop, less labor is required by the industry.
"It would also hurt the Florida economy," Mr. Brown added. "The three supporting industries are construction, tourism and agriculture, and agriculture has always been the strong leg of the state's economy during recessionary times. We hope we can continue to play that role and keep workers on the job."
Mr. Brown said that the coalition, a not-for-profit 5013C charity organization, falls out of legal perimeters for action on the part of the committee or other parties, but said that its activities are suspect.
"It lobbies and campaigns with misinformation," he said. "And because they play on people's sympathies, the media runs with it. Its claims include distorted facts on wage increases over the years and [allegations of] illegal slavery. Our producers are not slaveholders, and we would join any effort in searching out and prosecuting anyone who is. The long-term effects of CIW's activities may well hurt the very people they claim they want to help: the workers."
According to the AP story, Steven Grover, vice president of Burger King, issued a letter to its suppliers stating, "In an effort to protect the "BKC" brand and supply system from disruption, we are developing contingency plans to assure our long-term supply of tomatoes."
In the letter, Mr. Grover also asked Burger King's growers to "submit contingency plans for the possibility that we would choose not to purchase tomatoes grown on farms in the Immokalee, Florida, region."
The coalition's agreements with Yum Brands and McDonald's require them to pay a penny more per pound for the tomatoes they buy from Florida farms. Producers would pass the extra money on to field workers. But members of the Florida Tomato Committee, based in Maitland, agreed to not participate in the assessment this season.
Despite the stand-down, the pressure on the Florida tomato industry by the coalition is great -- and not only because growers are not selling some customers. The coalition claims that workers are underpaid and often mistreated. It is these claims that have the Florida tomato industry distressed.
"A copy of the letter reached my desk last week," Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Committee, told The Produce News Jan. 22. "The letter implies that it is a contingency plan, and that is certainly within Burger King's parameters. We would strongly urge them to continue to buy our product. We have interest in every buyer, and we want to continue healthy relationships with existing customers."
Mr. Brown said that the coalition is engaged in activities that may in fact reduce worker jobs in the state. It is a domino effect: If tomato sales drop, less labor is required by the industry.
"It would also hurt the Florida economy," Mr. Brown added. "The three supporting industries are construction, tourism and agriculture, and agriculture has always been the strong leg of the state's economy during recessionary times. We hope we can continue to play that role and keep workers on the job."
Mr. Brown said that the coalition, a not-for-profit 5013C charity organization, falls out of legal perimeters for action on the part of the committee or other parties, but said that its activities are suspect.
"It lobbies and campaigns with misinformation," he said. "And because they play on people's sympathies, the media runs with it. Its claims include distorted facts on wage increases over the years and [allegations of] illegal slavery. Our producers are not slaveholders, and we would join any effort in searching out and prosecuting anyone who is. The long-term effects of CIW's activities may well hurt the very people they claim they want to help: the workers."
