Victory: Chipotle, Tomato Growers Commit to End Slavery

Once again, Change.org members have spoken and a company has listened! Yesterday marked a huge victory for workers in the Florida tomato industry -- both the East Coast Growers and Packers company and Chipotle have agreed to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to implement penny-per-pound wage increases, supply chain transparency, and a code of conduct that prevents slavery. Thanks to the hundreds of Change.org members who sent letters to Chipotle asking them to take a stand against slavery!

Last week, Chipotle gave a detailed response to the petitions Change.org members were sending them, which was both sophisticated and honest (and therefore rare to hear from a corporate PR statement). They explained one of the problems in the very complicated tomato industry was that the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE), a special-interest group for the industry, was blocking the payment mechanism, so Chipotle had no guarantee their extra money was actually reaching the workers. This week, however, East Coast Growers and Packers, one of Florida's largest tomato growers, agreed to pass on the cash and work with Chipotle and CIW. FTGE, which controlls massive portions of the industry, still hasn't removed their heads from their butts in order to talk with CIW, but I'm hoping the smell -- or a little more Change.org activism -- will drive them out soon.

This victory is huge not just because it will help prevent slavery and exploitation of tomato harvesters, but because the engagement of growers means that many companies have lost their excuse for inaction -- the claim that they couldn't know if they money was actually getting to the workers. Now, companies like Publix, Kroger, Sodexo, Aramark, Wendy's, Quizno's, Costco, and WalMart who have been shirking their basic responsibilties to support human rights and fair pay are on the hook for real; they better stand up against slavery or face the floods of petitions coming from the Change.org community. 

You can thank and congratulate CIW, East Coast Growers and Packers, and Chipotle with a comment here. And you can also enjoy a thick, juicy burrito knowing that you're buying and biting into a company that stands with workers and against slavery ... with integrity.

Photo credit: Chipotle by Sunset by Soundman1024