The King's Penny Pinching

by Liz Cattaneo

One penny per pound. Florida farmworkers have been fighting for an increase of just one penny more for every pound of tomatoes they pick for the fast food industry.

You already helped convince McDonald's to pay this extra penny - last April, McDonald's followed the lead of Yum! Brands (owner of Taco Bell and other national food chains) in increasing wages and improving working conditions for these workers.

But Burger King is a different story. Not only is Burger King refusing to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve labor standards, it's also trying to undermine the agreements already in place with other fast food chains.

Sign our petition asking Burger King to Play Fair!

Activists working for farmworker justice will deliver your signature, along with thousands of others, to Burger King in February.

Farmworkers who pick tomatoes for Burger King's sandwiches are among this country's most exploited workers. Unlike many of us, they have no right to form unions, overtime pay, or benefits of any kind. On average, a farmworker makes only $10,000 a year.

McDonald's, Taco Bell, and other chains did the right thing and started treating their tomato pickers with respect. But Burger King doesn't want that for workers in its supply chain. It teamed up with the tomato growers lobby and encouraged growers to refuse to give the farmworkers the extra penny that would nearly double their wages.

This is not right. These farmworkers deserve humane labor standards and a fair price for the back-breaking work they do.

Tell Burger King to Play Fair.

Rather than seizing an opportunity to create more humane working conditions for some of America's workers, Burger King has chosen to lie, stall, and put profits ahead of justice and dignity for its workers. Sign our petition to demand Burger King implement fair wages and real rights for farmworkers.

Thanks for all that you do to stand up for workers.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com