On May 23, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Burger King signed an agreement to work together to improve farmworker wages and working conditions in Burger King's tomato supply chain. Lucas Benitez, co-founder of CIW said, "Today we are one step closer to building a world where we, as farmworkers, can enjoy a fair wage and humane working conditions in exchange for the hard and essential work we do everyday. We are not there yet, but we are getting there"
	Signing Ceremony at U.S. Capitol, May 23 Lucas Benitez of CIW, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Ms. Amy Wagner, Senior Vice President, Burger King

Burger King Corporation has agreed to pay an additional net penny per pound for Florida tomatoes to increase wages for the Florida farm workers who harvest tomatoes. To encourage grower participation in this increased wage program, BK will also fund incremental payroll taxes and administrative costs incurred by the growers as a result of their farmworkers' increased wages, or a total of 1.5 cents per pound of tomatoes.

BK also joins other fast-food industry leaders and the CIW in calling for an industry-wide net penny per pound surcharge to increase wages for Florida tomato harvesters.

Together, BK and the CIW have also established zero tolerance guidelines for certain unlawful activities that require immediate termination of any grower from the BURGER KING® supply chain. The BKC/CIW collaboration additionally provides for farmworker participation in the monitoring of growers' compliance with the company's vendor code of conduct.

NFWM staff and supporters in Miami, where Burger King is headquartered, across Florida and across the country have been active in building and supporting this campaign from the beginning. We join CIW in thanking all who have participated and in giving thanks that our work has born fruit!

The CIW was joined at the signing ceremony at the U.S. Capitol by representatives from several NFWM member organizations -- Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, and the Unitarian Universalist Association -- as well as representatives from Sojourners and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The press conference and signing was hosted by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, with a statement from Senator Durbin.

"If the Florida tomato industry is to be sustainable long term, it must become more socially responsible," said Amy Wagner, a senior vice president at Burger King. She estimated that the wage boost would cost Burger King about $300,000 a year. Last year, the corporation brought in $2.23 billion in revenues.

Yum! Brands and McDonald's the world's biggest restaurant company and fast-food chain, respectively agreed to the raise in 2005 and 2007. Workers got the extra money for two seasons, and then the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, which represents about 90% of Florida tomato growers, threatened $100,000 fines to any member who participated. Since then the payments have been held in escrow. The day before the Burger King agreement was made public the Exchange announced it would no longer threaten members with those fines, though Reggie Brown, the Exchange's executive vice president, told a Florida newspaper that he remained troubled by legal questions prompted by the raise and was advising members not to participate.

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