Public Employee Press

The World of Work

Victory for Florida tomato workers

Buoyed by their victory after a four-year boycott of Taco Bell, Latino farm workers in Florida are preparing to take on other fast-food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King. In March, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers ended their boycott of Taco Bell after reaching an agreement with the owner, Yum! Brands. The Louisville-based fast-food company also owns KFC, Pizza Hut, A&W Restaurants and Long John Silver’s.

The workers will be paid an extra penny per pound for their tomato harvests under the agreement, which also calls on Taco Bell’s parent company to take the lead in promoting greater protections for migrant workers throughout the industry.

Migrant workers formed the advocacy group after a strike by 3,000 workers in Immokalee. The coalition has informed McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway that they will ask them to meet the Taco Bell agreement.