Taco Bell & The Immokalee Workers
Taco Bell, the mainstream fast food restaurant that supplies an array of Americanized Mexican dishes, sources much of its tomatoes from domestic farms. Taco Bell came under fire in 2002 after a group of workers from Immokalee, Florida, protested the low wages and demanded to be paid one cent more per pound of tomatoes, which would result in a dramatic salary increase. After Taco Bell executives claimed that they had no say in this situation, and that this labor dispute was between the workers and their employers, an enormous boycott of Taco Bell products commenced, gathering support nationwide and attracting mass-media attention. This boycott even involved malls and universities preventing Taco Bell restaurants from operating. After three years of protests, Taco Bell and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) reached a settlement which resulted in labor reform for the tomato harvesters. This event has been integral to modern farmworkers’ rights because it “establishes a new standard of social responsibility for the fast-food industry and makes an immediate material change in the lives of workers” (The Guardian). Recently, “Yum! Brands,” the conglomerate that owns Taco Bell and other fast food shops such as KFC, PizzaHut, and The Habit Burger Grill, has come under criticism for multiple issues: environmental negligence relating to their sourcing of palm oil and paper, forcing its farms to sell their tomatoes at cheaper costs, which dictates low salaries for the laborers, and condoning prolonged work hours. To learn more about the plight of the Immokalee workers, the CIW, and the Taco Bell boycott, I have provided several news source links. Additionally, “Harvest of Shame,” a 1960 documentary created by Edward R. Murrow on the mistreatment of United State’s farm laborers and migrant workers can be accessed through CBS. Sadly, as this film illustrates, not much had changed in terms of the exploitation of agricultural workers since the 1960s until the 2005 resolution.
Alternatives
Are you looking for Mexican food that is not produced by Taco Bell? Check out these other options:
Photos
“Farmworkers in America’s Tomato Capital May Have One of the Highest Rates of Coronavirus Infection Globally.” The Counter, 8 June 2020, thecounter.org/immokalee-florida-farmworkers-covid-19-cases-coronavirus-testing-contact-tracing/.
for, Alliance. “Student/Farmworker Alliance.” Student/Farmworker Alliance, 6 Dec. 2016, www.sfalliance.org/news?offset=1481605071864.
for, Alliance. “Student/Farmworker Alliance.” Student/Farmworker Alliance, 6 Dec. 2016, www.sfalliance.org/news?offset=1481605071864.
Sources
Munoz, Hilda M. “Florida Farm Workers Picket Taco Bell.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2003, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-25-me-farms25-story.html
Campbell, Duncan. “Farmworkers Win Historic Deal after Boycotting Taco Bell.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 12 Mar. 2005, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/mar/12/usa.duncancampbell
“Taco Bell Boycott Finally Ends // the Observer.” The Observer, 2020, https://ndsmcobserver.com/2005/03/taco-bell-boycott-finally-ends/
“Coalition of Immokalee Workers - Worker Centers.” Worker Centers, 6 Aug. 2013, https://workercenters.com/union-front-groups/coalition-of-immokalee-workers/
“YUM! Brands under Fire for Palm Oil Sourcing.” Business Ethics, 11 July 2011, https://business-ethics.com/2011/07/11/1257-yum-brands-under-fire-for-palm-oil-sourcing/
“Yum! Brands Human Rights & Labor Practices Policy” https://www.yum.com/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/c46006d8-a0ea-45bb-99ff-f77b4fadffcf/Human+Rights+and+Labor+Practices+Policy.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=n8OWUVK
“Fla. Tomato Pickers Still Reap ‘Harvest of Shame.’” Washington Post, The Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2005, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2005/02/28/fla-tomato-pickers-still-reap-harvest-of-shame/ae78079b-b1a7-48d1-b22d-50cd6e067c58/
Campbell, Duncan. “Farmworkers Win Historic Deal after Boycotting Taco Bell.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 12 Mar. 2005, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/mar/12/usa.duncancampbell
“Taco Bell Boycott Finally Ends // the Observer.” The Observer, 2020, https://ndsmcobserver.com/2005/03/taco-bell-boycott-finally-ends/
“Coalition of Immokalee Workers - Worker Centers.” Worker Centers, 6 Aug. 2013, https://workercenters.com/union-front-groups/coalition-of-immokalee-workers/
“YUM! Brands under Fire for Palm Oil Sourcing.” Business Ethics, 11 July 2011, https://business-ethics.com/2011/07/11/1257-yum-brands-under-fire-for-palm-oil-sourcing/
“Yum! Brands Human Rights & Labor Practices Policy” https://www.yum.com/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/c46006d8-a0ea-45bb-99ff-f77b4fadffcf/Human+Rights+and+Labor+Practices+Policy.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=n8OWUVK
“Fla. Tomato Pickers Still Reap ‘Harvest of Shame.’” Washington Post, The Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2005, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2005/02/28/fla-tomato-pickers-still-reap-harvest-of-shame/ae78079b-b1a7-48d1-b22d-50cd6e067c58/