Miami, Fla., Oct 15, 2010 / 09:50 am
Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami praised recent developments that improved conditions for workers in Florida’s tomato industry, expressing his hope that other agricultural companies follow suit in protecting the rights of their often overlooked employees.
On Wednesday, the Pacific Tomato Growers (PTG), one of the oldest and largest tomato producers in the U.S., along with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) signed an agreement establishing accountability and social responsibility protocols for the tomato industry in the state. The advancement comes after CIW's decade-long campaign for labor reforms.
The developments include a complaint resolution system, a participatory health and safety program, and a third-party auditing group that ensures a "penny-per-pound” system aimed at raising farm worker wages. The wage increase initiative is part of CIW's agreements with nine major retail food companies, including McDonald's and Whole Foods.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, who is also president of the Florida Catholic Conference, praised the leaders of CIW and PTG on Oct. 13.