Farmworkers protest by home of Wendy's billionaire chairman

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Farmworkers protest by home of Wendy's billionaire chairman

Updated 6:28 pm, Sunday, March 13, 2016

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of protesters, many farmworkers, led by Ethel Kennedy, demonstrated near the home of Wendy's fast food chain's chairman in hopes of convincing the company to pay a penny-per-pound fee for its tomatoes to supplement some farmworkers' wages.

The Palm Beach Post (http://tinyurl.com/zz8lkh7) reports the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' march near billionaire Nelson Peltz's home was peaceful Saturday. A federal judge had ruled the coalition could use loudspeakers but said marchers must remain on the sidewalk. Kennedy, the 87-year-old widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, led the charge onto the barrier island where protesters held signs to boycott the chain. Some acted out a skit.

Tomato harvesters make an average of about $10,000 during the six-month season, earning 50 cents for every 32-pound basket they fill. The coalition says the program can add $20 to $150 to their weekly checks.

The coalition has used demonstrations and sometimes consumer boycotts to pressure the five largest fast-food companies — Wendy's, McDonald's, Burger King, Subway and Taco Bell — into joining its "fair food program." All but Wendy's eventually joined. The company has said the farmworkers are not Wendy's employees and it doesn't feel it is appropriate to pay another company's workers.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Farmworkers-protest-by-home-of-Wendy-s-6887504.php

[Fairgo]

1. Nobody asks,

"Where did those tomatoes come from...?"
Nobody knows about the plywood shacks, the 18 hour days and busses with families sleeping in the shade of the tires.
Eveyr bite of that cheeseburger indicts us.

[ladjf]

2. Good protest. nt

[Peace Patriot]

3. Cheers to the Immokalee Workers! And GO, ETHEL! What a woman!

[AllyCat]

4. $1.35 B. Exactly what has he done to earn that amount of money?

Unless you have vastly improved the lives of 10s of thousands of people, you have NOT earned that money. You stole it.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Duplicate of pre-existing Late Breaking thread. Please look first.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141377671

That thread with a similar title is still visible on the DU front page and still visible in the LBN forum index page.

[Gregorian]

6. Charles Dickens knew exactly what he was writing about.

It's almost comical how so many Americans don't get it today.

[hughee99]

7. Why don't the growers just increase their prices by a penny per pound?

Then they can pay their own workers better? Is there some other factor at work here like existing contracts?